Type Rifle Designed 1980s No. built Prototype only | Place of origin Sweden Manufacturer Interdynamics AB Parent case .22 WMR | |
 | ||
The 4.5mm MKR cartridge was a prototype Swedish rifle cartridge.
Contents
History
The 4.5mm MKR was originally developed by Interdynamic AB, a Swedish company, in the 1980s, right around the time of the rise of "micro-caliber" popularity, when firearms companies everywhere were trying to achieve a type of practical and cheap ammunition. Micro-caliber (less than five millimeters) ammunition makers wished to achieve high velocity, flat trajectory and good penetration in automatic weapons, and with low recoil. The tiny size of the bullet required a simple blowback operation style rather than a more complex form of operation. The lightweight bullet,1.58 grams, achieved a muzzle velocity of about 3,270 feet per second. The effectiveness of this bullet was claimed to be on par with a 5.56×45mm NATO bullet up to 300 meters.
Due to concerns about stopping power, reliability and problems with using rimmed rimfire ammunition the MKR project was abandoned at the prototype stage and thus the 4.5mm MKR never saw service or any kind of widespread use.
Design
The 4.5mm MKR was essentially a .22 WMR necked down to a 4.5mm bullet, designed to be used in the Interdynamics MKR rifle. The Interdynamics cartridge featured a curved taper and a 4.5mm caliber pointed bullet, made of solid, cold swaged copper.