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ARMAG

Search matches names, aliases and the text of every page. An arm found by its service designation is found by its alias, not its title.

Cartridge overall length

The length of the complete loaded round, base to bullet tip.

Also called COAL, L6

C.I.P.’s L6, and the figure that decides whether a cartridge fits a magazine. A round longer than the magazine well cannot be fed from it however well it fits the chamber, which is a real constraint on how heavy a bullet a given rifle can use.

It is a maximum rather than a specification. An ammunition maker seats the bullet where it likes within that limit, and the same cartridge loaded with two different bullets will have two different overall lengths.