MIL-PRF-71167 Cartridge, 7.62Mm: Short Range Training Ammunition Ball - M973 Cartridge, 7.62Mm: Short Range Training Ammunition Tracer - M974This specification describes the performance requirements and verification methods for the Cartridge, 7.62MM: plastic ball, practice M973, and the Cartridge, 7.62MM: plastic tracer, practice M974. These rounds are commonly referred to as Short Range Training Ammunition \(SRTA\). For the rest of this document both rounds will be referenced as SRTA and each single round by its model number. All requirements in this specification apply to both M973 and M974 rounds, unless otherwise noted that they are specific to the M974 round \(see 6.1\).

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MIL-PRF-71167A(AR)

safe to store and fire (no critical defects as defined in Table

VI) after being subjected to a 5 percent salt spray (fog).

3.7.9 Hot chamber effects (cook-off). A cartridge inserted

into the chamber of the M60 and M240B machine guns following the

firing of 200 cartridges in each weapon shall not fire (cook

off). In addition, the cartridge shall not deform to the extent

that clearing of the weapons is made difficult.

3.7.10 Attitude. The cartridge shall be safe to fire in

the M60 and M240B machine guns (no critical defect as defined in

Table VI) and the reliability shall not degrade by more than 10

percent (see 6.7.2) when fired at elevations between � 85�.

3.7.11 Barrel erosion. The life of each of the 3 barrels

shall not be less than 5,000 rounds. The barrel life shall be

considered as having ended when any one of the following

conditions take place (whichever comes first):

a. The average velocity of an individual burst in the test

drops 61 meters/sec or more with respect to that of the

initial burst in the barrel's history.

b. When the bullets from twenty percent or more of the

cartridges in any burst show keyholing which is defined

as yaw exceeding 15� at 25.4 meters range.

3.7.12 Demilitarization. The Small Arms Technical Manual

(DMWR 9-1300-0017-D1) shall be followed for demilitarization

procedures. The item design shall ensure that the materials

specified and the assembly methods chosen allow for an

environmentally safe and cost effective demilitarization process,

not to exceed 10 percent of the item's manufacturing cost. The

design should allow maximum recovery of valuable materials and

components or when recovery is not feasible, require methods of

destruction with no environmental impact. The use of materials

containing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated

hazardous materials shall be avoided. Open burning and open

detonation are no longer considered desirable demilitarization

methods and shall not be employed.