What is Intermediate cartridge?
[[File:10.4mm Swiss Vetterli Winchester.jpg|thumb|right|The 10.4x38mmR Swiss is an early example of an Intermediate cartridge.]] An '''intermediate cartridge''' is a [[bullet]] used for [[Assault rifle|assault rifles]] and some [[Light machine gun|light machine guns]]. They are not as large as full-sized [[rifle]] bullets, and they do not have as much [[stopping power]], [[penetration power]], or [[effective range]]. However, more of them can be carried because they are smaller. They still have more stopping power, penetration power, and effective range than most [[pistol]] bullets. They are still powerful enough to shoot through most [[Bullet-proof vest|bullet-proof vests]] and they can kill a fully grown [[Human|person]] if aimed well enough. Intermediate cartridges include the Russian [[7.62 x 39mm]], the [[7.62 x 51mm NATO]], and the German 7.92 Kurz. They are made to be just good enough for most firefights, so they are used for many short and medium-range guns. The first standard issue use of intermediate cartridges date back to the late 19th century with the introduction of the 10.4x38mmR round of the Swiss M1870 Vetterli rifle. This cartridge offered controllable handling when firing and a ''then'' high-capacity magazine of 12 rounds, predating the Lee-Metford rifle. Various other intermediate cartridges were used in [[World War I]] with the .345 Winchester Self-Loading and .351 WSL, these were in very limited use in [[Gun|firearms]] such as the Winchester-Burton M1917 [[automatic rifle]] and Winchester Model 1907. The mainstream use of intermediate cartridges came with the [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[military]] making the [[StG 44|StG-44]]. During [[World War II]], the German military learned that most firefights happened in fewer than 300 meters. The [[Bolt action|bolt-action]] rifles used by most German [[Soldier|soldiers]] were not good enough for short-range because they were too slow to fire, the bullets used for them were too heavy, and the guns kicked back too hard, causing soldiers to lose their