The Firearm Blog

Zel Custom has developed this bipod of their Tactilite rifles. It swivels around the barrel allowing a stable rest on very uneven ground. I took these photos of it at SHOT ...

Last month a man was seriously injured after a cartridge was fired out-of-battery in his BOHICA Arms AR-15 .510 DTC rifle upper. The .510 DTC is one of those .50 BMG equivalents designed for countries where the BMG is banned. Despite the name, it is .50 cal.

Firing pin almost penetrated stock/buffer tube

part of the case can be seen at the back of the receiver (next to the bolt).

One of the guys parents posted this at CalGuns forum ...

Sunday a surgeon spent 2.5 hrs working to do hopefully the best work available to repair the damage. My Son, according to the surgeon had four broken bones and some ligament damage to his left hand, the one he was holding the gun with just in front of the chamber. If you notice the hole on the side of the I believe chamber is a vent, that's where he received a good amount of schrapnel that broke his hand. The bolt lever was being pushed by his right hand/palm forward when the bullet discharged before the lever was locked into place. The result was a severe laceration to his palm but not as devastating as the damage to the left hand.

I met him with his mother and our daughter, his sister in recovery after his surgery he was quite depressed but glad no one else was hurt. His account of the event was the same Sunday night as the sedation wore off as on Monday evening when I visited him. No hammers, no channel locks, no tools no hang fire only hands.

We don't know what exactly caused this unfortunate event to happen. I've been in contact with the mfg. on Monday and he seems quite concerned as I would be if I was producing an item like this. We will try to work together and determine what caused this event.

[ Many thanks to Marshall for the links. ]

UPDATE:

There is thread at ARFCOM about the incident (Thanks to JH1990 for the link). One posters said ...

I was not at the range when this happened but I spoke with the range staff last week and they pretty much explained exactly how this happened. The guy was using new reloads that weren't exactly fitting well into his chamber. Dude was slamming the bolt handle with his palm trying to get the cases to lock in. The guy was also slamming the bolt forward full force from the rearmost position back and forth trying to ram the cases into chamber in an attempt to squeeze the rounds in so the bolt could close. Finally, on one of the attempts of him doing this, the possibly stuck firing pin rams into the primer and explodes the round when he slams the bolt forward (zero lug engagement hence the KB) and shooter puts himself into a world of hurt.

The firing pin may have been stuck because the bolt handle was overtourqued (apparently it warns about this in the manual).

Another theory is a hang fire situation where the round detonated as it was being ejected.

Others have suggested that a faulty or modified trigger group bypassed the safety system (which prevents the hammer striking the firing pin before the bolt is fully closed) and the force of slamming the bolt closed caused the hammer to fall detonating the round before the lugs where engaged.

This photo is interesting ...

It seems the bolt was forced all the way rearwards and then bounced back.

From the Zel Custom website ...

If you have a Tactilite T1 .50 BMG that has a bell-shaped handle with 3/16" threading and a roller (as shown below), there is the potential for an out of battery detonation and very serious injury, up to and including death. Do not fire your weapon and contact us immediately.

We have found that some of these handles can be over-tightened so as to bind the firing pin. If you have a unit that fits this description, regardless of whether you have fired it safely in the past, we ask that you contact us immediately to arrange for replacement components.

We are not aware of any incident of an out of battery detonation or any injury. However, we have been able to make this happen in controlled conditions and out of caution we ask that customers contact us immediately to arrange a free replacement.

At Zel Custom Mfg. we are dedicated to providing high quality, American-made products at a great price, and the safety of our customers is paramount. Again, we ask that regardless of whether you've used your unit safely in the past, please contact us immediately to arrange a free replacement of components.

M2A1 Machine Gun

The Army was recently demoing the upgraded, and long-overdued, version of the M2 Browning machine gun. Army.mil reports ...

The M2 A1 is an upgrade to the M2 machine gun. It provides a quick-change barrel and fixed head space and timing to reduce Soldier errors and associated safety risks, according to a report prepared by the Small Arms Branch. The Army is also working on a lightweight .50-caliber machine gun to augment the M2 A1, Henthorn said.

Also on demoed was the light-weight version of the M240, the M240L, which will be deployed next year ...

One of the weapons showcased was the M240L medium machine gun, a lighter alternative to the M240B machine gun. The M240L weighs 21-and-a-half pounds, six pounds lighter than the M240B.

"Lightening Soldiers' loads is a key element of what we want to do," Henthorn said. "We are carrying a lot of weight downrange on missions because we want capability. Every pound we take off a guy is a pound he doesn't have to carry up and down a hill."

Along with reduced weight, the branch is shortening the barrel and providing a collapsible butt stock for the M240 L, said Troy Harris, deputy chief of the small arms branch.

Henthorn said Army-wide fielding could begin in 10 months.

[ Many thanks to Lance for emailing me the link. ]

Two months ago I blogged that Zel Custom would soon be selling an upgraded 3rd Gen version of their Tactilite AR-15 upper. The Gen-3 receiver is now the standard receiver across the Tactilite product line and available in .338 Laupa as well as .50 BMG and .416 Barrett.

I also noticed on their website that they will be unveiling a new "Tactilite T3" at SHOT in January. I am looking forward to seeing it.

AR-15 owners will soon have another "point five-oh" option for their rifles: the .50 GI. Before now only 1911 and Glock conversion kits were available for the cartridge.

The .50 GI was born out of the idea that if .40 was better than 9mm, and .45 was better than .40, then .50 must be better then .45. It should not be compared to the .500 S&W, .50 Beowulf or the .50 Action Express as it has much less power. The cartridge is comparable to the .45 ACP +P cartridge, but with a larger diameter bullet.

8" SBR with .50 GI magazine.

Carbine with AR-15 magazines converted to take .50 GI

The .50 GI magazine holds 14 rounds and the AR-15 magazine holds 9 rounds.

The 16" upper will sell for $750 and with one magazine. You can see the contact details of the manufacturer, RMW Xtreme Inc., at the beginning of the below video.

Thanks to Giesler for the link.

Hat Tip: Photos from 475AR @ .50 GI Forum

THOR Global Defense Group have teamed up with EDM Arms to develop the THOR XM-Series, a take-down rifle chambered in the .408 Chey-Tac cartridge and based on the EDM Windrunner action. The .408 Cheyenne Tactical is a long range sniping cartridge that in terms of performance cuts the difference between the .338 Lapua Magnum and .50 BMG.

THOR XM-Series broken down


THOR XM-Series Assembled

Specs:

Weight: 26 lbs
Barrel: 30 inches
Twist rate: 1:13 twist
Magazine: 5 round capacity

MSRP is $7600. A .50 BMG conversion kit will be made available for the XM.
The THOR Nemesis MKV-NV is a very sleek looking Swiss made rifle that will be available chambered in .50BMG, .416 Barrett and .460 Steyr rifle.

.50 BMG THOR Nemesis MKV-NV

The Nemesis features a very long top rail and is designed to be able to handle any combination of optics that an operator may wish to use. Two smaller rails are up front in the 3 and 9 o clock positions (handguard are installed on them in the above photo) and long rail is at the 6 o clock position.

Presumably to aid in transportation, it will be available in a 15″ barrel! Ever heard of a .50 BMG Short Barreled Rifle? Me neither!
Specs:

Weight: 22 – 33 lbs
Barrel: 15″ (!!!) – 33″
Magazine: 5 round capacity

Currently THOR predict that the MSRP will be around $11,000-$12,000.

Advanced Long-Range Systems (ALS) have issued a warning:

Advanced Long-Range Systems has identified a condition that may exist with the bolt supplied with the ALS 50 caliber conversion which may allow the gun to fire out of battery.

As all the facts are not yet in, and purely as a safety precaution, ALS is asking owners of its rifle uppers to suspend shooting this product until further notice.

It is our goal to provide safe and accurate products. We are currently working on a solution. Please, bear with us, it may take up to sixty days to complete this task. We will resolve this issue and make it right with our customers.

Once additional information is available, you can rest assured that it will be passed along on our website, in VHP Magazine, and the relevant firearms discussion forums.

A .50 BMG firing out of battery could easily be deadly, not just for the operator but potentially for spectators or the person in the next lane at the range!

More info here.

Hat Tip: Suburban’s Domain

At the National NRA Foundation Banquet on 14 May, Governer Palin will be presented with a custom AR-15 chambered in the powerful .50 Beowulf cartridge. The Alaskan Hunter, as it is named, was designed by Bob Reynolds of Templar Consulting. Bob was kind enough to email the photos for the rifle and its specs.

This is the actual rifle that will be presented to Sarah Palin.

- It’s approximately 6-7 pounds
- One of a kind custom solid billet upper hand fit to a forged lower made of 7075 T6 alloy
- Vltor Enhanced Modular stock with the state of Alaska engraved on the side
- Satern machining single point cut rifle barrel 1/20 twist, with an integral flash hider milled into the barrel with an 11 degree crown, chambered in .50 Beowulf
- Composite G10 hand guards with spiral pattern cut
- SSA Geiselle 4 pound trigger
- Magpul trigger guard
- Eotech 512 holo sight
- One seven round magazine
- Ergo small grip

Engraved on the receiver is “In honor of Sarah Palin”.

An absolutely beautiful rifle. Do you think if I move to Alaska, become Governor and run for the Office of the Vice President, they will also give me one? I am tempted to try just to get my hands on the rifle

Many thanks to Bob for taking the time to email me.

UPDATE: Palin is not attending the banquet. (Thanks to Sebastian and ExurbanKevin for letting me know).

I saw this over at Snowflakes in Hell. An armor piercing incendiary .50 BMG round is fired from an Armalite AR-50 rifle at 18 hard drives.

The round passes through 16 and it embedded in the 17th.

Extreme Shock Ammunition are producing a .50 BMG projectile that can penetrate 1″ of meal and yet will not over penetrate soft tissue. The Fragmenting High Velocity (FHVL) round is made up of a propriety tungsten powder/flake compound.

From the press release:

Extreme Shock Ammunition, known for producing the world’s most advanced ammunition, continues to raise the bar with the redesign of their 50 BMG ammo. It is the only 50 in the world that will penetrate 1 inch of metal but will not exit a soft tissue target. Extreme Shock Ammunition continues to impress with the astounding performance and safety enhancements found in their 50 BMG.

The Fragmenting High Velocity (FHVL) Round is a lead-free replacement that offers far superior tactical capability over the lead core bullet. The FHVL has the same range and accuracy as a lead bullet of similar weight. Long range, reduced ricochet, controlled penetration, and exceptional accuracy make the FHVL the most technically advanced tactical round available today. The FHVL grants the operator enhanced tactical capability, such as controlled penetration (NO EXIT) and increased ability to eliminate threats instantly, all while eliminating ricochet and over-penetration hazards.

Impressive.

No military at this point in time is going to use expanding anti-personal expanding ammunition because it would be in breach of the Hague Convention (1899) (regardless of wether they signed it or if a 110 year old treaty is worth honoring). I cannot see civilians needing or wanting to use this ammunition and I cannot recall seeing photos of cops with .50 BMG rifles. I think this ammunition is likely being marketed to paramilitary / anti-terrorism / internal security forces such as the Mexican Army who regularly conduct internal operations and who like their .50 Barretts.

The cost is $161.14 for a box of 15 rounds.

Daniel spotted a very interesting auction at gunbroker.com. The rifle on sale was a Boys Anti- Tank rifle modified by TRW-SYSTEMS GROUP and rechambered for .50 BMG. It was intended to be used for .50 BMG flechette rounds.

Click to expand.

The auctioneer claims that it is only one of twelve built and the only other known example resides at the Ford Benning sniper school.

The .50 BMG Flechette rifle project was contacted out by DARPA in 1960’s. The projectile consisted of a saboted depleted uranium dart weighing 11.9 gram ( 183.6 grains ).

.50 BMG Flechette round cross section. © Paul Smith (Used with permission)

The sabot was fired out of a smoothbore barrel with the dart achieving 4500 feet/sec velocity. That is more than a 32 grain .204 Ruger!

Detailed Drawing © Paul Smith (my modification are in red)

I tried to work out the caliber. Given that 1 cm3 of depleted uranium weights 19.1 grams and the length of the dart is 7.81 cm (I rounded down to 6cm to take into account the spiraling and the point) and then used the formula of a volume of a cylinder:

11.9 / 19.1 = 0.62

sqr(0.62 / ( 6 x pi )) = 0.18 centimeters

[ My math skills not great these days, go easy on me in the comments ]

A caliber of .07″ is seems some what small. It is impossible to know how much titanium is in the depleted uranium alloy.

Time Magazine wrote about the project back in 1967:

TRW’s magic bullets are unimpressive at first glance. Less than 4 in. long and one-tenth of an inch thick, they resemble the steel flechettes (French for “little arrows”) used in some U.S. antipersonnel weapons in Viet Nam. What the TRW flechettes lack in size, they make up in penetration power. In recent tests, they punched completely through a 2-in.-thick armor plate that would stop most steel flechettes or heavy-caliber bullets fired at it.

Dramatic Travel. It is the uranium that gives the flechettes their impressive muscle. Cleansed of its fissionable isotopes U-235, the depleted uranium is safe to handle. Because it is one of the heaviest natural elements (a 1-ft. cube of uranium weighs 1,167 lbs.), even a tiny uranium flechette fired at high velocity from a gun has so much kinetic energy that it can penetrate a target at an angle as oblique as 60°.

At 0.10 in caliber it would have an incredible ballistic coefficient weighing in at 180 grains! In theory it should be super accurate. In reality it was quite the opposite. It shot 10 shot groups of 6 – 8 feet at 600 yards. That’s over 12 MOA!

TRW was hoping to use the flechette in a rotary gatling / mini gun type system. Daniel writes:

The rifle in the GB [gunbroker] ad looks like the one shown in a photo in Peter Senich’s “The Complete Book of U.S. Sniping”. The photo was credited to Don Stoehr, a former TRW employee.

Among his projects were the Low Maintenance Rifle (LMR) and HIVAP (High Velocity All Purpose) machinegun. The HIVAP was really wild. It was an eight-barrel .31 caliber Gatling based on the Dardick open chamber principle. Like other Dardick-derived open chamber weapons, it used ‘trounds’. The HIVAP trounds used lexan cases loaded with saboted flechette. (However, solid bullet variants intended for testing purposes can be found.) The really wild part was the cyclic rate: just shy of 30,000 rpm. Stoehr later wrote that the twin feeders could support 42,000 rpm and that a switch to electrical priming would allow them to double the existing cyclic rate.

However, I don’t know how they’d ever keep such a monster fed. The weapon pod under design only held either 3,000 or 6,000 trounds.

It is an interesting cartridge that unfortunately will probably never be further developed due to the politics and health concerns of depleted uranium. Carrying DE rounds around would likely be a health hazard to the soldier using them.

More information on the round is available at cartridgecollectors.org.

Many thanks to Daniel E. Watters for information and links and to Paul Smith for the use of his photos.

So it is pointless … but y’all know you want to try it

Thanks to Jason for twittering me the video.

Gunbroker is running an auction for a ‘85 HUMVEE with twin mounted M2 .50 BMG machine guns and 10,000 rounds of surplus ammo. The “Buy Now” is $120,000.

85 truck with 12,000+ actual miles, up-armored, two Ramo M2 .50 cal. machineguns on Form 4’s in Ky., and 10,000 rounds US surplus ammo. Everything in excellent condition. Please, serious inquires only. Email for further info. Thanks for looking.

Anyone know what the going rate for a M2 is? Traction Control, any ideas?

The auction is here.

Hat Tip: Хроники безумного Макса