I missed this when I happened, but last year Fox News reported on an Afghan soldier who had a 14.5mm bullet embedded in his head. Neurosurgeon Maj. John Bini, anesthesiologist Maj. Jeffrey Rengel and a member of the bomb disposal team removed the bullet at the Bagram Air Field hospital.

Fox News indicated that it was a high explosive round. A high-explosive (HE) 14.5×114mm load does exist, but judging from the x-ray photo it looks like it contains a solid metal core with a cavity in front. The bullet looks almost identical to the Chinese 14.5mm API (armor-piercing incendiary) bullet pictured below.

14.5mm Round Cut-Away. Photo © Paul Smith / International Ammunition Association

We have some ammunition experts here (Tony, I am looking at you!) whom might be able to tell us if the bullet did or did not contain high-explosives. Regardless, a 14.5×114mm round, originally designed as an anti-tank cartridge, is far more powerful than a .50 BMG and it is a miracle that he survived. He must have been hit at an extreme range, or a colleague fired a round directly up in the air and he was hit by the bullet falling to the ground. I would put my money on the latter scenario 😉

[Hat Tip: Max Popenker ]