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.50 cal heads

Fragman

Ordnance Approved
Ordnance approved
Hi, I live near a former WW2 US airforce base. Over the years I have picked up hundreds (probably thousands) of .50 cal heads and casings. All of the casings are marked SL 42 and most of the projectiles are either ball or tracer (the most common being ball). Amongst the heads that I have found is one with a segmented base. Unfortunately it has started to split along the segment lines, as the innards rust. It still looks quite different than the others and therefore interesting. Can someone please tell me what type of projectile it is. Thanks
 

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Hi, and a happy ANZAC day to you, it's been a big one:sad: or maybe I'm just getting old:neutral:. Anyway, I guess it could just be the way it's split as it's rusted, especially if there are no projectile types that have sectioned bases. Most of the heads I find have a large rust bulb protruding from the tail end and when you knock it off the brass section stays intact. This one is the only example I’ve found that has split like this, making me think it was a different type of round. Cheers Colin
 

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Agree with Rick. I think these are AP & the ferrous core has corroded - hence the splits.
would like an SL headstamp for my collection - sell/swap?
 
Hi Hicky1300, most of the casings I find now are pretty much corroded away with just the lower section remaining (plenty of head stamps, but not many casings:tinysmile_cry_t2: ). However, as I’m a grenade collector and not a ammo collector you’re welcome to a non ground recovered one that I have. As a trade I ask for another WW2 dated one to replace it. If interested, please PM me your address. Cheers Colin
 
Hi. Here is another SL for you, ther .60 that I posted elsewhere. Stands for Saint Louis Ordnance Plant.

I was wondering. Could the core of that oddly split projectile have been steel that rusted and in so doing expanded and caused the split?
 

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Hi, It may well be just the way it's rusted, but here's the thing (there's always at least one :tinysmile_shy_t:). I have cleaned and swapped/sold hundreds of these over the years. When I brought my property they were everywhere and quite popular with the vehicle guys (they look great cleaned up and hanging from their .50 cals:tinysmile_fatgrin_t). I sent the kids out today to find a couple of heads to show how they normally rust. When you find them they typically have a rust bulb hanging out the base. This bulb chips away very easily with a couple of taps with a hammer and the projectile looks like it should (see photos). I have done this with many hundreds of heads and have only found one with the segmented base. Interesting:neutral:. Cheers Colin
 

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Something just occured to me. These things are unfired, right? Why are they there? I mean, how did all those (thousands?) of unfired projectiles end up there?

I was thinking that you might contact Winchester/Western or Remington and see if one of their technical specialists have any idea.
 
Its OK had a sort out & tidy & I have found a .50 with tracer head & SL 44 headstamp.
But will see what other swapies I may have & get back to you.
I am always on the look for anything from .177 - 40mm!!??l
 
.50 cal

How sure are you that the split round is an AP?

I think it is a tracer. It is quite common for tracer compounds, which are deliquescent, to swell as they absorb moisture and split the bullet envelope. One finds this particularly on .303 VIIG tracer bullets from WWI. Neither these nor the US .50 tracers have the trace compound within an internal copper canister and this tends to weaken the construction.

Another point is that the bullet in question appears straight sided, whereas the .50 AP bullets are boat-tailed. This indicates again that it is a tracer, which were not boat-tailed.

Finally, my perrenial plea. They are bullets, or projectiles, they are not heads! The head of a cartridge is the base where the primer is, hence the term headstamp. Rant over.

Regards
TonyE
 
Hi, Thanks for the comments. Please excuse my terminology, but after all I’m just an ignorant grenade collector:tinysmile_shy_t:. All barring two projectiles that I have found have been fired. The one in question still has an obvious ridge where it tapers in like an AP round. Cheers
 
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