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.50" Browning LRT

Bockscar

Bockscar

Well-Known Member
Seeing as there have been some very interesting .50" threads recently, I thought I would post a few images of the .50" Browning Limited Range Tracer projectiles.
I was told that these rounds were for use on shooting ranges where distance is a factor...apparently they follow the normall ball trajectory out to a certain distance and then fall to earth due to the disrupted airflow around the machined base extension.
The rounds shown were pulled from cases and you may see the tractor marks on one of the projectiles left by the machine that carries out this operation.

Bockscar.
 

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they are different bockscar never seen any like that before thanx for showing

regards lee
 
Nifty fifties, are the British or somebody else's? I've never seen anything like them.:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
 
I wondered what they were for, I've got one hiding somewhere in one of the boxes. What's the blue tip - does it just signify prac?
Dave.
 
GI Junkman and SG500,

Not British..these examples made their way across the pond from the States to me some years back and basically what I have told you so far is as much as I know about them. The significance of the blue tip is also unknown to me, but a good guess would be as you say - practice/training.
 
It's not listed in any of the TM/FMs that I have but I have large gaps in my collection of manuals especially on modern small arms ammo.:dontknow:
 
Various internet searches too have revealed little on these projectiles...the most I can get is only references to their existence. I wonder now if they were experimental?
 
Blue tip on a .50cal usually means "Incendiary" in the late forties through to this day. That is if the cartridge is made in the USA?
 
.50 short range

The projectiles in the pic are from the US and I think from the same project. The project was designed to allow accurate firing of the .50 at shorter ranges but have a much reduced danger range. Two methods were used. The first used the projectiles shape to rapidly increase the aerodynamic drag as the velocity dropped. The second used the instability (high yaw)of the projectile as the velocity dropped to shorten the range. Unfortunately I dont have dates or knowledge of a production version.
 

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proditto said:
The projectiles in the pic are from the US and I think from the same project. The project was designed to allow accurate firing of the .50 at shorter ranges but have a much reduced danger range. Two methods were used. The first used the projectiles shape to rapidly increase the aerodynamic drag as the velocity dropped. The second used the instability (high yaw)of the projectile as the velocity dropped to shorten the range. Unfortunately I dont have dates or knowledge of a production version.
Click to expand...

Nice projectiles there, good to see photos of the variations.
Thanks,
Dave.
 
Proditto,

Nice images! - it is now apparent that there are more than a couple of variations with these projectiles...although they look similar,I can see machining differences in the tail sections of each of the pair that you show.
Can you tell me the overall length of these two please? they look longer than the two that I have (2 5/8") although that may just be my eyes!
Could you show a view of the rear of the projectile? - thanks.
 
Enclosed a photo of mine and a drawing of it.
Dave.
 

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Your projectile is obviously the same as the ones that I have.
What is the book that the diagrams are in? I do notice small differences in design when I look at the drawings - more grooves are seen on the body along with the cannelure. I also see that the word "experimental" is in brackets....interesting!
 
There was surplus ammunition components company (now defunct) here in the US selling "pulled" .50 LRT Projectiles for approximately $80.00 US per 100. I have not seen them offered for sale in the past 5 years or so.

I do not know if these projectiles were ever given a model designation. Evidently the .50 LRT was in the experimental stage at the Olin Plant (East Alton, Illinois) and also saw limited production at the Lake City Plant before the project was scrapped. The projectiles have a mild steel core that protrudes from the back of the jacket approximately 1/2". This protrusion is machined square with 4 small fins and drilled for a tracer cavity. In flight at normal engagement ranges, the round has full velocity and lethality. However at about 1000 to 1200 yards, the rear protrusion disturbs the air foil to the point that the round literally drops from the sky. This was to reduce the chance of casualties from friendly fire in limited engagement areas. Projectiles weigh approximately 670 grains and are identified by a light "baby blue" colored tip, similar to the older US M1 Incendiary Projectile.
 

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The defunct company you mention was indeed the source of the projectiles that I have. From what I understand, the owner passed away and it was his wife who was running the business for a time...I spoke to both of them by telephone a few times - they used to sell some nice stuff for collectors too alongside their normal line of business. A pity they are no more.

Thanks for the additional information.
 
I saw pulled 50 BMG LRT projectiles on www.polygunbags.com and started my search for some live rounds. I haven't found any live rounds, but I did find some nice clean projectiles at the Tulsa gun show today. I wish I knew what years they were produced and which manufacturer produced them.
 
The ones illustrated with Blue tips came from a test project at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, USA. It's a Canadian, IVI, design dating from the 1990's. Reportedly IVI considers this a production item, but they haven't been purchased in quantity or standardized in the US. Can't say about foreign services. AAI (US) and Winchester (US) had their own designs, some of which were shown in the other illustration in this thread. DAG, NAMMO, etc. had their own versions, as did several other manufacturers. US DoD is looking, again, at the concept, mainly in a 7.62 version, but there is also some .50 BMG interest.
 
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They are American. They are in production in Canada by Genral Dynamis, but the tip collors are Orange and Red/Orange. Other than that, they are identical to the American projectiles. I have 10 of the blue American projectiles and I'm trying to find out which HS the case should be for them so I can put them in cases. No one seems to know though.......... http://www.gd-ots.com/LRTA.html
 
Here's a few more, picked up at SLICS. It was explained to me that the bare steel came first, the copper jacket later.

DSC_2079.jpg2079.jpgDSC_2091.jpg DSC_2080.jpg 2080.jpg DSC_2081.jpg 2081.jpg DSC_2092.jpg
 
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