Primetake Limited 12.7x99 (.50 Cal)

[reccetrooper]

I've been given a copy of some information relating to the following;
'RPA Rangemaster .50 Tactical Rifle'
'Omega Sniper / Match Grade Ammunition' (manufactured by Primetake Ltd)
and an article by Tony Williams covering the 12.7 x 99 rounds with RPA (omega symbol) 12.7 x 99 headstamp, made for RPA by Primetake Ltd.

At Beltring, one stall I visited had some spent cases with PTL (omega symbol) 12.7 x 99 headstamps, and an accompanying unfired match grade head.
Two other stalls had some of the same spent brass, but these had the case heads painted with red (laquer?) and these cases were in linked belts.

One of the traders told me that he made up his linked belts from loose spent brass, so I'm assuming the other dealer did the same.

Questions:
Are the PTL (omega symbol) 12.7 x 99 cases all sniper/match grade?
Are they issue rounds to the MOD or any other country's forces?
What is the significance of the red case-head overpainting?
Where these rounds ever used belted?

Any information would be appreciated.

 

[reccetrooper]

I now have an RPA Omega case. The headstamp font size is different from the PTL Omega cases. The person I got this from said he thinks it was made by a European factory for RPA. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

 

[Falcon]

All three of these headstamps look like products of the Serbian Prvi Partizan factory. I believe that if you order a large enough quantity of cases you can have a custom headstamp.

 

[reccetrooper]

I've now got some first hand information that answered most of my original questions.

The PTL omega 12.7 x 99 is a match grade round available with a solid brass 800 grain bullet or an Armour Piercing bullet, made by Primetake Limited in England, UK. and developed for the RPA Rangemaster .50 Tactical Rifle.

Rangemaster Precision Arms Ltd, supply PTL Omega match ammunition with the PTL omega headstamp, not the RPA headstamp.

The RPA headstamped ammunition was made in a very small amount (quantity not known) for a specific procurement demonstration of the RPA rifle in late 2007. This was supplied to Rangemaster Precision Arms Ltd by Primetake Ltd.

I don't yet know why some of the spent cases seen have red case-head overpainting. If anyone knows why, the information would be appreciated.

 

[smle2009]

Hi reccetrooper,
a couple of possibilities I can think of....factory in house testing,ie new primer ect,photo of a .50 cal Kynoch factory test case (note the unusual .5 headstamp!)....or a private reloader marking for identification of load ect.


Tony

 

[EOD]

Hi reccetrooper,
a couple of possibilities I can think of....factory in house testing,ie new primer ect,photo of a .50 cal Kynoch factory test case (note the unusual .5 headstamp!)....or a private reloader marking for identification of load ect.


TonyView attachment 69007

This is a CBC made case (recent years).

 

[reccetrooper]

Hi reccetrooper,
a couple of possibilities I can think of....factory in house testing,ie new primer ect,photo of a .50 cal Kynoch factory test case (note the unusual .5 headstamp!)....or a private reloader marking for identification of load ect. Tony

Hi Tony, the red 'paint' marked PTL omega are not private reloads they still have the original primer stake and annulus seal. There were at a guess about 70+ of these on two separate stalls at Beltring.

I picked up a couple of the K .5 cases also at Beltring, the dealer had probably a dozen or so mixed in with an assortment of others, the K .5 I saw all had the same black marker pen stripe as yours.
What is your info source that it is a factory test case?

This is a CBC made case (recent years).

Hi EOD, how recently were the K .5 made? Is it since CBC took over MEN in Germany in 2007?

 

[EOD]

I do not know the year but these are made by CBC in Brazil.