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Unknown .50 cal, FA 48, 20mm case?
- Thread starter 917601
- Start date
Thank you. Can you supply any information/ history on this cartridge?
Tony Williams
Well-Known Member
If you don't have access to HWS, the following might help:
In the early 1940s the .60 cal anti-tank rifle round was seen by the USAAF as an ideal replacement for the .50 BMG. Various guns were designed around it, including a much-modified Mauser MG 151, but none proved satisfactory. The final attempts happened postwar, in early prototypes of the M39 revolver cannon and the M61 rotary.
The USAAF was keen on very high velocity ammunition, as this minimised the time of flight and maximised the hit probability. So they tried to push these to the max with the .60/50. However, they eventually realised that an explosive shell was more valuable to have, so necked out the .60 case to create the 20 x 102 round in service today.
In the early 1940s the .60 cal anti-tank rifle round was seen by the USAAF as an ideal replacement for the .50 BMG. Various guns were designed around it, including a much-modified Mauser MG 151, but none proved satisfactory. The final attempts happened postwar, in early prototypes of the M39 revolver cannon and the M61 rotary.
The USAAF was keen on very high velocity ammunition, as this minimised the time of flight and maximised the hit probability. So they tried to push these to the max with the .60/50. However, they eventually realised that an explosive shell was more valuable to have, so necked out the .60 case to create the 20 x 102 round in service today.