50 bmg Exploded

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  • foszoe

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    24   0   0
    Jun 2, 2011
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    The vid says prev round were funky.
    Kaboom might have been the result of cumulative damage, not just a one and done.
    Maybe but if the threads were damaged, I would think that the cap would not have threaded into position for that last shot.
     

    vtnewbie

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    May 8, 2019
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    A buddy of mine had a Barrett Light .50, and bought some cheap Portuguese yellow-tip surplus ammo for it. I googled the ammo before he had a chance to shoot any of it. Turns out that the powder grains in this particular ammunition would break apart with movement over time, resulting in a much faster burn rate and thereby sending pressures too high. There were tales of that ammunition blowing up guns. Is it likely in Kentucky Ballistics' case?
     

    Tombs

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    Jan 13, 2011
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    A buddy of mine had a Barrett Light .50, and bought some cheap Portuguese yellow-tip surplus ammo for it. I googled the ammo before he had a chance to shoot any of it. Turns out that the powder grains in this particular ammunition would break apart with movement over time, resulting in a much faster burn rate and thereby sending pressures too high. There were tales of that ammunition blowing up guns. Is it likely in Kentucky Ballistics' case?

    The kind of failure in Scott's video was well beyond something like this, in my personal opinion.

    I don't even think a double charge would have produced these kind of results. Keep in mind, this is saboted ammo, the bearing surface between the barrel and the gas was a piece of plastic. It will typically operate at considerably lower pressure as a result, even for the same load.

    I would find it a bit hard to believe a piece of plastic wouldn't fail before all of that steel would. But if there was a bore obstruction as a result of broken sabot fragments near the end of the bore, then I could absolutely see this situation unfolding as it did.
     

    Kirk Freeman

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    Mar 9, 2008
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    Lafayette, Indiana
    Do I have this right: he knew he had jacked up SLAP rounds (pulled components and then Jethro reloads them with pistol powder?) or that he knew a SLAP round SHOULD NOT BE FIRED from a Serbu . . . and he shot them anywho?

    I want to ensure I have this right. Is this correct?

     
    Last edited:

    Jaybird1980

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    Jan 22, 2016
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    North Central
    Do I have this right: he knew he had jacked up SLAP rounds (pulled components and then Jethro reloads them with pistol powder?) or that he knew a SLAP round SHOULD NOT BE FIRED from a Serbu . . . and he shot them anywho?

    I want to ensure I have this right. Is this correct?


    No it appears that you do not have it right.
     

    Ark

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    Feb 18, 2017
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    Do I have this right: he knew he had jacked up SLAP rounds (pulled components and then Jethro reloads them with pistol powder?) or that he knew a SLAP round SHOULD NOT BE FIRED from a Serbu . . . and he shot them anywho?

    I want to ensure I have this right. Is this correct?


    Boy I hope he saved whatever email correspondence or other records document Mark telling him that this configuration of rifle was suitable for shooting SLAP rounds.

    I have a difficult time buying Mark's story that the threads fail at 250,000psi or whatever when spec on the round is 60,000psi. I dunno what you could load a .50 case with besides C4 that would achieve that pressure without a bore obstruction. You'd think the plastic sabot would basically evaporate first.
     

    Jaybird1980

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    Jan 22, 2016
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    Boy I hope he saved whatever email correspondence or other records document Mark telling him that this configuration of rifle was suitable for shooting SLAP rounds.

    I have a difficult time buying Mark's story that the threads fail at 250,000psi or whatever when spec on the round is 60,000psi. I dunno what you could load a .50 case with besides C4 that would achieve that pressure without a bore obstruction. You'd think the plastic sabot would basically evaporate first.
    If the case capacity wasn't correct the spike in pressure would be greatly increased. I don't know if it would be enough to cause the failure that happened though.

    The threads were estimated to failed at 161,520 psi in the video posted by Sylvain in post #93 ( I have know idea if that is correct).

    I will be curious to see what is up when the other rounds are taken apart and inspected.
     
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