.50 bmg rifle blues

[10mmfan]

So I bought a 50 cal rifle. It's a ROBAR rc-50 which I believe was the older McMillan tac 50 action. So it's got dbm and came with two 5 shot mags. The mags are a pain to get to lock In you have to put the rear in first then rotate the front of mag up in to the well to get it to lock in. So the there is the trigger which is easily over 6 pounds. So I have no scope or ammo but my buddy found one round in his random stuff box silver tip I assume its ap so we shoot into back stop and the gun won't cycle had to snack bolt handle up and back to eject. Is mil surp bmg ammo too hot for this gun? And is this trigger issue something that can be swapped easily or not? I expected a target trigger in a long range target rifle. So far it's a disappointment considering all the enthusiasm I had waiting for it to get here.

 

[Aszerigan]

Rule #1- don’t shoot ammo of unknown origin, especially 50BMG. That’s a good way to get un-alived.

What do you mean it won’t cycle? It won’t eject the spent casing? Who knows how hot the ammo you shot was. Find some factory loaded stuff and try it again.

Find a good gunsmith to fix the trigger. Robar went out of business in 2019 so that’s your best option. Guessing this wasn’t a new rifle, maybe the last owner messed with the trigger.

 

[Leadeye]

Silver tip is AP incendiary if I remember correctly.

 

[Creedmoor]

I just happen to have a bit of 50 BMG Lake City and Talen ammo, bullets, powder and primers.
What bullets are you looking for, Ball, Tracer, AP, AP Incendiary, Incendiary, Spotter Tracer. How much of it and what county do you live in?

 

[Creedmoor]

Silver tip is AP incendiary if I remember correctly.

I believe so, I've seen it punch through 1" AR500 more than once.

 

[Leadeye]

My only experience with 50 BMG has been behind an M2, it's a pretty scary cartridge considering what it will punch through. While interesting, I've avoided it over the years because of that.

 

[chuckp]

Do not shoot Talon 50bmg reloads. For that matter do not shoot anything from Talon. I have 200 rounds of 50bmg that needs demilled due to being dangerous.

What does the primer of that round you shot look lilke?

 

[Aszerigan]

Just for giggles, I bought a press and loaded some of my own 50BMG once. A generous INGO’er invited me to test my rounds in his rifle.

I knew everything was spec but I still puckered a little pulling the trigger the first time.

 

[10mmfan]

I just happen to have a bit of 50 BMG Lake City and Talen ammo, bullets, powder and primers.
What bullets are you looking for, Ball, Tracer, AP, AP Incendiary, Incendiary, Spotter Tracer. How much of it and what county do you live in?

Ball ammo mostly I am not a freeloader yet and not ready to begin on .50 bmg ammo. I am in jasper county.

 

[10mmfan]

Rule #1- don’t shoot ammo of unknown origin, especially 50BMG. That’s a good way to get un-alived.

What do you mean it won’t cycle? It won’t eject the spent casing? Who knows how hot the ammo you shot was. Find some factory loaded stuff and try it again.

Find a good gunsmith to fix the trigger. Robar went out of business in 2019 so that’s your best option. Guessing this wasn’t a new rifle, maybe the last owner messed with the trigger.

It was unfired condition. I know robar went out of business. But the ammo was american made surplus not reload thought that was what everyone shot that wasn't a reload and that's where you get brass from for future reloads at least that was the most economical way to do it.

 

[10mmfan]

Rule #1- don’t shoot ammo of unknown origin, especially 50BMG. That’s a good way to get un-alived.

What do you mean it won’t cycle? It won’t eject the spent casing? Who knows how hot the ammo you shot was. Find some factory loaded stuff and try it again.

Find a good gunsmith to fix the trigger. Robar went out of business in 2019 so that’s your best option. Guessing this wasn’t a new rifle, maybe the last owner messed with the trigger.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I have a couple of thousand rounds of .50 bmg down the pipe in my guns. I currently own three and have owned three others.

This is not a round to mess with. Surplus ammo of unknown origins can blow up guns and only a very few guns out there are built that won’t grenade or shoot the bolt through your shoulder (all of these have happened) if an overpressure occurs, and the injuries are gruesome (this from a lifelong EMT) and some have been fatal. Unscrupulous vendors out there sell remanufactured ammo from milsurp components as if it were original. And stay far, far away from Dominican yellow tip.

I only trust my own loads, or those by reputable manufacturers. And there have been some questionable guns built over the years by guys who are no longer in business or who kept changing business names to stay ahead of liability.

 

[10mmfan]

It wouldn't cycle the empty after it was fired by hand had to smack the bolt with a chunk of wood to unlock it and then once more to slide back to get the empty shell out of the chamber the brass wasnt ruptured anywhere I will have to get it back from my friends son who wanted it as a souvenir so I can examine the primer.

 

[ZurokSlayer7X9]

It wouldn't cycle the empty after it was fired by hand had to smack the bolt with a chunk of wood to unlock it and then once more to slide back to get the empty shell out of the chamber the brass wasnt ruptured anywhere I will have to get it back from my friends son who wanted it as a souvenir so I can examine the primer.

That sounds like an overpressure. I once had an overpressure round shot through an FAL, and it failed to eject. The bolt sheared the rim right off the casing and a rod had to be shoved down the bore and pounded to extract.

 

[Aszerigan]

@Creedmoor is offering some ammo. Take him up on it if you need some mil ball stuff. Pay him regular surplus rate and everyone will be happy.

 

[Aszerigan]

That sounds like an overpressure. I once had an overpressure round shot through an FAL, and it failed to eject. The bolt sheared the rim right off the casing and a rod had to be shoved down the bore and pounded to extract.

If the bolt doesn't open after firing, that is a sure sign of overpressure (or a bad chamber). Something wasn't right with that "one round from a buddy's random stuff box." Glad it didn't end worse than just a stuck bolt.

@10mmfan - I'm not trying to bust your butt at all, just be really careful with unknown ammo, especially in 50BMG. That stuff is very easily lethal to the shooter, as @shibumiseeker mentioned.

 

[ZurokSlayer7X9]

If the bolt doesn't open after firing, that is a sure sign of overpressure (or a bad chamber). Something wasn't right with that "one round from a buddy's random stuff box." Glad it didn't end worse than just a stuck bolt.

@10mmfan - I'm not trying to bust your butt at all, just be really careful with unknown ammo, especially in 50BMG. That stuff is very easily lethal to the shooter, as @shibumiseeker mentioned.

Can't have a good "shooting questionable 50 BMG ammo" thread without mentioning Kentucky Ballistics.

 

[Aszerigan]

Can't have a good "shooting questionable 50 BMG ammo" thread without mentioning Kentucky Ballistics.

No matter what that guy does in the future, that one trigger pull is his legacy.

 

[10mmfan]

That sounds like an overpressure. I once had an overpressure round shot through an FAL, and it failed to eject. The bolt sheared the rim right off the casing and a rod had to be shoved down the bore and pounded to extract.

Well I had thought in a bolt gun as opposed to a semi auto it was less an issue about shooting mil surp ammo but my initial thought when it wouldn't easily eject was i had a much tighter chamber than the machine guns the round was designed for. I have never experienced this before with my smaller magnum rifles (.300 win mag) and someone locally even stated the twist rate in this barrel could be different than the m2 that usually this round is loaded for. Also is my gun safe to shoot further or is it unsafe now that its had this overpressure event?

 

[Aszerigan]

is my gun safe to shoot further or is it unsafe now that its had this overpressure event?

Unknown. When in doubt, take it to a gunsmith to be inspected. Shooting a cracked receiver could be a very, very bad day for you.

It probably is but I wouldn't put myself behind a questionable 50cal. YMMV.