.50 Cal. MG tracer round (Guessing WWII)

[hogge]

Found this about a week ago in a spot I've hunted from time to time. This thing was over 12" down. Couldn't find the casing so I believe it was fired. Round measures 2 3/8" long. The inside, first 1/2", of the round is hollow and still has some of the green tracer material in it. Must be an older round because I believe in the newer tracer rounds (Vietnam era plus), a coating is applied to the outside of the bullet itself. Have absolutely no idea why this was where I found it. But being over a foot down, tells me it had to have been fired. Maybe it was a mistake or, gun testing, by an aviator, (or gunner), during WWII. Kinda freaked when I found this. It's too big for .30 Cal and too small to be a 20MM cannon round. I know a little bit about recent military munitions and weapons. Some experts may want to chime in with more info. Thanks Hogge Looked up .50 Cal. ammo specs and the round measures 2.31" which is 2 and 3/8 inches. So it is a .50 Cal. round.

 

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[spartacus53]

Nice find, but I doubt it was fired as the nose would be damaged.

 

[hogge]

There is about 7 cracks in this thing, running length wise, and it seems to be made from solid copper, but I think it's just jacketed in copper. Can anyone give the era it is from? Weighs 40 grams.

 

[Don in SJ]

Nice find, but I doubt it was fired as the nose would be damaged.

It was most likely fired, I have found dozens and dozens of them, some smashed but most not, hate those things, years ago used to hunt some old farms that during WW2 were part of a Gunnery Range for P47s, the 50 cal bullets and casings are everywhere and not always in line with the range!

Don

 

[hogge]

Nice find, but I doubt it was fired as the nose would be damaged.

It was most likely fired, I have found dozens and dozens of them, some smashed but most not, hate those things, years ago used to hunt some old farms that during WW2 were part of a Gunnery Range for P47s, the 50 cal bullets and casings are everywhere and not always in line with the range!

Don

Thanks Don. The funny part about where I found this is, there are no practice ranges, or live fire ranges, for the military in my area. Barnes AFB is in Westfield is about 40 miles away. But I'm sure, even during WWII, there was no live fire being conducted there as it is too populated. Kinda makes me wonder how the heck this thing got here.

 

[allen]

maybe a kid lost a souvenir and you found it ?

 

[TiredIron]

It does appear to be indeed a U.S. M1 or M17 50 BMG Tracer Projectile. Weight of the projectile when loaded was 643 grains. Most rounds were either fired from ground to air and missed....from air to air and missed....or finally from air to ground where they usually at least hit the ground. As tracers burned and consumed their red phosphorus core they became lighter and unstable.... slowing down in velocity. Many easily impact soft earth without much distortion. Your found example though from the picture doesn't appear to have rifling marks that would be left had it been fired from a weapon. the black paint looking substance below the crimping groove was sealant to keep the cartridge waterproof till fired. If the compound has burned or been removed, whats left in the copper forward jacket is a steel core. You can probably test this with a strong magnet. Your found projectile possesses no hazards or safety concerns.
As a kid we obtained some of these M1 or M17 projectiles that were surplused and never loaded. In an attempt to amuse ourselves we either made a fire and put the tracers in watching them flare up and burn.....or lit them with a burnz-o-matic torch and watched them burn. Perhaps yours ended up where it did this way...in unfired condition. I reload the 50 BMG today and also have a box of M17 Tracer jackets that are just the hollow projectiles with never having any tracer compound ever loaded.

TiredIron
Maybe this was one of mine...?? Okinawa...Philippines...Colorado??

 

[hogge]

Thanks Tired Iron.....Very informative. That's what I was looking for. I live in Western Ma.