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Marines Getting New 50 Cal Rounds-
![FrancF](https://us.v-cdn.net/6031683/uploads/userpics/605/n7JHJO6BRPK1U.jpg)
Lighter And With A Polymer Caselet.
The round in a Marine's .50 caliber machine gun weighs about 114 grams. MAC Ammunition out of Bay St. Louis, Miss., has produced a round that weighs about 92 grams.
It's 25 percent lighter because instead of a full brass casing, and it's made partly with a polymer caselet (which you can see in the photo just below the link on each round).
![P1010921.jpg](http://bigpeace.com/files/2011/09/P1010921.jpg)
It's designed to work just like the round Marines use now.
"There's no new training," said Clint Smith, a retired Marine officer and executive consultant for MAC. "When the Marine picks up a can of ammo, it's lighter and the operation of the machine gun is the same."
The commandant has said he wants to lighten the Marine's load. This round is being tested now at Marine Corps Systems Command.
http://tinyurl.com/627snx5
The round in a Marine's .50 caliber machine gun weighs about 114 grams. MAC Ammunition out of Bay St. Louis, Miss., has produced a round that weighs about 92 grams.
It's 25 percent lighter because instead of a full brass casing, and it's made partly with a polymer caselet (which you can see in the photo just below the link on each round).
![P1010921.jpg](http://bigpeace.com/files/2011/09/P1010921.jpg)
It's designed to work just like the round Marines use now.
"There's no new training," said Clint Smith, a retired Marine officer and executive consultant for MAC. "When the Marine picks up a can of ammo, it's lighter and the operation of the machine gun is the same."
The commandant has said he wants to lighten the Marine's load. This round is being tested now at Marine Corps Systems Command.
http://tinyurl.com/627snx5
Comments
F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, F-35.
the case was to be solid propellant, what ejects would be just the
primer end, about 1 inch. I got to see some of these when I was
still in, if the ever can get it right, safe alot of weight in the
aircraft.
melting, cracking at the mouth, brittle after so many years in storage....
Ammo in the field takes rough handling and then there's clearing of bent or jammed cases that if they separate in the chamber, disables the gun until the barrel is removed.....hopefully there is a spare barrel at hand.
Not bad on the ground but a problem in a wheeled vehicle turret.
Caseless ammo projects were discarded due to dimensional inconsistencies.
Any kind of plastic in a mad hot machine gun barrel doesn't sound good to me: residue, cook=off yuck.
I'd like to read technical tests on the stuff.
Merc
All that means is the poor grunt will have to carry more ammo.
+1000
Will a lighter round cause the bolt to slam home harder and maybe cause it to wear faster?good point. not about wear though. during extraction and feeding the bolt has the case going with it- effectively they just took 22 grams off the weight of the bolt during that process.
How will this effect the design of all brass cased ammo??? I see a wave of change that could drop the price of ammo.
don't bet on it!
All it will do is kill or severely hurt the reloading market and with plastics/polymers typically being oil based it'll increase dependance on foreign oil since you know the EPA won't allow significant new drilling
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
I'll wager it's more than .50 BMG Full Flavor! [;)]
Will a lighter round cause the bolt to slam home harder and maybe cause it to wear faster?
No. During the actual firing phase the bolt cartridge and case will travel together for less than half an inch. At this point the breech lock is pushed off it's cam and the bolt is unlocked allowing free travel to the rear. The bolt, barrel and the spent case will the move together until the combined unit strikes the buffer. When compared to the bolt and barrel, the weight of the spent cartridge case is negligible and a reduction of less than 3/4 of an ounce (22 grams) to the weight of the case is insignificant. It won't ht any harder or cause undue wear to this reduction. In the event of some sort of problem the buffer itself is made heavier than is actually necessary in order to prevent any such additional forces from being delivered to the weapon.
Can you spell 'case head separation', boys 'n girls?
I'm oneof those that would appreciate more information on this subject when available. [;)] [^]
Now if they made the shell shorter and smaller with more punchy powder to throw out the bullet at the same velocity as a standard 50 cool. Personally it seems a bad thing to try new things out in the battle situation.
Say is there a shortage of brass? If not I really don't get this new hair up some R/D guys *.