[DMK]

Did any of you guys notice the blurb in this month's American Rifleman on the Coast Guard contract for the Leitner-Wise LW15.499?

Acording to the piece, the CG found the .50BMG just a bit too much for their uses, but apparently still wanted something that makes nice big holes in things.

The .499 LWR round is supposed to have similar balistics to the .50 BMG out to 200 yards, then drops quick after that to a maximum range of 400. The round is 300gr. and does 2200 fps out of the barrel with 3000 fpe.

It's got three projectiles available - Training, Duty, and AP. I'm not sure what the difference would be, the article further goes on to explain that all bullets are frangible and made of copper/tin alloy.

Uppers and mags are available to fit existing M-16s and M-4s with no modifications.

http://www.leitner-wise.com/products/499.htm

http://www.leitner-wise.com/images/lg_499.jpg

[Gunner45]

Do you mean .50AE or .50BMG?? Quite a differance. :)

Gunner45

[Jim Watson]

Hard to see how a 300 at 2200 is comparable to a 750 at 2800 at any distance. But they don't make many 7 pound .50s, do they? And a half inch hole in a fiberglass hull is a half inch leak. Nice to know they are using lead free bullets so Flipper doesn't get lead poisoning.

[gun-fucious]

its the same round as the Alexander Arms Beowulf:
http://www.alexanderarms.com/beowulf.html

a 12.5x42mm round that's been developed from the .50 Action Express (AE) handgun round. The cartridge case on the 12.5x42mm round has gone through a redesign from the .50 AE to enhance reliable feeding and extraction.
http://www.defensereview.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=240

[Gordon]

The Navy returns to a .50 Rolling block handgun? I guess some needs never change!:)

[MLC]

In American Rifleman the column states:"The three available projectiles--traing, duty and (military/law enforcement only) armor piercing--weigh 300 grs. and, at 2,200 f.p.s. muzzle velocity, generate over 3,000 ft.-lbs of muzzle energy."
What puzzles me is that it follows with :
"All bullets are frangible and made from a copper/tin alloy."
Frangible and armor piercing?
Is this meant to replace the Ma Deuce in an anti-material application?
Aren't the sectional densities on 50AE class slugs rather low for caliber?

[COHIBA]

they could just use a 425 gr .50 conical through a savage 110ML muzzle loader.

[Erich]

I think it's pretty nifty that the Coasties are going to put their stamp of approval on a new caliber/upper combo.

I was definitely not too impressed with the Leitner-Wise website, though. (I got online as soon as my Rifleman came in the mail with the blurb.) A whole lot of blather, and not much real info.

[gun-fucious]

i have had a beta test LW 15.22 on order since 1999

no money exchanged, but still i wait

maybe i will send them email #203

for heavy weapon platforming the AR15,
its hard to beat the 458 SOCOM from
www.tromix.com

[guns'ahoy]

this thread makes me very happy :evil:

[atek3]

what is the point!
.499 LWR
50 beowulf
458 socom.
three practically identical cartridges to be shot out of practically identical platforms.
I hope bushmaster jumps on the bandwagon and starts selling
475 Bushie

waste of time IMHO

[El Rojo]

Stick with the Ma Duce. Nothing beats shooting up drug runners boats when you need to than the .50 BMG. Except maybe a 16 inch gun or a Harpoon.

[sidearm]

I bought the Beowulf .50 and like it a lot. It's a ton of fun to shoot and is rapidly turning into my favorite rock/tree/whatever buster! It's a shtf's wet dream. What's great is that I can go to a .5" hole in the flip of an upper - the AR platform's a beautiful thing- The looks at the range are fun too. Especially when they turn around and see my "mouse gun" :D

[Glamdring]

Hmm, 45-70/50-70 ballistics in an AR. The more things change the more they stay the same.

Guess we will see an upper for the AR soon that is straight bolt pull chambered in a 6mm? :D

[artherd]

uh, I'm sure it's great and all, but 3,000lb/ft of energy at the muzzle versus the .50BMG at over fourteen THOUSAND lb/ft?

Granted, they'd both likely be about the same (excessive!) for anti-personel work ;)

[cheygriz]

Personally, I would much prefer the 25MM Huges chain gun for sinking boats. But that's just me!

[mete]

I hunt with the 45-70, it's great. Reinventing the wheel is what americans do best. Actually the 45-70 has been is sevice for 125 years since it is still used as a blank for the line gun.

[50 Freak]

"Personally, I would much prefer the 25MM Huges chain gun for sinking boats. But that's just me!"

I think that may be an overkill. I'm thinking of a quad 50 setup. Don't want to piss of the anti's.:evil:

[DMK]

Well, that picture went away. Here's another one.
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=679311

[Phil in Seattle]

Guess we will see an upper for the AR soon that is straight bolt pull chambered in a 6mm?

Almost but not exactly.....
http://www.mcmillanrifles.com/T2000C-SCOPE.jpg

[artherd]

That's a pretty cool 4-way rail gas block though! Any idea where someone could get one for their normal AR-15?

[artherd]

Phil- what is that?

[Harry Tuttle]

Thats a Tubbs 2000

its been on my list for awhile

http://www.zediker.com/tubb/tubbtactical1.html

[Double Naught Spy]

The AR variant near 50 and 50 cals are not meant to replace Ma Deuce, but to provide additional firepower to the seamen. The Ma Deuces will remain as fixed weapons, but are too heavy and too beig to be moved around on the Coasties' boats and on the boats they are stopping. The variants gives them a lot of power in a small package that is readily transported like an AR.

[armoredman]

For $1500 they can keep it - I'd rather get a DSA FAL for that price!:)

[Sleuth]

Don't overlook where some boardings take place. What if the CG is just offshore, with the BG between them and the beach or a harbor? It would be nice to make .50 holes in the boat, without shooting up the swimmers on the beach, or the town behind the harbor.

I have done a boarding from a CG cutter, inside San Diego bay - the last place I would want a 50BMG to be fired!

[Andrew Wyatt]

someone needs to chamber the SAW in this caliber.