Black Powder .50 BMG

[crazyjennyblack]

Disclaimer: This thread is about something strange, silly, and possibly dangerous. Please don't take anything posted here as an actual recommendation to go and try this stuff.

Late night pizza and discussions yield strange ideas. I was chatting with a friend about reloading her .50 bmg in hard times, and she mentioned possibly trying cast lead bullets for practice. We started looking at molds online, and the thought occurred.... wouldn't it be hilarious to try the big .50 in black powder? Just imagine the flame and smoke!

So....

1. Has anyone been crazy enough to do this?
2. Would it be safe?
3. What kind of velocities and pressures might happen?

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Well, it would certainly be safe. You are not going to develop anywhere near the pressure with Black Powder in the 50BMG that you do with modern Smokeless.

 

[woodnbow]

Well you're aptly named!

I'm sure pressures would be OK if using FFG or equivalent. It'd be fun to do for sure. Any way you can video this for the folks at home? I'm picturing White smoke blowing out of the muzzle brake now. Hilarious good clean fun!

 

[Acorn Mush]

Well, it would certainly be safe. You are not going to develop anywhere near the pressure with Black Powder in the 50BMG that you do with modern Smokeless.

Agreed. Even if 3fg or Triple 7 were used there should be no danger of excessive pressure.

Interesting idea though.....

 

[Busyhands94]

What a cool idea that would be to try out. I've been pretty tempted to buy a .30-06 and try that, but not a .50 BMG! I think they make a Handi-rifle barrel in .500 S&W, that might be a fun one to load with Minnie balls and Goex! Of course it wouldn't be nearly as cool as a .50 BMG! That cloud of smoke would be the size of a freight train!

 

[Cosmoline]

IIRC surplus M2 barrels have been used for .50-70's in the past. So I think it can be done. Not sure what the bottleneck will do to performance, but if you're shooting in a .50 BMG rifle there's no danger of overpressure obviously.

 

[mykeal]

300 grains of powder and a 650 grain bullet - sounds like a typical muzzleloading slug gun to me. You can see these at Friendship every year. Not really anything to get your undies all wadded up over.

 

[woodnbow]

Yeah you're right but still I'd like to launch a half dozen clouds of white smoke out of a Barrett M82 rapid fire... Imagine the looks you'd get up and down the firing line?

 

[1KPerDay]

Agreed. Even if 3fg or Triple 7 were used there should be no danger of excessive pressure.

Interesting idea though.....

Dunno... holy black behaves differently from modern propellants.

 

[tom e gun]

What size do yall reckon an M2 barrel could be safely reamed out to? could make am interesting muzzleloader!

 

[Smokin'Joe]

You have a lady friend who shoots a .50 BMG? WOW, you girls know how to have fun. Any photos of you gals shooting would bre appreciated.

 

[Jaymo]

A .50 lead conical muzzle loader bullet and a case full of BP would be sweet.
I'd love to see the smoke coming out the muzzle brake on a Barrett.

 

[Pulp]

You mean like this:



I don't know who to credit with this photo, it is not mine. Someone posted it and three others on some forum long forgotten, and I saved them to my computer.

I believe the story said something like 300 grains of FFg and a 600 grain bullet, but that's just old memory, may or may not be true.

 

[Hammerdown77]

Whatever you do, make and sure and TAKE SOME VIDEO!

Then post it on YouTube.

Then post a link here

 

[woodnbow]

I mean exactly like that Pulp! Shooters on the left and right ought to get a kick out of it too!

 

[BCRider]

....Shooters on the left and right ought to get a kick out of it too!

Oh, I'm SURE they'll want to kick SOMETHING.....

Actually if they were told what is happening they'd all want to stop and watch.

 

[raa-7]

I would like to see that done,or shoot the big 50 myself just to see the fire and smoke! Also if you do decide to load some with bp, get the camcorder ready.I'm sure it would be plenty safe as far as pressures.

 

[Trent]

......

This forum has some interesting ideas.

I'm moving on before I catch my hair on fire..

 

[Trent]

Man... I went and watched a movie, came back on here, and thought about this some more.

I've GOT to do this.

You know.

For the Children.

(They'll love it!)

 

[Trent]

OK how would one go about doing this?

Size a case, pop a #35 CCI arsenal primer in, fill it up with (how much?) (what type?) black powder, and seat a sized Lake City FMJ pulldown?

And you are SURE I'm not going to blow up my $5000+ rifle in the process or have to have my wife open my pickle jars for the rest of my life??

 

[Trent]

And how do I clean it afterwards? Take the bolt out, shove the garden hose in the chamber, and let 'er rip?

The worlds most dangerous Assault Squirtgun!!!!

 

[YumaKid]

You would want to connect the garden hose to the blowdown/drain valve on your water heater.... HOT water is better for rinsing out the fouling.

 

[Trent]

So FFFg would probably burn too fast, right? I should use FFg?

I don't want a 50 lb pipe bomb under my chin. My M95 is a bullpup!

 

[GregP42]

Trent,

I am not sure I would use a FMJ, I would want to use a lead bullet myself. I would think FFg Goex or 1 1/2 Fg Swiss would be the ticket to this madness! And please post pictures of it!

Greg

 

[Texan Scott]

Steel pipe/ funnel/ goex/ lead golf ball;
Duct tape/ blasting cap/ ballpeen hammer/ HOLD MY BEER.

Take pichurs, this'z gon'be GOOD.