50BMG headstamp question

[Hailstorm]

Nice information. Thank you. I do have a commercial version. A lot to learn. I do reload. But, I don't think as of yet. I will do the 50.

Thanks again. Great detail

[50 BMG]

Yea,
If you want any of the .50s to shoot well, you'll pretty much need to get into reloading.
Mil-spec (belted) .50 ammo is only built to a 2MOA "mean radius" of accuracy (meaning 1/2 of the rounds shot out of an M2 will land within a 12"/2MOA circle at 600 yards. When you're shooting 600rnds/minute, they don't need to be super accurate).

Hornady makes an adaptor for their regular/single stage press which will allow you to screw in the large 1-1/2" dies that a .50 uses. I think RCBS does too.
C&H Tool out of Ohio makes some really nice .50 dies (especially their straight line seater; designed to work with the long/VLD match .50 projos).

SG ammo has some pretty good prices on current .50 fodder:
LC M33 Ball linked 4:1 with M17 Tracer rounds: (remember, even .50 "Ball" ammo has a mild steel core inside the projo which presents a ricochet hazard when an improper/weak backstop is used).
https://www.sgammo.com/product/50-bm...ll-1-round-m17

LC M8 API. These explode with the force of an M80 on sufficiently hard targets and also have a tungsten core for excellent penetration after detonation. BUT remember, shooting steel targets at close range with ANY .50 rounds (even "ball") can get you killed as the steel core can and sometimes does come straight back at the shooter! Minimum safe distance to "hard targets" is @400-450 yards to prevent this from happening. I'm sure you've seen the video where the guy gets his earmuffs removed by a ricochet for a .50 round??? The story that is usually sent along with that video is always a lie; he was actually only @100 yards away from his target in that clip and he almost lost his head.
https://www.sgammo.com/product/lake-...api-incendiary

Brand new CBC/Magtech .50 Ball rounds. For reloading after firing, CBC cases are usually really nice dimensionally, albeit a softer brass alloy than some other Mil-spec rounds.
https://www.sgammo.com/product/50-bm...ll-1-round-m17

Good old M2AP (the most accurate mil-spec .50 projos due to the way the jacket is cinched around the back of the projo and the super hard tungsten core which has very little "filler" in front of and behind the core). BUT, being made in 1944, these will be corrosively primed.
https://www.sgammo.com/product/50-bm...ing-ammo-m2a1-

Steep dirt/sand (at @ a 45degree angle on the face) is a safe backstop. Crumb rubber is even better.
With 12,000lbs of energy at the muzzle, fired .50 projos often DO "leave the ballpark" if the impact berm is not sufficient. .50 ricochets can make a 1/10th of a pound projo land at a random location in the next county if you aren't careful.

[10x25mm]

...Good old M2AP (the most accurate mil-spec .50 projos due to the way the jacket is cinched around the back of the projo and the super hard tungsten core which has very little "filler" in front of and behind the core). BUT, being made in 1944, these will be corrosively primed.
https://www.sgammo.com/product/50-bm...ing-ammo-m2a1-

The WW II vintage .50 BMG M2AP bullet core was made from hardened AISI/SAE 7260 alloy steel, which was alloyed with chromium and tungsten. This steel grade is no longer manufactured. The M903/962 'SLAP' and Mk. 211 'Raufoss' cartridges were the first pure tungsten cored .50 BMG projectiles in U.S. inventory.

[Hailstorm]

A lot of good info here. Much appreciated