# Shooting a .50 BMG rifle **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053 "2021-03-16T23:56:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/1 "2021-03-16T23:56:36Z")
BMG stands for Browning machine gun. Some years ago I bought an upper for an AR-15 that was chambered in .50 BMG. It was made by a company BOHICA. I will let our military members comment on the acronym. The .566 Ar-15 ammo makes about 1325 foot-pounds of force. The .50 BMG round can produce between 10,000 and 15,000 foot-pounds force, so 10 times as much bang. Since the AR round is 5.56×45mm and the BMG is 12.7 x 99mm, it is more than twice as big, so the cube law would make that performance understandable. I pulled the stock hard into my shoulder and lit it off. Kicked like a mule. I could smell blood, like when you get punched in the face. I wiped under my nose, expecting a crimson streak, but no. I shot a few more times, and decided I needed to build more weight into the gun. I have an ammo can of API, armor piercing incendiary rounds. Those come in handy when you need to start the target on fire after you blow a hole in it. Since this was an upper, it is not a gun, so a credit card number and an address are all that is needed to put one of these into your hands. If it was any bigger, it would be listed as a Destructive devise by the BATF and need some paperwork. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/2 "2021-03-17T00:25:34Z")
I know someone that shot a few rounds down a specialty range that I imagine was something like [shown here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugOafY_SQF4). This range would cut the target plate around one of the bullet holes to about 3 x 3 inches. It’s a pretty cool souvenir that really demonstrates the power of fast moving mass. > [@MrMrmrmr](#): > > I have an ammo can of API, armor piercing incendiary rounds. Those come in handy when you need to start the target on fire after you blow a hole in it. Or whatever is behind it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/3 "2021-03-17T00:29:43Z")
I would like to take it out West where you get into your jeep to drive down to the backstop to change the target. One mile , 1000 yards, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/4 "2021-03-17T01:30:40Z")
It’s probably just me, but I would have thought that if one of the Founding Fathers had turned up at the Philly Statehouse with a .50 BMG mounted on an AR-15 and at a particularly tense moment when debating the Emoluments Clause had demonstrated it’s 15,000 foot-pounds force with armor piercing incendiary rounds that the 2nd Amendment might not have been so ambiguously worded? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/5 "2021-03-17T01:40:30Z")
I have a bolt action .50 BMG. Made by a company called Serbu. Haven’t shot it in a number of years. I guess the thrill has sort of waned. Plus I was annoyed by a design defect. I still have plenty of ammo, including AP. Would like to get a Barrett someday. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/6 "2021-03-17T01:45:31Z")
> [@MrMrmrmr](#): > > Those come in handy when you need to start the target on fire after you blow a hole in it. Excellent. I sure could do with that. I’m always needing to start a target on fire after I blow a hole in it. ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/7 "2021-03-17T01:48:42Z")
They had personal cannons back in the day. Now you have to pay for a tax stamp to own a Destructive device. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/8 "2021-03-17T01:58:24Z")
Was thinking more along the lines that possessing a credit card (or personal line of credit) and an address were essential to being classified as a well-ordered militia. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/9 "2021-03-17T02:03:05Z")
> [@MrMrmrmr](#): > > I would like to take it out West where you get into your jeep to drive down to the backstop to change the target. One mile , 1000 yards, whatever. The record sniper kill is approximately 2.2 miles, if you want to set yourself a goal. ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/10 "2021-03-17T02:05:23Z")
Don’t know if I get you, but it seems like a society that allows someone to acquire such a weapon with a possibility stolen credit card and a dead drop address needs to take a look at the law. I mean we could buy cocaine at the turn of the century the same way. Well except for the credit card part. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/11 "2021-03-17T02:08:58Z")
> [@MrMrmrmr](#): > > They had personal cannons back in the day. Indeed. Remind me again, what was the usual rate of fire for a personal cannon? “[We fight with cannon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmZuvF9JSMc)” ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/12 "2021-03-17T02:22:46Z")
Can you tell me if balls to the wall meant that the cannoneirs stacked the cannon balls against the walls of the ship before the battle? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/13 "2021-03-17T02:27:28Z")
**Moderator Note** Let’s take the discussion of what the founding fathers intended (or should have intended) over to one of the numerous gun control threads, please. This is not a gun control debate thread. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/14 "2021-03-17T10:03:06Z")
Balls to the wall seems to have come from the ball at the top of throttle levers in fighter planes. It means to fly at maximum speed. Cannon balls were referred to as ‘shot’ not balls. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/15 "2021-03-17T13:30:31Z")
There’s some argument that it’s older and refers to centrifugal governors. > **[Centrifugal governor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > A centrifugal governor is a specific type of governor with a feedback system that controls the speed of an engine by regulating the flow of fuel or working fluid, so as to maintain a near-constant speed. It uses the principle of proportional control. > Centrifugal governors, also known as "centrifugal regulators" and "fly-ball governors", were invented by Christiaan Huygens and used to regulate the distance and pressure between millstones in windmi... But I’m not seeing the walls there, throttle levers and instrument panels in planes on the other hand… [![](https://i.imgflip.com/1jl33m.jpg) ](https://i.imgflip.com/1jl33m.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/16 "2021-03-17T14:14:09Z")
AR-15 style lowers are aluminum, and don’t appear to be overbuilt. What is the survivability of the lower, when used with a .50 upper? (Not that I want a .50 upper.) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/17 "2021-03-17T15:18:31Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > What is the survivability of the lower, when used with a .50 upper? I suspect that you can make a comparison with the AR-15 polymer lowers that are out there. Granted, the upper takes the bulk of the punishment and the lower has to deal with far less stress, but polymer lowers are still prone to failures, especially at the rear where the buffer tube attaches to it. I would expect that to be the weak point on a standard aluminum lower if you used it with a .50 BMG upper. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/18 "2021-03-17T16:22:28Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > There’s some argument that it’s older and refers to centrifugal governors. I was under the impression that centrifugal (“flyball”) governors were the origin of the expression “balls out”, meaning essentially the same thing as “balls to the wall” which originated from aircraft throttle levers. ---
**Author:** ![MrMrmrmr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrmrmrmr/32/5828_2.png) [@MrMrmrmr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrMrmrmr)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shooting-a-50-bmg-rifle/938053/19 "2021-03-17T19:03:30Z")
I also was concerned about the aluminum lower so I made my own steel one. The drawings for an AR lower are readily available on the net. I imported them into SolidWorks, extracted the profile, applied an offset to allow clean up stock, and sent the iges to a nearby steel supplier with a CNC torch bed. They torch cut the 4140 plate and did a furnace anneal to get rid of the HAZ (heat affected zone). When you torch cut high carbon steel it will have a skin, harder that woodpecker lips, where the thermal mass quenches the white hot cut. The process also removed the rolling stresses. They Blanchard ground two sides within .005” flatness and parallelism. I clamped the steel, on parallels so the outer profile could be machined. The clamps were on one side, so I could create the top datum surface. The clamps were switched to the opposite side to finish roughing the perimeter that still was not to final size so it could be ground after all milling and drilling was done. I could go on if anyone is interested.