.50 cal. M1917 Browning machine gun rounds

[chaiosComo]

I joined ARNE; https://www.facebook.com/groups/440416099496415/, about 5 years ago, so I haven’t posted any finds on this page in a while. I wanted to share one of my posts from November 2021 with the group. I’m hopeful there might be some members with some possible leads as to why these were found in the CT Natchaug State Forest.

I got out with my brother Mike Comeau and dug up some cool stuff. My favorite items were 2 unfired .50 cal. machine gun cartridges, which functioned as ammo for anti-aircraft and anti-vehicular machine gun, capable of penetrating 0.9 inches (23 mm) of face-hardened armor steel plate at 200 meters (220 yd) (M1917 Browning machine gun). These were found about 60 yards from a cellar hole in the CT, Natchaug State Forest. The area was under water for a significant amount of time. Recent maintenance was being performed to divert the flow of water exiting the marsh. The water level was reduced significantly, exposing virgin soil waiting to be detected.

 

[EmuDetector]

50bmg rounds came to be for the M2 machine gun, not the m1917, around 1910s/20s. They were mounted on everything from tripods, vehicles, planes, and boats. There's probably no solid answer to why they showed up there. But if you're not finding links, empty brass, or any other piles of ammo I would put heavy favor on someone had them for display and just tossed them at some point.


**Edit: Looking online, your head stamps appear to be Yugoslavian. So probably better evidence someone picked them up as a keepsake.

 

[The Rebel]

First and foremost those are live rounds. Black powder as it ages becomes unstable. I would properly dispose of them, nothing good will come of them if they were to go off.

Don't just walk into your local police dept with them.

 

[EmuDetector]

First and foremost those are live rounds. Black powder as it ages becomes unstable. I would properly dispose of them, nothing good will come of them if they were to go off.

Don't just walk into your local police dept with them.

There is no black powder in 50 bmg. The rounds do appear to be live, but hazard is pretty low. Mil grade ammo is generally sealed better as well. This stuff works after being stored in damp ammo magazines since ww2.


If you really want to hang onto them, I'd find a local reloader and have him pull the projos out so you can dump the powder and kick the primers. He could reseat the projos and have a display piece for you.

 

[The Rebel]

There is no black powder in 50 bmg. The rounds do appear to be live, but hazard is pretty low. Mil grade ammo is generally sealed better as well. This stuff works after being stored in damp ammo magazines since ww2.


If you really want to hang onto them, I'd find a local reloader and have him pull the projos out so you can dump the powder and kick the primers. He could reseat the projos and have a display piece for you.

Ok. Gunpowder.

 

[too_pointer]

Or come to our area, you can dig 50. cal. bullets or brass all day long if you want, they sure make your detector sing. Fooled me, more than once !
too_

 

[dickyoung]

First and foremost those are live rounds. Black powder as it ages becomes unstable. I would properly dispose of them, nothing good will come of them if they were to go off.

Don't just walk into your local police dept with them.

Those don't have black powder. They're loaded with smokeless which is very stable and easily neutralized by exposure to water or moisture. Unless you put them in a fire they're not going off, the primer has also gone bad by now. There's no danger involved in handling or displaying them after cleaning by hand. The police won't care, they'll likely throw them in the trash or keep them. There's a lot of misinformation regarding ammunition.

 

[hoser]

Or come to our area, you can dig 50. cal. bullets or brass all day long if you want, they sure make your detector sing

I can't begin to say just how many of these I/we have found over the years where we hunt on guard property. 98% of the casings found are fired. I have taken some 50 cal casings and polished them, and turned copper projectiles to put in them. They make a pretty cool display and are 100% safe. At the price for scrap spent brass ($1.89-$1.97#) it is almost worth your while to pick these rounds up.

 

[too_pointer]

Bill, Jerry and I used to sell empty brass in Gaylord, when you start picking up 50.cal brass, doesn't take very many, like you said, to have alot. I don't mess with them anymore, to much bending over, and hardly ever go to Gaylord, but sure I have, or in the future, will dig things by mistake, on my AT Pro, the shells sure sound like Quarters, lol
Mike