50 Cal Rd ID Help

[O'Kelly's Boys]

I have a 50 cal rd with a small red tip stamped, "RA 1941, 50 Cal Z". I believe its a tracer rd, but what is the "RA" and the "Z"?

Thanks

O'Kelly's Boys

 

[antiqueguy]

RA stands for remington arms

 

[green]

This is a British contract ctg and the Z means it was loaded with nitro cellulose powder not cordite.

 

[O'Kelly's Boys]

Very cool

Thanks guys

 

[Erik652]

You might find these links interesting
http://www.nebraskaaircrash.com/50caliber.html
http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/ordinance-ammo/a-guide-to-headstamps-5718/

You will find both answers you already received in them but still interesting

 

[Silverback]

Here is another helpful link for headstamps: http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=headstampcodes

 

[O'Kelly's Boys]

You might find these links interesting
http://www.nebraskaaircrash.com/50caliber.html
http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/ordinance-ammo/a-guide-to-headstamps-5718/

You will find both answers you already received in them but still interesting

The Nebraska Aircrash site has a great color code poster. My 50 cal rd has a very small and well defined red tip. There is nothing below it, but is has been scraped/scratched and I believe there may have been an aluminum color stripe below and is therefore likely the 'armour piercing incendiary tracer'.

If this was a British contract in 1941, could it have been intended for RAF use say with the RAF's B-17s? I believe APIT rds were used in aircraft. What else would the Brits have been using 50 cal for at that time?

 

[antiqueguy]

The Nebraska Aircrash site has a great color code poster. My 50 cal rd has a very small and well defined red tip. There is nothing below it, but is has been scraped/scratched and I believe there may have been an aluminum color stripe below and is therefore likely the 'armour piercing incendiary tracer'.

If this was a British contract in 1941, could it have been intended for RAF use say with the RAF's B-17s? I believe APIT rds were used in aircraft. What else would the Brits have been using 50 cal for at that time?

lancasters where also fitted with .50's and even 20mm guns

but id say its only a tracer just some of the red is scraped of

 

[TonyE]

The Nebraska Aircrash site has a great color code poster. My 50 cal rd has a very small and well defined red tip. There is nothing below it, but is has been scraped/scratched and I believe there may have been an aluminum color stripe below and is therefore likely the 'armour piercing incendiary tracer'.

If this was a British contract in 1941, could it have been intended for RAF use say with the RAF's B-17s? I believe APIT rds were used in aircraft. What else would the Brits have been using 50 cal for at that time?

A couple of points worth making here.

The M20 APIT round did not start production until October 1944 at Des Moines Ammunition Plant, so was not around in 1941.

When war broke out in 1939 the British military immediately turned to the USA and arranged contracts for small arms ammunition. The Remington .50 cal contract was for the RAF for use in the various American aircraft that had been purchased, including early model B-17s and Curtis fighters. Ammunition was also purchased from the U.S. Government. It is important to note that all this equipment and ammunition was purchased for hard cash, as Lend lease did not start until after the Act was passed by Congress in mid 1941.

We purchased .50 cal Ball, Drill, Armour piercing, Tracer and smaller amounts of incendiary. The rounds were colour coded to british requirements , red tip tracer and green tip AP, and whilst early rounds were headstamped simply "RA 40" the bulk were headstamper "RA 40 50 CAL Z" as described above. Packets were marked "SPECIAL FOR RAF" and examples from my collection are shown here.

In addition to the .50 cal we purchased .303 inch, .30 cal, 9mm and small amounts of various pistol cartridges.

Regards
TonyE