tracers

I've fired plenty of tracers in 5.56, 7.62, and .50

tiriaq is quite correct...a tracer is a different animal from an incendiary round.

Tracers do have a small amount of burning material (at least partially phosphorous IIRC) at the base of the bullet. This material is present in order to facilitate tracking the flight of the round (to correct aim or mark a target)

Incendiary rounds are specifically designed to ignite fires in the target. Normally, this is facilitated by the use of some sort of explosive bursting charge. Pilots used to call 20mm API (armour piercing incendiary) rounds "sparklers" because the fragments of incendiary would look like sparklers when the round impacted and burst.
 
mcgyver said:
I fired tracers years ago the are visible upon exiting the barrel which means they are allready hot as for the explosion upon impact .Ive seen non tracer FMJ make an impressive amount of sparks on impact depending on what it hit . Just have fun with em
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Not all tracers are ignited when they leave the barrel . some ignite several yards from the barrel IE red tip as opposed to orange tip
 
I just brought back 50 rds of 308 tracers in my checked luggage from Orlando to St Paul, switched planes and flew to Edmonton.

I told them, showed them my receipt, showed them the cartridges, they checked, put them back in my suitcase, said no big deal, and away I went.

So far, Ive shot 5....one did not work.
 
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Don't know about tracer, but generally you are allowed 5 kg of ammunition in commercial packaging in your checked luggage. You have to declare it when checking in.
Ammunition can be shipped by airfreight, as well.
Bringing ammunition out of the US requires a US export permit.

At one time you could buy Eley .22lr tracers.

There are also reports that tracers are not really good for a barrel. Keep in mind that military barrels tend to have chromed bores.
 
tiriaq said:
There are also reports that tracers are not really good for a barrel.
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I read online on a different website that shooting tracers is no different then any other FMJ bullet. Just the Warsaw pact (non-NATO) tracers can hurt a barrel.
 
You better have access to a good, long range if you plan to use them in a formal setting. I always found that using tracers for anything less than 300m was a waste, as most take 50-100m to light up, and they go so fast that 300m comes up quick.

As to the idea that red vs. orange tips indicate light up distance, I'm afraid I have to call that bad info. The fact is that each nation/armoury on this world uses their own colour code system. I learned this when I bought some 7.62x39mm (Polish, I think) that had a red tip, thinking it was tracer. Turned out that red tips, under the Warsaw Pact, represented Armour Piercing / Incendiary. Oops.
 
BattleRife said:
You better have access to a good, long range if you plan to use them in a formal setting. I always found that using tracers for anything less than 300m was a waste, as most take 50-100m to light up, and they go so fast that 300m comes up quick.

As to the idea that red vs. orange tips indicate light up distance, I'm afraid I have to call that bad info. The fact is that each nation/armoury on this world uses their own colour code system. I learned this when I bought some 7.62x39mm (Polish, I think) that had a red tip, thinking it was tracer. Turned out that red tips, under the Warsaw Pact, represented Armour Piercing / Incendiary. Oops.
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Afraid you are wrong I have red tip & orange tip US 30 cal one ignites out of the barrel & one further down range
 
Get with the program

Smokin Gun said:
Couldnt help but notice the post so tell me what part of the Firearms course didnt you read. The grey area is over ownership and discharge, discharge is illegal except for a product called tru trace but there is no where that says you cant have them for collection purposes. But like all situations it up to the arresting officer if you get caught, good luck with it.:runaway:
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I think this guy just types to see himself talk
 
Ruger30-06 said:
I read online on a different website that shooting tracers is no different then any other FMJ bullet. Just the Warsaw pact (non-NATO) tracers can hurt a barrel.
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Years ago, the NRA conducted an experiment. They used a Winchester Model 70 .30-06 target rifle that was going to be rebarrelled. It was carefully fired to determine its standard of accuracy. A quantity of US issue tracer ammunition was then fired through it. The barrel was carefully cleaned, and then tried for accuracy. Groups opened considerably.
This was one rifle, with one type of tracer ammunition.
Just about all current service firearms have chromed bores. This could make a difference. Did the website you saw describe the types of rifles and ammunition used, as well as the testing protocol?
 
tiriaq said:
Years ago, the NRA conducted an experiment. They used a Winchester Model 70 .30-06 target rifle that was going to be rebarrelled. It was carefully fired to determine its standard of accuracy. A quantity of US issue tracer ammunition was then fired through it. The barrel was carefully cleaned, and then tried for accuracy. Groups opened considerably.
This was one rifle, with one type of tracer ammunition.
Just about all current service firearms have chromed bores. This could make a difference. Did the website you saw describe the types of rifles and ammunition used, as well as the testing protocol?
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They said out of a "normal hunting rifle".



w w w.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=232261 is the site i read over.
 
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#1bcshooter said:
Afraid you are wrong I have red tip & orange tip US 30 cal one ignites out of the barrel & one further down range
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I believe that Mr. Battle Rifle is correct...colour codes vary with nation.

He didn't say that your red and orange tracers ignited at the same place...he simply said that his red tipped warsaw pact ammo was not tracers.

I think that you may find that even amongst NATO "standardized" ammo, there is variety in tracer performance based simply on when and where the ammo was made, and what caliber it is.
 
sunray said:
Tracers are NOT illegal in any way, shape or form.
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Not for hunting.

BTW I tried a 6.5x55 tracer a month ago out of my Swede Mauser, quite interesting to see a bright pink flare bouncing near the 200 yard ram.

Have 5 left saving for a special occasion. :D
 
Tracers ignite approximately 100 meters from the muzzle of the firearm that fires it. It is called "dim-dark" ignition. Tracer ammunition UNDER .50 is 1.4S hazard class, just like any other safety class ammunition. .50 tracer is hazard class 1.4C. Tracers in Canada are for the most part used on Canadian Forces ranges, providing that weather conditions allow it. They really hate fires too.



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Shot at 2007-12-03
 
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I have a bunch too. We shot some into a pile of dried grass(Before you flip, in a controlled enviroment on purpose) and two didn't light up, or they stuck in the ground and went out, whatever, and one burned VERY brightly sitting on the ground and lit the grass....

When we fired them into the berm they smoked like a beyoch.
 
when you,s people reload the tracers,do yous use the same amount of powder as you use in a regular reload?..or do you,s tend to stick to a min.load for what ever cal
 
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