What would cause tracers not to trace?

Cerdan

Cerdan

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Went to the range today and I was looking forward to shooting a few of the 7.62x39 tracer rounds I bought in the EE a couple months back. You can imagine my disappointment when all ten fired without a trace...

Figured maybe the cold but it really wasn't all that cold today (only a few degrees below freezing). Any thoughts?

I should add that I pulled a few bullets some weeks ago, so I know the person I bought'em from didn't just paint the tips green and pass them off as tracers...
 
When I test tracers I shoot them vertically at night. (I live on a farm). They light a fair distance out.

If you handload for them, use a ball powder with a near max charge with lots of neck tension.
 
Good tracers are designed not to light close to the muzzle, so that the enemy cannot follow them back to the source.

In combat, tracers work both ways. That is how the U.S. Forces landing on D-Day finally located the MG the "Beast of Omaha Beach" was firing onto "Easy Red" sector.

It was only when he ran out of ball ammo and switched to tracers, that they could pinpoint his location with artillery fire.
 
Yes they take a bit to light off. You may find that if you accidentally hit something hard at close range you will get " fireworks". The pieces come off like high velocity roman candles, Kind of cool unless they hit somebody or something dry.
 
The term used for tracers that ignite 100m or so out is "Dark Ignition". As mentioned the purpose is to prevent the enemy from seeing the source of the tracer, as well as to prevent the firer from being dazzled and loosing his night vision.
 
Actually, IR tracers are now quite common. Also referred to as "Dim" tracers. They are designed for night shooting with night vision equipment. They are dim enough to not cause blooming of night vision equipment.

I doubt that any of this is in the surplus market. It is new production.
 
"...shoot them vertically at night. (I live on a farm)..." Idiot. Would you shoot ball ammo vertically?
"...term used for tracers that ignite 100m or so out is "Dark Ignition"..." Rubbish. All trace ammo ignites 100 meters plus from the muzzle depending on the cartridge.
 
sunray said:
"...term used for tracers that ignite 100m or so out is "Dark Ignition"..." Rubbish. All trace ammo ignites 100 meters plus from the muzzle depending on the cartridge.
Click to expand...


From The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ammunition by Ian V. Hogg:

"DARK IGNITION Method of igniting military tracer bullets in which the propelling charge flame first ignites a delay composition, and then ignites the tracer, so that the tracer does not become visible until the bullet is some distance from the weapon, usually 50-100 metres. The object is first, to prevent the emerging tracer bullet from dazzling the firer; and secondly, to prevent an enemy from following the line of the trace back to its origin and thus discovering the location of the weapon."

About the Author:
"Ian V. Hogg spent much of his military service as an instructor, teaching ammunition and explosives at the Royal School of Artillery and the Royal Military College of Science from 1954 to 1972..."
 
NRCAN made them pull it off the market and will not approve it for sale, they say it has no sporting purpose. I think NRCAN needs to keep their nose out of our sports as they have no idea what sporting is.
 
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