Tracer Rounds

[DesG]

I've used loads over the years. 7.62 in a light machine gun is fun although the tracer has a habit of going to a different destination than the ball as it's lighter. We also found that when you're in the target butts the tracer element tended to squirt out from the bullet when it hits the sand and cover the poor saps marking the targets. Great fun! And As pointed out by soldiers in battle the tracer points in two directions.

12 bore tracer looks pretty but the burning bit is in the wad which seldom stays with the shot.

I was playing with 22 tracer a couple of weeks back. It lights up about twenty yards from the muzzle and burns out to about a hundred. Pretty in the dark but not much use really.

The top fighter pilots of the WW2 seldom used tracer as the target aircraft would see it flying by and try to avoid it. No tracer gave the attacker a couple of chances.

 

[Heym SR20]

I think there is something in the Firearms Act, probably latest amendments the prohibits incendiary missiles for use in firearms. Does this also apply to tracer, given that they use an incendiary to light them up?

 

[DesG]

I think there is something in the Firearms Act, probably latest amendments the prohibits incendiary missiles for use in firearms. Does this also apply to tracer, given that they use an incendiary to light them up?

Explosive, incendiary and armour piercing are I think section 5 and not normally allowed. Tracer is not intentionally incendiary and perfectly legal to buy, own and use, but few ranges will allow it due to fire risk.

 

[tackb]

i am unaware of any rules preventing you from using tracer on private ground , many ranges have banned it though especially for civilians

22lr tracer is fun , i even have some but when it's old it doesn't work anymore , probably the wax reacting with the tracer compound or something but anyway if you find some to buy as it's very rare i would ask to see a couple working before paying

308 tracer is usually RG ball , ballistically it should match standard nato ball but it's unlikely to be very close to stalking ammo , i used a load of 1960's vintage stuff in scotland up a glen (nothing but sheep or deer for at least 10 miles in any direction !) and i was shooting at 24'' boulders at 1000m plus and believe me you wouldn't want to be sitting on the rock ! i was impressed by the accuracy , later vintage was not as accurate and a higher percentage did not light ?

i think the main reason its use was stopped on ranges was the number of bullets coming out of the sand backstops , i think all ammo richochets out of the backstop but with tracer everyone can see so it was stopped !

223 tracer remember is for our SA80's so a fast twist rifling is needed for them to work in your rifle , they worked in my 1-8'' sako 75

i have even loaded some 308 tracer subsonic and a few in my 300rum , it's a great lesson in trajectory

i do have some for my creedmoor which i intend to load and try fairly soon

 

[trickie]

Used them on a range in or around Paderborn (forgot the exact location) the amount of ricochet’s was were entertaining. Happily it was wet and had been raining for a few days (if it aint raining it aint training)

 

[Heym SR20]

Explosive, incendiary and armour piercing are I think section 5 and not normally allowed. Tracer is not intentionally incendiary and perfectly legal to buy, own and use, but few ranges will allow it due to fire risk.

So if tracers are not allowed cos of fire risk, doesn’t that imply that tracers are incendiary by nature.

 

[DanTheMan]

Still perfectly legal and readily available in 5.56 and 7.62 but I have to admit it's easy to set a range on fire as we did at Lydd not long ago. It's banned at Bisley most likely due to fire risk but most MOD ranges tell you on the day if you are cleared to use it and it's brilliant fun trying to light up the interior of an APC hard target.

 

[DesG]

So if tracers are not allowed cos of fire risk, doesn’t that imply that tracers are incendiary by nature.

Logic and legal are usually totally different things.

 

[C h r i s]

So if tracers are not allowed cos of fire risk, doesn’t that imply that tracers are incendiary by nature.

Don't even go there, after all a ball round can penetrate very light armour, but isn't categorised as armour piercing as its not its primary function or purpose.

The primary purpose of a tracer bullet is not to cause a deliberate and predictable incendiary effect. However incendiary tracer or any combination of other function such as AP (to make APIT) would obviously be Sec 5.

 

[carlisleredneck]

I bought some 7.62 bullets ages ago, loaded a few up and was quite excited to try them out. Not one of them ignited, so the rest went in the bin

 

[long_range_rob]

Just no. The phosphorus doesn’t start to burn till 100yds roughly and when some numpty was using it on Short Siberia done years ago his tracer round went through the 100 yard target next to the one I was scoring, into the sand backstop, back out of the sand backstop, past my right ear (within inches) then off the brick wall of the butts before ricocheting back and hitting my left calf muscle burning a hole on my jeans and then spinning and spitting as it burnt it phosphoric payload. Needless to say a very pointed call to the firing point stopped any further tracers.

 

[C h r i s]

Just no. The phosphorus doesn’t start to burn till 100yds.........

No, not phosphorus. Its strontium nitrate if red tracer, barium if green tracer.

White phosphorus would be incendiary.

 

[tackb]

Just no. The phosphorus doesn’t start to burn till 100yds roughly and when some numpty was using it on Short Siberia done years ago his tracer round went through the 100 yard target next to the one I was scoring, into the sand backstop, back out of the sand backstop, past my right ear (within inches) then off the brick wall of the butts before ricocheting back and hitting my left calf muscle burning a hole on my jeans and then spinning and spitting as it burnt it phosphoric payload. Needless to say a very pointed call to the firing point stopped any further tracers.

not sure this is only tracer related , i've seen it happen a couple of times with ball ammo

oddly on military ranges there was an upper velocity limit which meant you could not use 22-250 or the likes which with high velocity frangible bullets was probably the least likely to richochet ?

 

[C h r i s]

Anyway, these red/green/white tracers are old hat now, infrared tracers are available for all you night vision guys.

 

[DesG]

No, not phosphorus. Its strontium nitrate if red tracer, barium if green tracer.

White phosphorus would be incendiary.

Also smoke. willy pete as the yanks called it leaves a dense smoke trail behind it. Great for daytime tracer.