Kentucky Ballistics tests second RN 50

[darkangel_r2]

I think the rifle held up remarkably well and proved it’s strength 12 times with the remaining S.L.A.P. rounds. Scott was checking for bore obstruction each time. Can’t see a Barrett firing all 12 rounds.

The bolt action barretts probably would not have held up well. I don't know how they fail so it might be less harmful when they do go. The semis might have held. They have a lot of recoil absorption built into them.

Really would like to have seen one of the rounds dissected though.

Agreed

I’m leaning towards improper ammo storage being the culprit, but I guess we’ll never know.

That was something I thought about too. Stuff might have been hanging around in a desert bunker at 100 degrees every day since the 80s.

 

[davidjoe]

I thought it was curious that Scott has put the RN-50 online two times, and the first is over 30M views. He truly isn’t out to impugn the RN-50, not even in an indirect way.

The ammo though, he does blame, and he confirms by proof that it was very problematic, in the second video.

I actually have come to think Scott may believe that much or all 50 cal SLAP ammo a person is likely to lay hands on, runs an elevated risk of over pressure, and that is why he is not revealing the source of that ammo.

He may suspect this to be true without having any axe to grind about it publicly; and if we shooters would hear from him his particular source, and then simply dismiss it as different from our own, that would be the opposite conclusion he would have us reach.

 

[C_Ackley]

Not super familiar with the projectiles, but couldn't you unload them, weigh them, and then reassemble with a powder charge you trust?

 

[Tokay444]

Just watched the new video. I couldn't help but feel every time he threaded that cap on he was completing a bomb.

The gun is literally a pipe bomb.

 

[matthias]

I would like to see a "stronger" rifle handle the punishment that serbu did.

While it is a simple rifle there are weaker designs in many rifles.you may not like the rifle or its design but it performed way over the pressures it was made for.

The bottom line is that rifle was fully capable of handling unknown ammunition that any reasonable person would not shoot. The first primer falling out and head stamp transfer that ammo should have been disassembled or destroyed.

 

[Tokay444]

Most rifles have provisions to vent pressure away from the shooter. This is a pipe bomb.

 

[matthias]

At 190000 psi no vent in the world is going to save your butt,eyes, fingers etc.

Or keep the rifle from energetic unplanned disassembly for that matter.

 

[Tokay444]

It’s not a 50, but do the quick load on those pressures…

 

[matthias]

I see what you mean. I should have been more specific. His test of the 338 is interesting.

Now compare the rn50 to other 50bmg rifles. I dont math with the best of them but , the wall pressure goes up as the round gets bigger. And if I remember it goes exponentially (not geometrically as I said before)

In my opinion we are all a little to quick to discount no traditional designs. If a rifle can handle a "proof load" i am willing to use that rifle with my ammunition of known good quality.

I am all for apples to apples comparisons. The video you provided does show a remarkable resilience to ridiculous treatment. But I am still interested in a 50 to 50 comparison.

 

[C_Ackley]

Here's our "what if"

The M82a1 didn't fare any better and at those pressures, it's hard to say where the shrapnel will travel. Your arm and face might have serious injuries if you do survive.
Nothing wrong with firearm designs, they tell you what pressures they're rated for and when you're so far over the limit, there's no telling how it will detonate.

 

[davidjoe]

Expensive test. Still, I’m pretty impressed the Barrett, even with its moving parts, basically bursts, and piles into a heap, within the shape of the extended “box” its form displaces.

The Barrett barrel in slow motion flexes like a stick of rubber. That’s got to be pushing an inch of peak deflection between the shank and end of the muzzle brake.

 

[darkangel_r2]

I got money on Mr. Serbu sponsoring this video.

 

[matthias]

I would not fault him for sponsorship if he did. With all the negativity around the original event it is a good reminder to us all that we are dealing with potentially dangerous situations every time we shoot, reload, or deal with range yahoos.

Now Kentucky ballistics needs to pop a bolt action with one of his "spicy" rounds. Really get a good cross section of available rifles. Maybe a styer?

 

[Tokay444]

I would not fault him for sponsorship if he did. With all the negativity around the original event it is a good reminder to us all that we are dealing with potentially dangerous situations every time we shoot, reload, or deal with range yahoos.

Now Kentucky ballistics needs to pop a bolt action with one of his "spicy" rounds. Really get a good cross section of available rifles. Maybe a styer?

And even more dangerous when you perceive a pipe bomb to be a firearm.

 

[matthias]

That barrett didn't do any better than the rn50. And the top half of the receiver on the barret being bent way up like that would be a hell of a hit on the cheek.

 

[Tokay444]

Debatable. And I bet Barrett knows exactly what pressure their gun blows up at, and how.

 

[matthias]

Debatable. And I bet Barrett knows exactly what pressure their gun blows up at, and how.

For sure that is why we all get online and try to fix the worlds problems.

Watch the slow mo and check out the barrel extension split and vacate the area. That is the reason the barret barrel threads didn't look too bad.

 

[Tokay444]

Yes, and it blew sideways instead of your neck.

 

[matthias]

The second rn50 didn't blow into the neck. The "ears" on the receiver stayed put.

Without any question I dont want to be near any rifle if it energetically disassembles itself.

Over out.

 

[davidjoe]

The second rn50 didn't blow into the neck. The "ears" on the receiver stayed put.

Without any question I dont want to be near any rifle if it energetically disassembles itself.

Over out.

Yeah, 220+ grains of powder can be devastating. I’m curious how an AR-50 would do, now. I have and shoot the original as well as A-1. I’m not about to sacrifice one though to report on this curiosity.

My take from Scott’s “three” destructive tests (two on purpose) is that the barrel chambers on these rifles are extremely robust. Whereas I have seen in the “kaboom” articles, a Savage barrel or two split and therefore vent pressure with a .338 I believe, we’d have to assume 50 barrels, at least forward of the threads, are going to stubbornly survive fully intact putting the onus of pressure relief on other areas.

That’s a typical 50 cal tenon beside a 700 tenon. We know that 700’s have run cases up to and including the .338 LM. While a 50 case requires a bigger hole than a .338, I don’t think the difference matches the proportional difference between a standard and 50 cal tenon, OD.



I’m very perplexed about Scott surmising the solid bullets aren’t leaving the barrel. He doesn’t see them in the barrel, and supposes brass colored residue on Barrett components may be an exploded bullet, but I think that is actually the brass case head itself, which apparently has disintegrated in all three instances leaving in the chamber the rest of the case body and neck.

I have seen a baseball and golf ball struck so hard and fast that they do not go forward and simply come apart, but that solid bullet is fully contained on the side, with only one way to go, and orders of magnitude tougher than a baseball. I cannot imagine that 3-4 times normal pressure would essentially blow through or shatter the bullet, which, unless it came backward against the pressure gradient, is all that could happen if it didn’t exit in one piece or lodge.