History of 50 BMG Ammo
Developed during the second decade of the 20th century and adopted into a service ammunition in 1921, the .50 Browning Machine Gun (BMG) round is one of the most widely used service ammunitions to date. Also known as the .50 Browning, the 12.7x99mm NATO round is used today across the globe. It’s currently listed as military ammunition for the U.S. and at least 30 other countries.

The .50 BMG spawned from an expanded .30-06 case, which gave the shell its rimless, bottleneck shape. The shoulder diameter of the casing measures .735 inch, with the base measuring at .804 inch. A 3.91-inch shell secures a jacketed lead bullet with a .510-inch diameter.

The full round measures 5.45 inches, making it a powerful and extremely deadly cartridge.

A #35 arsenal primer charges the ammunition. And its maximum pressure varies from 53,664 pounds per square inch (psi) to 60,481 psi, depending on the ammo’s purpose and user.