.50 Beowulf

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.50 Beowulf
.50 Beowulf

The 5.56 mm compared to .50 Beowulf cartridges

general information
caliber .50 Beowulf
Sleeve shape Rimless with pull-out groove
Dimensions
Sleeve neck ⌀ 13.2 mm
Floor ⌀ 12.73 mm
Cartridge bottom ⌀ 11.6 mm
Sleeve length 42 mm
Cartridge length 54 mm
Weights
Bullet weight 19–26 g
(300–400 grain )
Technical specifications
Speed ​​v 0 550-590 m / s
Bullet energy E 0 2900-3900 years
Lists on the subject

.50 Beowulf is one of Bill Alexander at Alexander Arms developed rifle cartridge with the caliber 12.7 mm (0.5  inches ). It is designed for use in modified AR-15 - guns designed.

Design and technology

A 21.5 g .50 Beowulf hollow-point bullet, which was fired from a 16 ″ barrel, penetrated an approximately 6.35 mm thick steel plate over an area of ​​33 m.

The cartridge tapers in the area of ​​the cartridge base in order to obtain a cartridge base diameter similar to that of the 7.62 × 39 and 6.5 mm Grendel , which enables the use of existing locking systems. The case body is very similar to that of the .500 S&W Magnum revolver cartridge , it is only a little longer and completely conical in order to ensure that it is automatically fed into the weapon.

The cartridge was developed to drastically increase the man-stopping effect at short to medium distances compared to the 5.56 × 45 mm NATO . One of the advertised capabilities of the .50 Beowulf is its high stopping effect on unarmored vehicles, as the projectile trajectory hardly changes when it penetrates vehicle windows and vehicle cladding due to the heavy projectile.

Requirements for development

The .50 Beowulf should be able to be fired from interchangeable systems based on AR-15, in which only the upper receiver (including barrel and bolt) and the magazine have to be exchanged. The maximum possible cartridge length was therefore limited by the dimensions of the AR-15 magazine slot. In addition, to ensure the functionality of the locking system, the gas pressure had to be kept below 2275 bar.

Similar cartridges

The cartridge is related to the .50 Action Express which was originally developed for the Desert Eagle pistol. It has been significantly redesigned to ensure functionality and security when used in AR-15 systems.

Web links

Commons : .50 Beowulf  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Caliber, Edition 6, 2009, No Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (PDF; 183 kB) ( Memento from April 19, 2018 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ^ Matt Berger: Alexander Arms. 50 Beowulf. In: tactical-life.com. December 2, 2011, accessed January 28, 2013 .
  3. ↑ Charlie Cutshaw: .50 caliber Beowulf. In: hendonpub.com. 2006, accessed on January 28, 2013 (English, Tactical Response Jul / Aug 2006).