M249 barrel melt by blanks? - Page 2

jimbob86 · January 10, 2012, 07:47 PM

Quote:

I doubt they use black powder is blanks. It is very corrosive and it doesnt burn slow it actualy explodes. Its deemed an explosive, that is why you cant go to bass pro and pick up a pound or two.

Gorsh! I can't???!!!! I better take mine back to Bass Pro where I got it, then!

C0untZer0 · January 12, 2012, 01:26 AM

I don't think so.

I've seen M60s firing live rounds till they glowed and it doesn't take that long... I've seen them fire blanks all day.. the blanks never got the barrel that hot.

TeamSinglestack · January 12, 2012, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Trainer A felt that extended cyclic fire of blanks could damage a barrel just like extended cyclic fire of standard ball ammo. The reason being that the Blank Firing Adapter on the muzzle will keep the hot gasses inside the barrel causing heat to build and damage to occur.

He's correct.

Machine gun barrels are tough, however, they can fail due to excessive heat generated by live or blank rounds. While I wouldn't worry about failure from a 200 round burst, I wouldn't make it a habit either.

I have never seen a MG barrel fail on any of our guns, including the 249's, however, that is largely due to proper control on the part of the gunner and leaders, and doing proper barrel changes. Whether blank or live, we used the same time standards for barrel changes as prescribed in FM 23-67/8, and if we used our 249's in a sustained fire role, we did barrel changes with those as well.

Remember that the barrel and bolt both must contain the pressure of the round until the gasses are bled off into the gas tube and fed back into the system to unlock the bolt and continue the cycle of function. Metal becomes more pliable as it is heated, and given enough heat, a barrel may not be able to contain the pressure of a round before it is properly bled off. Blanks are perfectly capable of creating that heat over time, just as live rounds.

The only barrel ruptures I can recall were from M4's being used in the automatic rifle role. Those barrels aren't designed for that type of employment, even the heavy barrel mods, and after being fired on auto, they overheated and ruptured. Not good.

Stick with prescribed rates of fire, especially in training, as they are there for a reason.

Southron · January 14, 2012, 12:49 PM

Cats climb trees all the time and then get stuck in them....but you never see any cat skeletons in trees.

The barrels of belt fed machine guns can get white hot when fired in a long burst....but you never see pictures of a machine gun with the white hot barrel drooping or bent down.

Regardless, firing a burst so long (with either live or blank ammo) to the point to where the barrel becomes white hot screws up the "temper" of the barrel and ruins it.

So, unless your squad is being overrun by a "Human Wave" Assault of the 666th Bad Guys Division, there isn't much of a reason to fire your belt-fed MG until the barrel turns white hot.

B.L.E. · January 14, 2012, 01:25 PM

I don't think anyone literally shoots a machine gun til the barrel is white hot. You wouldn't be able to stand near the gun due to the radient heat.
Rounds would cook off, brass cases would melt.

Knives42 · February 5, 2012, 06:03 PM

Im the 249 gunner for my squad so iv got extensive use with it and found that blank rounds can heat your barrel to the point its red hot and can warp but your BFA will melt to you barrel long before you hurt the barrel. Just remember you have a 2nd barrel for a reason. If doing constant fire always change your barrel every 400 rounds in the very least live or blank

January 14, 2012, 12:49 PM	#29
Southron Member Join Date: November 28, 2009 Posts: 40	CATs & MG's Cats climb trees all the time and then get stuck in them....but you never see any cat skeletons in trees. The barrels of belt fed machine guns can get white hot when fired in a long burst....but you never see pictures of a machine gun with the white hot barrel drooping or bent down. Regardless, firing a burst so long (with either live or blank ammo) to the point to where the barrel becomes white hot screws up the "temper" of the barrel and ruins it. So, unless your squad is being overrun by a "Human Wave" Assault of the 666th Bad Guys Division, there isn't much of a reason to fire your belt-fed MG until the barrel turns white hot.

February 5, 2012, 06:03 PM	#31
Knives42 Junior Member Join Date: February 5, 2012 Posts: 1	249 blants Im the 249 gunner for my squad so iv got extensive use with it and found that blank rounds can heat your barrel to the point its red hot and can warp but your BFA will melt to you barrel long before you hurt the barrel. Just remember you have a 2nd barrel for a reason. If doing constant fire always change your barrel every 400 rounds in the very least live or blank

January 12, 2012, 01:26 AM	#27
C0untZer0 Junior member Join Date: April 21, 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,555	I don't think so. I've seen M60s firing live rounds till they glowed and it doesn't take that long... I've seen them fire blanks all day.. the blanks never got the barrel that hot.

January 14, 2012, 01:25 PM	#30
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	I don't think anyone literally shoots a machine gun til the barrel is white hot. You wouldn't be able to stand near the gun due to the radient heat. Rounds would cook off, brass cases would melt.