muzzle loader to .50 bmg?!?!

seansean1444 · October 22, 2011, 08:34 PM

just wondering if this could even remotely happen. friend tryed 2 convince me you could but it seems like you would kill yourself.. also the cartrige is bigger than the barrel itsself so you cant just pop it in there??

arizona98tj · October 23, 2011, 12:24 AM

Luckily, none of my shooting friends are stupid enough to suggest something like that.

Mike38 · October 23, 2011, 04:14 AM

Your friend thinks a .50 black powder rifle can be rechambered to shoot a .50 BMG? Is he daft?

zachkuby87 · October 23, 2011, 06:04 AM

I think daft is too kind of a Word.

Master Blaster 2 · October 23, 2011, 06:13 AM

You would kill yourself..

This is my AMAC 1500. A single shot rifle made for a 50BMG

Me shooting it.

ndking1126 · October 23, 2011, 06:13 AM

One of my coworkers tried to tell me the .300 winmag had so much drop at only 300 yards that he was going to stick to his .308 because he can shoot it soo far..

I've seen pictures of the aftermath of a .50bmg round exploding in a guy's hand. Lets just say it didn't kill the guy, but if it exploded next to his face I would say it's certainly a possibility it could kill him. I would assume at a bare minimum they would loose their eyesight and have a permanently scarred/disformed face.

Mobuck · October 23, 2011, 06:37 AM

Most muzzleloader barrels are not strong enough to handle the pressures generated by smokeless powder. Even if you managed to build a cannon breach/chamber and screw the ML barrel to it, it would likely split before the first bullet exited the muzzle. AND even if the barrel didn't blow out, the rifling in the ML barrel is taylored to a soft 250-350 grain projo at under 2000 fps as opposed to a hard jacketed 650 grainer at 2800 or more fps.
This idea is the product of an individual with little to no knowledge of firearms, engineering, or common sense.

briandg · October 23, 2011, 11:05 AM

There is a certain subset of humanity that loves to be creative and will always come up with new ideas and philosophies, but that subset is also far short of the ideal in intelligence.

So, there they are, randomly yodeling their brilliant plans from the western foothills of bell curve mountain, day after day.

A key ingredient in this recipe is that whatever you hear from them, it's gonna be something you never, ever, heard before. Like using a bit of super glue to seal primers and bullets for waterproof rounds.

Coach Z · October 23, 2011, 11:35 AM

I've found a piece of pvc that a howitzer round will fit in, let's give it a shot....

Slight exaggeration but same results, huge bang and lots of injuries.

briandg · October 23, 2011, 01:11 PM

I've been kind of curious all this time, what are the appropriate twist rates for a 200 grain .50 conical bullet and that 3/4 pound steel, lead and gilding metal behemoth that the 50 browning uses?

Otoh, this sounds interesting. I got a soldering arn, an old hawken barrel, and a busted break open savage 12 gauge. I can get me a chamber reamer from brownells, attach a lug to the barrel, and it don't need no sights, how can you miss with something that big? when I get that sucker together, cletus will test fire it for me. he always wanted to shoot the big 50.

heck, he ain't got no teeth to knock out anyway if it kicks too hard.

mrawesome22 · October 23, 2011, 02:06 PM

Had a guy tell me he likes 7mmWSM cause "you can use 7mmRemMag, 7mm-08Rem, or 7mmWSM ammo in them interchangeably.

Had a guy tell me he likes loading 308Win cause you can take ANY powder, with any bullet, fill it to base of neck, load a bullet, and get real good groups.

Argued with a guy that a pound of feathers and a pound of rocks weigh exactly the same. I gave up and walked away.

You can't fix stupid.

briandg · October 23, 2011, 02:15 PM

No, you can't fix it, but it's your civic duty to neuter it if possible.

I've tried. I offered my son in law $5,000 if he would get a vasectomy, but he wants to have kids first.

If that isn't proof positive that he ought to be neutered, I don't know what it takes.

sgms · October 23, 2011, 02:58 PM

That idea scares me. I fear he may be trying to get a Darwin Award. If he is really thinking about it talk him out of it. If he makes one stay home when he takes it to shoot the first time.

cornbush · October 23, 2011, 03:06 PM

We have too many safety guidelines and rules........let's just let the stupid ones eradicate themselves from the herd......................................

Sparks1957 · October 23, 2011, 03:07 PM

There's bad ideas, and then there are stupid ones! It is obvious your friend understands very little about the pressures generated when a cartridge of that caliber goes off, or about the weaknesses of the materials involved. Talk him out of it, or at least stay away if he's determined to try it.

Dr. Strangelove · October 23, 2011, 03:23 PM

I doubt anyone that foolish could successfully convert a .50cal muzzle loader to fire .50BMG anyway....

briandg · October 23, 2011, 06:28 PM

Don't sound that hard. Drill a big enough hole in the barrel to fit the shell in, and then use a hammer to set off the primer.

Just once. Just to see if it will work.

I'm telling you. Never underestimate how low the bottom limits of stupidity can go.

Didja ever hear about the redneck here who used an entire roll of duct tape to fix his wife's tail pipe, and the thing caught fire and blew the gas tank while she was driving?

mrawesome22 · October 23, 2011, 06:34 PM

I was at a buddies house when we heard a loud pop and it started raining bird shot on our heads.

The kids a few houses down welded a steel pipe, which a 12 gaude shell fit into perfectly, onto a BB gun.

They made it where the BB shot directly into the shotgun shell primer, which then set off the shotgun shell.

Amazingly the pipe did not burst and it actually worked, until the cops took it anyway lol.

Please don't try this at home lol.

seansean1444 · October 23, 2011, 07:31 PM

lol i kno i was just making sure he was the stupid 1 not me

Technosavant · October 23, 2011, 08:53 PM

Sounds like the kind of thing suggested by a guy who's never seen a .50BMG rifle up close. They don't make them that thick and heavy for no reason.

kozak6 · October 23, 2011, 10:44 PM

Honestly, I think you'd have to be pretty lucky even to get to the point where the rifle catastrophically explodes.

It just... doesn't work like that.

Might as well make a V8 engine out of V8 cans.

Dr. Strangelove · October 24, 2011, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by briandg

Don't sound that hard. Drill a big enough hole in the barrel to fit the shell in, and then use a hammer to set off the primer.

Just once. Just to see if it will work.

I'm telling you. Never underestimate how low the bottom limits of stupidity can go.

Oh, I know....

I'm just saying that most anyone with the skills and equipment to ream a .50BMG chamber into a black powder barrel would likely know better than to do so... I hope....

I've seen two home made .50BMG rifles, which apparently didn't kill the makers, but I wouldn't be within a mile of those things firing...

chack · October 24, 2011, 05:10 AM

You could probably use a .50 BMG bullet in a blackpowder rifle, I haven't measured them to check, but never a .50 BMG cartridge.

October 22, 2011, 08:34 PM	#1
seansean1444 Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2010 Location: ithaca, new york (home of the ithaca shotguns!) Posts: 395	muzzle loader to .50 bmg?!?! just wondering if this could even remotely happen. friend tryed 2 convince me you could but it seems like you would kill yourself.. also the cartrige is bigger than the barrel itsself so you cant just pop it in there??

October 23, 2011, 06:13 AM	#5
Master Blaster 2 Junior member Join Date: May 29, 2011 Posts: 895	You would kill yourself.. This is my AMAC 1500. A single shot rifle made for a 50BMG Me shooting it. Last edited by Master Blaster 2; October 23, 2011 at 06:34 AM.

October 23, 2011, 03:06 PM	#14
cornbush Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: The retarded place below Idaho Posts: 1,408	We have too many safety guidelines and rules........let's just let the stupid ones eradicate themselves from the herd...................................... __________________ The best shot I ever made was an accident

October 23, 2011, 12:24 AM	#2
arizona98tj Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 980	Luckily, none of my shooting friends are stupid enough to suggest something like that.

October 23, 2011, 04:14 AM	#3
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,758	Your friend thinks a .50 black powder rifle can be rechambered to shoot a .50 BMG? Is he daft?

October 23, 2011, 06:04 AM	#4
zachkuby87 Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2010 Location: st paul mn Posts: 190	I think daft is too kind of a Word.

October 23, 2011, 06:13 AM	#6
ndking1126 Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2008 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 1,932	One of my coworkers tried to tell me the .300 winmag had so much drop at only 300 yards that he was going to stick to his .308 because he can shoot it soo far.. I've seen pictures of the aftermath of a .50bmg round exploding in a guy's hand. Lets just say it didn't kill the guy, but if it exploded next to his face I would say it's certainly a possibility it could kill him. I would assume at a bare minimum they would loose their eyesight and have a permanently scarred/disformed face.

October 23, 2011, 06:37 AM	#7
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	Most muzzleloader barrels are not strong enough to handle the pressures generated by smokeless powder. Even if you managed to build a cannon breach/chamber and screw the ML barrel to it, it would likely split before the first bullet exited the muzzle. AND even if the barrel didn't blow out, the rifling in the ML barrel is taylored to a soft 250-350 grain projo at under 2000 fps as opposed to a hard jacketed 650 grainer at 2800 or more fps. This idea is the product of an individual with little to no knowledge of firearms, engineering, or common sense.

October 23, 2011, 11:05 AM	#8
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	There is a certain subset of humanity that loves to be creative and will always come up with new ideas and philosophies, but that subset is also far short of the ideal in intelligence. So, there they are, randomly yodeling their brilliant plans from the western foothills of bell curve mountain, day after day. A key ingredient in this recipe is that whatever you hear from them, it's gonna be something you never, ever, heard before. Like using a bit of super glue to seal primers and bullets for waterproof rounds.

October 23, 2011, 11:35 AM	#9
Coach Z Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2011 Location: RI Posts: 795	I've found a piece of pvc that a howitzer round will fit in, let's give it a shot.... Slight exaggeration but same results, huge bang and lots of injuries.

October 23, 2011, 01:11 PM	#10
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I've been kind of curious all this time, what are the appropriate twist rates for a 200 grain .50 conical bullet and that 3/4 pound steel, lead and gilding metal behemoth that the 50 browning uses? Otoh, this sounds interesting. I got a soldering arn, an old hawken barrel, and a busted break open savage 12 gauge. I can get me a chamber reamer from brownells, attach a lug to the barrel, and it don't need no sights, how can you miss with something that big? when I get that sucker together, cletus will test fire it for me. he always wanted to shoot the big 50. heck, he ain't got no teeth to knock out anyway if it kicks too hard.

October 23, 2011, 02:06 PM	#11
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	Had a guy tell me he likes 7mmWSM cause "you can use 7mmRemMag, 7mm-08Rem, or 7mmWSM ammo in them interchangeably. Had a guy tell me he likes loading 308Win cause you can take ANY powder, with any bullet, fill it to base of neck, load a bullet, and get real good groups. Argued with a guy that a pound of feathers and a pound of rocks weigh exactly the same. I gave up and walked away. You can't fix stupid.

October 23, 2011, 02:15 PM	#12
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	No, you can't fix it, but it's your civic duty to neuter it if possible. I've tried. I offered my son in law $5,000 if he would get a vasectomy, but he wants to have kids first. If that isn't proof positive that he ought to be neutered, I don't know what it takes.

October 23, 2011, 02:58 PM	#13
sgms Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2010 Location: Arizona or Ohio depending Posts: 1,021	That idea scares me. I fear he may be trying to get a Darwin Award. If he is really thinking about it talk him out of it. If he makes one stay home when he takes it to shoot the first time.

October 23, 2011, 03:07 PM	#15
Sparks1957 Senior Member Join Date: September 4, 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,552	There's bad ideas, and then there are stupid ones! It is obvious your friend understands very little about the pressures generated when a cartridge of that caliber goes off, or about the weaknesses of the materials involved. Talk him out of it, or at least stay away if he's determined to try it.

October 23, 2011, 03:23 PM	#16
Dr. Strangelove Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2008 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 1,436	I doubt anyone that foolish could successfully convert a .50cal muzzle loader to fire .50BMG anyway....

October 23, 2011, 06:28 PM	#17
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	Don't sound that hard. Drill a big enough hole in the barrel to fit the shell in, and then use a hammer to set off the primer. Just once. Just to see if it will work. I'm telling you. Never underestimate how low the bottom limits of stupidity can go. Didja ever hear about the redneck here who used an entire roll of duct tape to fix his wife's tail pipe, and the thing caught fire and blew the gas tank while she was driving?

October 23, 2011, 06:34 PM	#18
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	I was at a buddies house when we heard a loud pop and it started raining bird shot on our heads. The kids a few houses down welded a steel pipe, which a 12 gaude shell fit into perfectly, onto a BB gun. They made it where the BB shot directly into the shotgun shell primer, which then set off the shotgun shell. Amazingly the pipe did not burst and it actually worked, until the cops took it anyway lol. Please don't try this at home lol.

October 23, 2011, 07:31 PM	#19
seansean1444 Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2010 Location: ithaca, new york (home of the ithaca shotguns!) Posts: 395	lol i kno i was just making sure he was the stupid 1 not me

October 23, 2011, 08:53 PM	#20
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	Sounds like the kind of thing suggested by a guy who's never seen a .50BMG rifle up close. They don't make them that thick and heavy for no reason.

October 23, 2011, 10:44 PM	#21
kozak6 Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2005 Location: AZ Posts: 3,113	Honestly, I think you'd have to be pretty lucky even to get to the point where the rifle catastrophically explodes. It just... doesn't work like that. Might as well make a V8 engine out of V8 cans.

October 24, 2011, 05:10 AM	#23
chack Junior member Join Date: May 24, 2011 Location: dixie Posts: 477	You could probably use a .50 BMG bullet in a blackpowder rifle, I haven't measured them to check, but never a .50 BMG cartridge.