Old .50 cal BMG Case Qustion

Jim567 · February 25, 2015, 09:52 AM

This case came from China as a bottle opener.
Unlike most I have seen, this case is old and is very corroded. Almost pitted through in one spot on the neck.
It lead a very hard outdoor life after it was fired and the Chinese got a hold of it for re-purpose.
Markings are ( 72 ) and ( IC66 ) or maybe (1966). The second letter or number C or 9 or? has a ding over it and is hard to make out.
Surprised this case was used and sold as it is very corroded - just polished over.
Can anyone shed any light as to manufacture ect? I have my suspicions as to how the Chinese got a hold of it.

Jim567 · February 25, 2015, 10:01 AM

The one could be an "L" ?

wogpotter · February 25, 2015, 11:34 AM

Probably Lake City 1966 manufacture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Ci...munition_Plant

**Mike Irwin** · February 25, 2015, 12:02 PM

If there's a 72 AND 66 on it, it's not Lake City, and it's not American made.

US manufactured ammo of that vintage will have a 2 or 3 letter manufacturer's code and 1 or 2 digit year code, as shown in this image: http://i56.tinypic.com/2mo1a21.jpg

It can also have a small "cross in a circle" marking, which is actually the NATO star, which signifies that the ammo is loaded to NATO specifications.

Any chance of getting a clear picture of the head stamp? You'll need to use the macro setting on your camera.

Jim567 · February 25, 2015, 03:06 PM

I don't have a high resolution camera and even with a magnifying glass the 1966 is hard to read
Looking at the link to lake city - it's not like that
L. It's an l.

The top is just 72
The bottom is 1966 with the 9 being up for debate.
A ding covers the bottom 1/2.

Jim567 · February 25, 2015, 03:11 PM

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:...stamp_1943.jpg

Unlike the Lake City pictured here, mine has a recessed ring around the stampings/numbers.
An ever so slight --

Jim567 · February 25, 2015, 03:12 PM

Like a three rig bullseye with the center the primer

Jim567 · February 25, 2015, 03:56 PM

Interesting, sure looks like and was advertised as a .50BMG. Its Chinese mfg Russian design.
...................................... ---------------------------------------------------------------------

First off, these are NOT 50 caliber bottle openers, contrary to what the reseller/manufacturer thinks. When I received this item, I immediately knew it looked wrong because 1) the case looked too large, and 2) the headstamp on the case was like nothing I had seen before.

After researching the headstamp (which in my case shows 1066 72 or 9901 72, depending how you look at it), it turns out these are from Chinese military 14.5 x 114mm ammunition, which is more like 57 caliber. This all makes more sense when looking at the back of packaging where it says "Made in China".

And since this is a Chinese cartridge, it is NOT made of brass, but lacquered steel. It might look like a brass case, but it's just a yellow coating, probably for the Chinese military to distinguish between API, dummy, tracer, etc... rounds. If you want a real 50 BMG brass bottle opener, look for the ones Made in the USA.

As far as the bullet (the actual projectile, although most people call the entire cartridge a bullet, which is wrong), I didn't know if it was real or not. So I decided to use my bullet puller and removed the bullet from the case. Well, not surprisingly, it's fake. It's shorter, weighs less, and appears to be some kind of copper plated steel. The diameter of the bullet matches a real 50 cal, but nothing else about it is real. And I found this strange because if they're going to go through the hassle of making a fake bullet, why not just make a 14.5mm one so it seats properly instead of trying to copy the 50 cal and crimping the neck extra tightly? Maybe so they can technically call it a "50 Caliber" opener but not a 50 BMG bottle opener?

I have a picture comparing a real 50 caliber case and bullet to this Chinese variant, but I can't upload a picture to this review. Overall, if you only care about saving a couple bucks and nothing else, then go ahead and buy this Chinese knockoff. But if you want a bottle opener made from real U.S. Military 50 BMG brass and actual 50 caliber bullets, then there are at least a half dozen vendors on Amazon selling the Made in the USA version (and it's worth the couple extra bucks to support a U.S. manufacturer instead of helping the Chinese).

Jim567 · February 25, 2015, 04:04 PM

http://cartridgecollectors.org/cmo/cmo08jun.htm

February 25, 2015, 09:52 AM	#1
Jim567 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2014 Location: NE FL Posts: 656	Old .50 cal BMG Case Qustion This case came from China as a bottle opener. Unlike most I have seen, this case is old and is very corroded. Almost pitted through in one spot on the neck. It lead a very hard outdoor life after it was fired and the Chinese got a hold of it for re-purpose. Markings are ( 72 ) and ( IC66 ) or maybe (1966). The second letter or number C or 9 or? has a ding over it and is hard to make out. Surprised this case was used and sold as it is very corroded - just polished over. Can anyone shed any light as to manufacture ect? I have my suspicions as to how the Chinese got a hold of it.

February 25, 2015, 11:34 AM	#3
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Probably Lake City 1966 manufacture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Ci...munition_Plant __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

February 25, 2015, 12:02 PM	#4
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	If there's a 72 AND 66 on it, it's not Lake City, and it's not American made. US manufactured ammo of that vintage will have a 2 or 3 letter manufacturer's code and 1 or 2 digit year code, as shown in this image: http://i56.tinypic.com/2mo1a21.jpg It can also have a small "cross in a circle" marking, which is actually the NATO star, which signifies that the ammo is loaded to NATO specifications. Any chance of getting a clear picture of the head stamp? You'll need to use the macro setting on your camera. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

February 25, 2015, 10:01 AM	#2
Jim567 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2014 Location: NE FL Posts: 656	The one could be an "L" ?

February 25, 2015, 03:06 PM	#5
Jim567 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2014 Location: NE FL Posts: 656	I don't have a high resolution camera and even with a magnifying glass the 1966 is hard to read Looking at the link to lake city - it's not like that L. It's an l. The top is just 72 The bottom is 1966 with the 9 being up for debate. A ding covers the bottom 1/2.

February 25, 2015, 03:11 PM	#6
Jim567 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2014 Location: NE FL Posts: 656	http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:...stamp_1943.jpg Unlike the Lake City pictured here, mine has a recessed ring around the stampings/numbers. An ever so slight --

February 25, 2015, 03:12 PM	#7
Jim567 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2014 Location: NE FL Posts: 656	Like a three rig bullseye with the center the primer

February 25, 2015, 03:56 PM	#8
Jim567 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2014 Location: NE FL Posts: 656	Interesting, sure looks like and was advertised as a .50BMG. Its Chinese mfg Russian design. ...................................... --------------------------------------------------------------------- First off, these are NOT 50 caliber bottle openers, contrary to what the reseller/manufacturer thinks. When I received this item, I immediately knew it looked wrong because 1) the case looked too large, and 2) the headstamp on the case was like nothing I had seen before. After researching the headstamp (which in my case shows 1066 72 or 9901 72, depending how you look at it), it turns out these are from Chinese military 14.5 x 114mm ammunition, which is more like 57 caliber. This all makes more sense when looking at the back of packaging where it says "Made in China". And since this is a Chinese cartridge, it is NOT made of brass, but lacquered steel. It might look like a brass case, but it's just a yellow coating, probably for the Chinese military to distinguish between API, dummy, tracer, etc... rounds. If you want a real 50 BMG brass bottle opener, look for the ones Made in the USA. As far as the bullet (the actual projectile, although most people call the entire cartridge a bullet, which is wrong), I didn't know if it was real or not. So I decided to use my bullet puller and removed the bullet from the case. Well, not surprisingly, it's fake. It's shorter, weighs less, and appears to be some kind of copper plated steel. The diameter of the bullet matches a real 50 cal, but nothing else about it is real. And I found this strange because if they're going to go through the hassle of making a fake bullet, why not just make a 14.5mm one so it seats properly instead of trying to copy the 50 cal and crimping the neck extra tightly? Maybe so they can technically call it a "50 Caliber" opener but not a 50 BMG bottle opener? I have a picture comparing a real 50 caliber case and bullet to this Chinese variant, but I can't upload a picture to this review. Overall, if you only care about saving a couple bucks and nothing else, then go ahead and buy this Chinese knockoff. But if you want a bottle opener made from real U.S. Military 50 BMG brass and actual 50 caliber bullets, then there are at least a half dozen vendors on Amazon selling the Made in the USA version (and it's worth the couple extra bucks to support a U.S. manufacturer instead of helping the Chinese).

February 25, 2015, 04:04 PM	#9
Jim567 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2014 Location: NE FL Posts: 656	http://cartridgecollectors.org/cmo/cmo08jun.htm