.50 Cal SLAP Rd Explosion Video

[painter777]

Just came across this.
I'd never heard of a SLAP Rd before this.

Helps play backed at 1 1/4 speed

Information

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[jond41403]

Yes, this was terrible, he come a hair of losing his life

[painter777]

JD,
Boy you got that right, the Good Lord, his Father and using his thumb saved him. Plus I didn't know about the 911 App on the phones.
I did order a couple Thumbs Up shirts !
But after watching it, I've wasted most of my day watching more .50 Cal blow ups. Just watched one about the Vulcan's.
Now I gotta go out and pick up all the tools I dragged out for the chores I was suppose to do today.

[old tanker]

I have a different take. M903 SLAP was developed to increase the armor defeating capability of the M2 machinegun. While it was adopted in the mid-80's, it was not commonly fired in training, and perhaps it was different in the Marine Corps. No one I have talked to in the Army remembers having any issued during the Gulf War.

Policy changes concerning the disposal of surplus ammunition have gone back and forth, currently only ammunition useful to other government agencies escapes DEMIL.

Even the rules on demilitarization have changed. Folks may remember companies which pulled down ammo and reloaded it. Then DoD required the brass to be crushed.

This makes the pedigree of the ammunition he was shooting very suspect.

Was it ammo left over after training and some GI stuck a few rounds in his pocket for souvenirs?

Was it ammunition scheduled for destruction and purloined from or by a contractor? If that is the case, it is possible the ammo being destroyed was a "bad lot" meaning the Army had condemned it as unsafe.

Was it ammo reloaded using pull down components and who knows what data?

The few rounds he shot were inconsistent. One exhibited an excessive amount of flash before the accident round. My view is IF it was over pressure ammunition it's unlikely a Barrett or a Browning would have fared any better than the Serbu did.

As a tanker I fired plenty of sabot ammo through tank guns. Most of those guns, such as the US M68 105mm gun lack muzzle brakes. During WW2 the British 17 pounder and the US 90mm had accuracy problems caused by muzzle brakes interfering with the sabots coming off cleanly. (Seems like he was having similar troubles with flyers?)

It might be interesting to take a good look at the muzzle brake on the Serbu. Did the "petals" of the sabot beginning to touch the brake rather than coming off cleanly upon exit like they would on a "bare" muzzle? Is it possible that a sabot or pieces of it got caught in the slots of the muzzle brake and in effect become a bore obstruction?

Finally, SLAP was approved for use the M2 machine gun but NOT the M85, with its tulip shaped prong style flash suppressor.

[browningautorifle]

This makes the pedigree of the ammunition he was shooting very suspect.

He later stated it was OLD ammo. I don't blame the firearm, his ammo should never have been chambered. Who knows how that ammo was cooked before he got hold of it?

[old tanker]

He later stated it was OLD ammo. I don't blame the firearm, his ammo should never have been chambered. Who knows how that ammo was cooked before he got hold of it?

50 caliber SLAP ammunition was developed by the Marine Corps during the mid/late 1980s. The stuff was only finally type classified in 1993. How old could it be?

M903 Caliber .50 Saboted Light Armor Penetrator (SLAP)

Used by M2HB machine gun. The SLAP is used in combat against current and future light armored targets and Armored Attack Helicopters (AAHs). The M903 offers the capability to defeat these targets at ranges two to three times that of currently available ammunition.

Armor Penetration.
500 meters: 1.34 in (34 mm)
1,200 meters: 0.91 in (23 mm)

Projectile diameter: 0.30 inches (7.7 mm)

The cartridge consists of a heavy metal (tungsten) penetrator that is sabot-launched at a much higher velocity than standard rounds. The sabot, which is designed to break up at the muzzle to release the penetrator, must also survive the gun environment until launch. It is injection molded of special high strength plastic and is reinforced with an aluminum insert in the base section. The cartridge is identified by an amber sabot (Ultem 1000).

Type Classification: STD. Type Classification Date: 31-MAR-1993
Unit cost: $8.87 (Fiscal Year 2005)

A fixed price contract for initial production of 3.5 million rounds of 4/1 linked M903/M962 for the U.S. Marine Corps use was awarded 1QFY94. Contractor for this activity is Olin Corporation. Cartridges are being loaded, assembled and packed by the Winchester Division, East Alton, IL. M962 tracer projectiles are charged at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP). Production of 0.6 million rounds for Army use began 2QFY96.

How many tons of WW2 cal 50 have we slung down range in training without trouble?. We did have the advantage of breaking the seals on the crates. We did not shoot loose rounds from shady sources.

[browningautorifle]

How many tons of WW2 cal 50 have we slung down range in training without trouble?.

I can tell you lots. We would procure from US supply at Ft Lewis or more to the point, Yakima Firing Range and I know the ammo was WW2 AP, APIT and so on. I was the only guy looking at headstamps. It would have been stored correctly though. That was back early and mid '80's.

[old tanker]

I can tell you lots. We would procure from US supply at Ft Lewis or more to the point, Yakima Firing Range and I know the ammo was WW2 AP, APIT and so on. I was the only guy looking at headstamps. It would have been stored correctly though. That was back early and mid '80's.

You and the guys issuing would have been all through SB742-1 to make sure the lots drawn were approved for use. Most civilians have no clue how stringently ammo samples are tested during storage to ensure it will perform as intended. That's one of the reason they won't take back any ammo the lot identity has been lost. Once you break the seal it's easier to shoot it up than try to turn it back in.

[ssgross]

We did not shoot loose rounds from shady sources.

I gathered from the video and comments that these rounds are not available as you would find other surplus ammo...still in its packaging or sealed crates.
Looked to me like there is no comparison...he bought loose rounds at ~$100 each from lord knows where to make a one-of-a-kind video for his channel. Well, it was one-of-a-kind for sure!

[painter777]

Folks may remember companies which pulled down ammo and reloaded it. Then DoD required the brass to be crushed.

I remember this. Not just crushed but Shredded. I wrote my Congressman at the time who was Chair of the House Intelligence Committee - Mike Rodgers R 8th District Michigan.
I knew him as a member of the Michigan State Senate and as a Client before he ran for Congress (Painted his New Home). I went in to great detail about US tax payers having to pay for the shredding of the Brass, which was still offered for sale to the Commercial reloading companies, but useless in shredded condition. It was then being sold to China. On and on I went. I mailed a copy and Emailed a copy.
Posted on the Forums about it. Much to my surprise Mike sent me a return Email 2 days later letting me know that policy had been changed and the Brass and any Surplus bullets that could be sold would be sold. 6 months later we were back at his house working on it as it was being upgraded. I really thought he'd run for President, but pulled out of Politics.
He was 'Almost' the replacement after James Comey was fired.

Back on Topic,
When the shooter took what he called was going to be his last shot I seen much more Flash and that round went flying bottom right.
Then...... He decided since he had that 1 round left he was going to make it his 'Last Shot'.
Too bad he didn't save that last one and Displayed it.
Didn't he question if the load may have been a Reload? And that he didn't know for sure.

I was also under the impression that it was a really old round from his comments about it and the price per round before he started shooting.
I'd have to watch again, But didn't he say when he called the gun maker they said it would take something like 80,000 Lbs pressure to strip the threads for the end cap ?

Was up really early this am because the Coyotes across the river were partying. By mid day the sky was full of Buzzards.
I Watched a few early morning videos with others giving their opinions why this gun failed. A few pretty much said what Tanker said about this type round not being antique. Some leaned towards it being a reloaded overcharge. One talked about how long that round may have set in that metal can in the hot sun.

On a lighter note I also watched a video of US trainees on the firing range. 1 guy repeatedly pulling the trigger with no boom. His DI standing behind him asked (Loudly) if he was out of ammunition. Trainee replied "There's no way Sir". DI told him "Try inserting the magazine correctly" as it was in upside down. Trainee pulled the Mag and got it in the lower... pulled the trigger but no Boom. DI looked in to the camera with a WTF kinda look and told the Trainee to " Now turn the mag around" . Trainee turned the mag around and inserted then pulled the trigger again... No Boom. DI then mentioned "Try the pulling the handle". Trainee charged it and finally got off his first shot but shot at the wrong Target.
No Blood, but I'd also call that a Bad Day.

Thx All for for your input. I'll have to watch it again.