What is exactly in the 7.62x39 and 5.56mm (.223 AR-15/M-4) ammo? The reason I ask if anyone knows, I have many rounds of this ammo and have had a close call with one going off just yard outside my muzzle. Granted this was one out of maybe 100 I fired, but that is BAD odds!
The main question is, are the pyrotechnic componets stable? Well as compared to a tracer round or even any other pyrotechnic device such as a common firecracker?
Now back to the mid air detonation of one of these rounds, my friend thought he saw something fall from the tree at the time of "detonation", but of ALL the rounds I have shot, I have had to hit very hard targets to set off one of these rounds! I have had them imbed into pine trees with NO incendiary function, and even dug them out with a knife, and there was minimal distortion to the projectile.
From:
RE: 7.62x39 Raufus
Rating:
5.00 out of 10
Mon. Mar 27, 2006
9: 53 am
The "Raufoss" cartridge is a .50 BMG (12.7x99mm) with an Armor Piercing-Explosive-Incendiary (APHEI)projectile. It was originally designed in Norway. It is known as a "Mulit-purpose" round and is specificly for use against material such as parked aircraft, missiles, radar sites, light armored vehicles, etc... There is a two part explosive filler in front of a tungsten-alloy steel AP core. It is an extremely safe cartridge to handle, as the two componants of the HE must mix under great pressure to detonate. Early examples have a green tip color, but newer, US made rounds have a green over white tip and are called the "Mk-211 Mod 0", and are made under license by Winchester.
These look like some pseudo-factory loaded cartridges with what is called a "Raufoss" projectile, but they are NOT the same. I know of at least some of these in 7.62x39mm. I have one in my collection, but have yet to section it to see just how it works. It is certainly NOT an APHEI though.
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