.50 BMG Experts Please, Barrel Length Affect

boeboe

August 14, 2005 20:10

I have been toying with buying a .50 BMG, specifically the UltraMag 50 as shown on http://www.safetyharborfirearms.com/

These are available in 18, 22, and 29 inch barrels. I am partial to the 29" barrel, but it appears to cost some $250.00 more than the 18 or 22 inch barrel. How much of an increase in velocity and/or accuracy would the extra inches gain me?




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  kingjoey

  August 14, 2005 21:11

  When burning that much powder and accelerating a 650+gr slug, I'd want as much barrel as possible, you'll pick up a few hundred fps going to the longer barrel
  
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  SKYDIVER386

  August 15, 2005 05:24

  I just started on a .50 BMG project myself and from firing some of these I think there are other points to consider. If you fire as much powder as a .50 case can hold in an 18" barrel with a muzzle brake attatched, you are in for a lot of unburned powder granules and massive muzzle blast coming right back at you! To me, this is an even more important consideration than velocity alone. Some of these short barrled and muzzle brake equipped guns are fun to shoot, but only for one or two rounds before the blast gives you a headache. Not the recoil mind you, but simply the muzzle blast re-directed your way.
  
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  Permanently deleted user

  August 16, 2005 08:42

  The extra 11" of barrel could equate to as much as 1100 fps difference. With the .50 BMG, I'd go with the longest barrel possible...you are going to need every inch of it to get that 650+ gr bullet up to optimum velocities. I see someone else has already addressed the muzzle blast issues...
  
  Eric
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