No, I'm not trying to build one.  I'm just curious how it differs from a regular round, in terms of construction, components, etc.

It burns stuff


Sgatr15

um, it burns.  

sorry I clarified the first post... I'm curious what they use to make them burn?  is it a powder that's embedded in the tip of the bullet?

Quoted: It burns stuff Sgatr15

Can I cook with it? like, could they be used as a field expedient stove?

Quoted: Quoted: It burns stuff Sgatr15 Can I cook with it? like, could they be used as a field expedient stove?

"Jones! Shoot that cow; I want some steak!"

Quoted: Quoted: It burns stuff Sgatr15 Can I cook with it? like, could they be used as a field expedient stove?

Yeah, shoot a mag full at your MRE pouch, it will be nice and warm

Quoted: sorry I clarified the first post... I'm curious what they use to make them burn?  is it a powder that's embedded in the tip of the bullet?

I think its like a tracer, it has hot burning material in a hollow heel portion of the bullet. Anyone else.

Quoted: No, I'm not trying to build one.  I'm just curious how it differs from a regular round, in terms of construction, components, etc.

Why not just buy one, shoot it and find out?

-Storm

Quoted: Quoted: It burns stuff Sgatr15 Can I cook with it? like, could they be used as a field expedient stove?

What am I?

The answer man?




Sgat1r5

from dictionary.com



  1.
        1. Causing or capable of causing fire.
        2. Of or containing chemicals that produce intensely hot fire when exploded: an incendiary bomb.
        3. Of or involving arson.
  2. Tending to inflame; inflammatory: an incendiary speech.

They're illegal, if I'm not mistaken.

Quoted: Quoted: No, I'm not trying to build one.  I'm just curious how it differs from a regular round, in terms of construction, components, etc. Why not just buy one, shoot it and find out? -Storm

Quoted: They're illegal, if I'm not mistaken. Quoted: Quoted: No, I'm not trying to build one.  I'm just curious how it differs from a regular round, in terms of construction, components, etc. Why not just buy one, shoot it and find out? -Storm

I think in some states it is not illegal to fire incendiary and tracer rounds. In Calif it illegal.

They contain incendiary compositions inside the round that burst into flame upon impact.

Quoted: Quoted: They're illegal, if I'm not mistaken. Quoted: Quoted: No, I'm not trying to build one.  I'm just curious how it differs from a regular round, in terms of construction, components, etc. Why not just buy one, shoot it and find out? -Storm I think in some states it is not illegal to fire incendiary and tracer rounds. In Calif it illegal.

O comn, what isn't in Cali?

Quoted: They're illegal, if I'm not mistaken. Quoted: Quoted: No, I'm not trying to build one.  I'm just curious how it differs from a regular round, in terms of construction, components, etc. Why not just buy one, shoot it and find out? -Storm

www.ammunitionstore.com/pricelist_50BMG.htm

I think it's a round that turns  into a convection oven on impact.

Normally phosphorus, IIRC. The construction of the jacket and the composition of the filling determine whether it's tracer or not.

Quoted: sorry I clarified the first post... I'm curious what they use to make them burn?  is it a powder that's embedded in the tip of the bullet?

I have had a difficult time obtaining information on this topic.  The best source is Dr. Herbert Ellern's book Military and Civilian Pyrotechnics (ISBN: 0820603643) available from Barnes and Noble, and his references including U.S. patents on the subject:



It's a little pricey but I'm sure you could get it through inter-library loan.

The first incendiary bullets were developed for destroying hydrogen-filled zeppelins:

A relatively cool-burning incendiary is white phosphorus . . . Phosphorus by itself is a poor incendiary, effective only against easily ignited objects.  Thus the first air attacks in WWI by hydrogen-filled dirigibles (zeppelins) were soon abandoned because phosphorus-filled bullets spelled death to lighter-than-air craft.

p.218

The bullets were .50cal and filled through their base with white phosphorus.  The smokeless powder would ignite the phosphorus which burns with a yellow flame and produces white clouds of P2O5 thus leaving a nice smoke trail behind the bullet.  It was only good for igniting hydrogen, or gasoline-filled fuel tanks.  Subsequent .50cal incendiary bullets use a modified tracer compressed powder mixture consisting of magnesium powder (fuel), strontium/barium nitrate/potassium perchlorate (oxidizer), binder, etc.

Ellern wrote this about available info:

Very little can be found in the quoted manuals and other publications about incendiary projectiles.  Naval Airborne Ordnance speaks of 20-mm aircraft ammunition with incendiary or high explosive and incendiary filling for use against other aircraft.

There is some discussion of pyrophoric alloys:

Zirconium/lead alloys in a wide range of proportions spark or catch fire on impact and have been proposed for use as impact igniters for incendiary bullets, or as tracers tha mark the impact of a projectile by the light effect. . . . Alloys of either cerium or zirconium with soft metals such as lead or tin have been described as prodigious spark producers.

p.35  

Lighter flints contain misch metal, an alloy of several of the rare earth metals and about 30% iron to make it harder.  Cerium metal makes up about 50% of the misch metal alloy.  If you hold a lighter flint between tweezer, heat it red hot with a torch and throw it against a hard surface, it will disintegrate into a shower of bright sparks.  Don't try it but if you do wear eye protection.

Very hot sparks are also obtained by abrading uranium metal.

p.35

When planes shoot those depleted uranium rounds some of the metal surface is scraped off creating a shower of sparks.  The extremely dense uranium penetrates tanks very well and the incendiary effect is a by-product rather than a design feature.

You can try a patent search on the subject and look up the copious references in Ellern's book.  Good luck.  

ETA:  THEY DO NOT AND NEVER HAVE CONTAINED THERMITE! (Before someone says that they contain thermite.)

ANS:  Incendiary rounds are lots-o-fun.

Especially when you are shooting at gasoline filled vehicles/containers.