TYPE | USE | COLOR
OF TIPS | HOW IT WORKS |
Ball (Cartridge, ball, caliber .50, M2) |
Used against personnel and light material targets. |
Unpainted; plain copper color. |

A jacket of copper-colored gilding metal encloses the steel core. A lead
and antimony point filler fills up the space between the point of the core
and the jacket. When the projectile hits a target, the soft jacket smears, giving
the steel core a grip. The core penetrates the surface instead of being turned
aside.
|
Armor-piercing (Cartridge, armor-
piercing, caliber .50, M2) |
Used against armored aircraft and vehicles, concrete
shelters, and other bullet-resisting targets. |
Black |
The
projectile is the same as a ball cartridge, except that the core is made of a
very hard tungsten chrome steel to give it greater penetrating power. |
Tracer Cartridge, tracer, caliber .50, M2 or M 10 |
Used for observing fire- it makes a streak of light
easily seen at night, and usually visible in daylight. |
Red | 
Inside the gilding metal jacket is a slug of lead and antimony. Behind it is a
pocket of tracer composition which is set afire by the propelling charge as the
projectile leaves the cartridge case. |
Incendiary
(Cartridge, incendiary, caliber .50, MI) | Used
to set fire to explosive or very inflammable targets, like gasoline tanks and
balloons. | Light blue |
In the front of the jacket is an incendiary
composition. It is sealed by plugs of an alloy which melts easily.
As the bullet goes through the barrel, the heat melts the plugs. The
incendiary composition is set on fire when the air touches it. |
Dummy (Cartridge, dummy, caliber .50,
M I or M2) | Used in training. | Unpainted
(Hole in side of case) | A round with no priming charge
and no propelling charge. A hole is drilled in the side of the case. |
Armor-piercing incendiary (Cartridge, armor-piercing
incendiary, cal. .50, M8) | To set fire to armor plated inflammable
objects, such as the gas tanks of fighter planes. | Black, with
a small blue tip on the nose. | Similar in construction to
armor-piercing projectile, except that there is incendiary compound behind the
steel core. |