They can be. Excessive use of tracers is not a good idea for several reasons. It's not a bad idea to clean your barrel following any session with tracers.
HK and tracers
I bought a bunch of ammo for my rifle and with them were tracers. I was advised not to shoot them in the HK. are tracers bad for the barrel?
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Should be no problem if you clean your gun afterwards
While maybe not needed, I always figured cleaning with something to remove salts (i.e. water based cleaner such as Barret's Bore Cleaner, MPro7, hot soapy water, WWII GI or any muzzle loader cleaner) was always a good idea to play safe. Fire a bunch of tracers our west one year, due to 35 MPH cross wind making aiming at 1500 yards interesting in the 308 and rifle shot better when back home (was a bolt gun). Half Inch Plus Cubed
Tracers won't hurt the barrel... but you should be cleaning your guns after shooting anyway. People out of the military have no problem with this... they've had it hammered into their brainpans. It's the civvie guys that let the guns down into red, rotting, piles of rust. Sure, they read the manual, but they haven't been smacked upside the head by a loving DI either. Clean your guns... ball, tracer, corrosive, lead projos... it doesn't matter. When you're done shooting, clean!
You'll never have to worry about the gun functioning as new when you may very well need it to.
You'll never have to worry about the gun functioning as new when you may very well need it to.
If they are surplus I would not risk it in a $2K weapon. Just me but not worth it and they are very dangerous as far as starting fires.
Agree one has to use tracers carefully, under the correct conditions and watch for fires. Some of the machine gun shoots have the local fire department standing by to put out the fires, at the old shoot in Cheyenne Wells Co the shoot was to generate funds for the fire department and in turn was their training session. Half Inch Plus Cubed
I have had more friends with blown up firearms from US commercial "bulk" ammo than with good quality surplus (the 8mm being shot in the 90's at the KCR bum's rush was not at a "good" quality level, as a 1919A4 popped nearly every time). However, now days most of the the tracer ammo is factory tear down and then you have to reload it, back into the same cases and at times with the same powder ... rules really don't make sense.
I have had more friends with blown up firearms from US commercial "bulk" ammo than with good quality surplus (the 8mm being shot in the 90's at the KCR bum's rush was not at a "good" quality level, as a 1919A4 popped nearly every time). However, now days most of the the tracer ammo is factory tear down and then you have to reload it, back into the same cases and at times with the same powder ... rules really don't make sense.
A 2K weapon?... oh wait... you're talking semi-auto... my bad. I automatically think full auto, thus 15 to 20K per item... but I still use surplus ammo. All I can get my hands on...If they are surplus I would not risk it in a $2K weapon. Just me but not worth it and they are very dangerous as far as starting fires.
the rifle is a mr762. the person I bought the ammo from was telling me not to shoot it theu the rifle but didn't offer an explanation as to why.
This is one of those "he said, she said" topics, and if your 2k weapon can't handle it, it's time to buy a cheap one or a better 2k rifle. Shoot it and clean it, the military gives no special instructions to barrels or cleaning after tracer use, and of course they put far more down a barrel than you or I ever will.
Ha... bull twinkies... YOU maybe. Most of our NFA guys have shot more than 5 times the amount of ammo the military would allow through their guns. They can replace them... we cannot (easily, anyhow). We have to keep shooting them, replacing barrels and whatnot. Military just scraps them out and issues new guns.... and of course they put far more down a barrel than you or I ever will.
Most cop shop guns never get close to service life of the barrels before getting traded in. Hell, most cops never shoot their guns all year except for qualifying done what... once a year? If they're lucky?
Sadly, this is true. In IL, an officer could theoretically get by only shooting as few as 21 rounds a year to meet minimum standards. The unfortunate part is these guns are still just as beaten up as their high round count brothers as those who are averse to shooting are so with gun care as well. Now back to your scheduled program:Most cop shop guns never get close to service life of the barrels before getting traded in. Hell, most cops never shoot their guns all year except for qualifying done what... once a year? If they're lucky?
Since I didn't see where you mention WHAT your $2k weapon is exactly, are you sure it will handle tracer rounds? Say if you had a 93 with a 1:12" twist rate, I would wonder if the longer 55gr bullet would stabilize properly due to its length.
Have to agree with SM on this. Personally owned firearms are more likely to see higher round counts over time than government owned. Especially in the hands of an enthusiast.
Most military guns or barrels get replaced (or at least sent to depot for repair) for reasons other than being worn out from round count. Barrels bent from using them as a pry-bar is probably the most common reason I saw during my service. Being ran over, or someone tried to do barracks level (aka unauthorized) gunsmithing are probably a close tie for second.
During my tours of Army service:
Rifle Qualifications were 160rds per year.
MG Qualifications - 200-400rds per year
Pistol Qualification - 30-100 rounds per year
Training outside of basic qualification was probably worse: Shooting blanks. If you think tracers might be hard on a gun, blaze through a few hundred rounds of blanks and see what that does.
LE wise, I would say less than half of armed officers actually shoot outside of qualification/training. Out of those that do shoot more, a large percentage of them aren't shooting their issued service weapon. It's really hard to say how many rounds an LE gun might see, because every deparment has different standards. Our "standard" of qualification and training consumes 1000rds per year on pistol. We shoot more than most of the other agencies that I've worked or talked with, so that is actually fairly high.
EDIT: FYI in the military, tracers were always staggered with regular ball ammo. I heard many reasons for the policy/tradition of it, from economical (the cost of tracers), to tactical considerations (not giving your position with every shot fired. as if somehow, limiting it to every 3rd-5th was going to give you ninja stealth mode?), to heating up the barrel faster. However, there was never even a rumor of an issue with barrel erosion caused by the use of tracers.
Most military guns or barrels get replaced (or at least sent to depot for repair) for reasons other than being worn out from round count. Barrels bent from using them as a pry-bar is probably the most common reason I saw during my service. Being ran over, or someone tried to do barracks level (aka unauthorized) gunsmithing are probably a close tie for second.
During my tours of Army service:
Rifle Qualifications were 160rds per year.
MG Qualifications - 200-400rds per year
Pistol Qualification - 30-100 rounds per year
Training outside of basic qualification was probably worse: Shooting blanks. If you think tracers might be hard on a gun, blaze through a few hundred rounds of blanks and see what that does.
LE wise, I would say less than half of armed officers actually shoot outside of qualification/training. Out of those that do shoot more, a large percentage of them aren't shooting their issued service weapon. It's really hard to say how many rounds an LE gun might see, because every deparment has different standards. Our "standard" of qualification and training consumes 1000rds per year on pistol. We shoot more than most of the other agencies that I've worked or talked with, so that is actually fairly high.
EDIT: FYI in the military, tracers were always staggered with regular ball ammo. I heard many reasons for the policy/tradition of it, from economical (the cost of tracers), to tactical considerations (not giving your position with every shot fired. as if somehow, limiting it to every 3rd-5th was going to give you ninja stealth mode?), to heating up the barrel faster. However, there was never even a rumor of an issue with barrel erosion caused by the use of tracers.
I have shot a LOT of 308 tracers over the years, in bolt and semiauto rifles. I never had any problems. I just clean the rifle like normal.
Think about it, you 40,000 to 50,000 PSI pressing on the back of the bullet, usually the tracer does not light up till it is out of the muzzle, [how far out depends on exactly what particular tracer bullet],how much of the "tracer stuff" do you think can get out of the back of the bullet with 40,000+ PSI pressing against it???...
PS. I CAN say, that Tracers WILL start fires...
Think about it, you 40,000 to 50,000 PSI pressing on the back of the bullet, usually the tracer does not light up till it is out of the muzzle, [how far out depends on exactly what particular tracer bullet],how much of the "tracer stuff" do you think can get out of the back of the bullet with 40,000+ PSI pressing against it???...
PS. I CAN say, that Tracers WILL start fires...
the rifle is MR762. the only tracers I ever shot were out of shotguns. maybe the person said what he did because he wouldn't think of doing it to such a nice rifle himself.
nohair
Cool picture.
Tracers are fun.
Cool picture.
Tracers are fun.
5.56 tracers are 63gr.Sadly, this is true. In IL, an officer could theoretically get by only shooting as few as 21 rounds a year to meet minimum standards. The unfortunate part is these guns are still just as beaten up as their high round count brothers as those who are averse to shooting are so with gun care as well. Now back to your scheduled program:
Since I didn't see where you mention WHAT your $2k weapon is exactly, are you sure it will handle tracer rounds? Say if you had a 93 with a 1:12" twist rate, I would wonder if the longer 55gr bullet would stabilize properly due to its length.
i was told the reason they are staggered 1:4 1 tracer to 4 ball (belt fed anyway) is cost. if youve ever shot 1:4 out of say the M2 and like 1000 meters, there is really no need for more than 1:4. in 5-7 round burts you can see fine where you hitting.
and yeah shoot and clean.
M196 is 55gr. Commercially available Federal tracers are 64 gr.5.56 tracers are 63gr.
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