.5 inch Vickers Ball

Ball

"Cartridge machine Gun Ball .5 inch Mark Iz" was approved for record in April 1924 and shown in Loc Paragraph A.623 dated November 1924. It was to Design DD/L/469 but no examples were issued for service.Prior to approval, early examples of the .5 inch Vickers ball round were headstamped with the Design Number, "R/|\L 22 469" and "R/|\L 23 469A"The bullet had a cupro-nickel envelope with a lead core and aluminium tip filler in the manner of the .303 inch ball Mark VII.. It was flat based with two cannelures and weighed 580 grains.The propellant charge was 135 grains of nitrocellulose.Illustrated are two early ball rounds; left headstamped "R/|\L 22 469" and right "R/|\L 23 469A. Note the difference in bullet ogive between the two designs.The first .5 inch Vickers Ball round to be issued was "Cartridge Machine Gun Ball .5 inch Mark IIz" which was approved in May 1925 to Design DD/L/1114A but not shown in Lists of Changes. The Cordite loaded Mark II to Design DD/L/6024 was approved in September 1933 for Land service and shown in LoC Paragraph B.9599 dated March 1936.

The title was later changed to "Cartridge S.A. Ball .5 inch Mark II and IIz"

The bullet has a cupro-nickel clad steel envelope with a two piece core similar to the Mark I and weighed 580 grains. It had two cannelures. The propellant charge was either 130 grains of nitro-cellulose or 142 grains of Cordite MDT 7-2 with a single glazeboard wad and the muzzle velocity was 2,540 feet per second..