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In Britain during WW2 .50 inch Browning ball ammunition was used mainly for training. A number of experimental ball bullets were tested during the war, including copies of the American M1 and M2 ball, with weights varying between 710 and 774 grains. The bullet finally adopted for British service in 1942 weighed 759 grains ( see Ball Mark IIz below)
Ball Mark Iz
"Cartridge S.A, ball .50 inch Browning Mark Iz" was the title given to both the American M1 and M2 ball rounds, including that made on British contract by Remington. Remington had been given large contracts for .50 inch Browning ball, tracer, armour piercing and drill ammunition for RAF use in American aircraft purchased in 1940.
The case was the standard American case with a Boxer primer, The headstamp varied depending on the source of the ammunition. If purchased from the U.S. government the headstamp was typically "50 CAL FA 39", but if from the Remington contract it was either "REM-UMC .50 CAL" or "RA 40 .50 CAL Z", the latter being specially marked for the British contract to include the "Z" for nitrocellulose propellant.
Since the Ball Mark Iz covered both the American M1 and M2 ball rounds, the bullet could be of either type. Both were similar to the equivalent armour piercing bullets but with an unhardened core.
The Ball M1 bullet was boat tailed with a single knurled cannelure and weighed about 750 grains. The bullet had a gilding metal envelope and a mild steel core with a lead tip filler but no lead sleeve.
The Ball M2 bullet was boat tailed with a single smooth cannelure and weighed about 710 grains. The bullet had a gilding metal envelope and a mild steel core with a lead tip filler but no lead sleeve.
Muzzle velocity of the Ball M1 was 2,500 fps and that of the Ball M2 2,800 fps.
Ball Mark IIz
"Cartridge S.A. Ball .50 inch Browning Mark IIz" was approved to design NOD 6314 in December 1942. It does not appear to have been shown in Lists of Changes. this was the first British manufactured Browning ball round.
The case was a standard .50 Browning case but was fitted with a Berdan primer. It was only made at ROF Spennymoor and the headstamp was typically "SR 43 .50".
The bullet was boat tailed with a steel core and a lead tip filler. The envelope was gilding metal and the weight was 759 grains.
Ballistics were similar to the American M1 ball round.
Ball Mark 3z
"Cartridge S.A. Ball .50 inch Browning Mark 3z" was not approved until the early 1950s, but had first appeared in 1941 as Design DD/L/12667. It approximated the performance of the American M2 ball round.
The case was a standard .50 inch Browning but fitted with a Berdan primer. Unlike the previous Marks the Mark number was included in the headstamp. It was only made by ICI Kynoch and a typical headstamp was "K.51 .50 3Z"
The bullet was boat tailed with a gilding metal envelope and had a mild steel core and a lead tip filler. The weight was 710 grains.
Muzzle velocity was about 2,700 fps at a pressure of between 21 and 22 tsi.
Ball M33K
There was one other ball round used by British military forces during the 1970s and 1980s. This was the Kynoch made equivalent of the American M33 ball round and was known as the M33K. The design drawing was AP.903.
The case was a standard .50 inch Browning but was fitted with a Berdan primer. The headstamp included the type and was typically "K 86 M33". The primer annulus was purple.
The bullet was boat tailed with a gilding metal envelope and mild steel core. There was a tip filler of inert material with no lead sleeve and the base of the bullet was closed with a PVC disc. Bullet weight was 710 grains.
Muzzle velocity was 2,900 fps at a mean pressure of 24 tsi.
Ball L8A1
"Round .50 inch Browning Ball L8A1" is the current issue ball round and is believed to be of M33 type. It is made by CBC Brazil but it is uncertain whether it is manufactured in Brazil or one of CBC's European subsidiary plants such as MEN in Germany.
The round is of standard .50 inch ball appearance and the headstamp includes "L8A1"
The ballistics and characteristics are similar to regular M33 ball.
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