The .50 Browning Machine Gun (BMG) round is a rifle round used for a multitude of purposes today.
Developed in 1918 by Winchester Repeating Arms Company at the personal request of General John Pershing, the .50 has a
metric measurement of 12.7x99mm. The .50 has an actual
projectile (
bullet) diameter of .51 inches (all
bullets are larger than the
barrel in order to force the bullet into the rifling).
The .50 bullet carries a muzzle energy of about 12,000 foot-pounds, and a velocity of 2900 fps with a chamber pressure of max 55,000 PSI.
The .50's primary role is to engage hard (
armored) targets at extreme ranges, there is a misconception on how the .50 serves as the
ultimate sniper round but this is just pish-posh. There is no reason to engage a human target with a 700 grain bullet, then combine this with the trouble faced trying to stalk through rough terrain with a 50 kilogram weapon measuring approximately 2 meters long, and packs a recoil of a sledgehammer.
The round/rifle serves best in defensive operations as a light
anti tank weapon.
There is great potential for accuracy, but as of now the .50 has an uneven trajectory and there is a lack of match ammunition.