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Muzzle flash and tracer rounds


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I've noticed that too. Definitely see it more at night, although they are there in daytime. My buddies and I alway wanted that rambo shot, so we took a lot of pictures. Only turned out good on a couple pics. I've seen many 5.56mm muzzle flashes, too. I don't know the scientific reason why some show more than others, probably some level of built up gunk, some oil, gunpowder, brass shavings, etc causes it more some shots than others. I don't know.

Tracers are used with infantry depending on the mission. Not usually with rifles. SAW's, 240's, and .50's use tracers.

Taliban uses tracers sometimes. Don't know about the red army. My guess is any red army machine gun team will use them the same as we do.

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I don't know the scientific reason why some show more than others...

iam no physican, but i guess it depends greatly on the temperature of the weapon/barrel. if it is still "cold" the gases are cooled down too fast to produce a "decent" muzzle flash. if the weapon is hot after fireing for some time, the gases cant cool down that fast and they leave the muzzle much hoter than if you start fireing your first rounds, and so showing a clear flash as they cool down mainly outside of the barrel.

that would be my guess.

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28th round in a magazine was always tracer. You had two more shots then it was a reload. Sometimes the 15th was tracer as well. This from STANAG magazines for an SA80. Sometimes we had 28 round magazines but you notched the tracer up a couple of slots.

Some Section Commanders used 50% tracer for night ops.

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Our SL could use tracers when leading fire of his squad (just like Meach said). I'd believe SL was to carry always one mag with tracers if he would need to lead fire of his squad by those. We got trackers usually for nights, distibuted bit to everyone (LMG-gunner had most). We were instructed to do the same as Meach said. Leaved few regular rounds at end of magazine (it cleaned barrel bit from junk tracers left, that was hard stuff to get off).

As far as i can tell trackers were pretty much useless at day, just made barrel damn dirty. At night they were okay, atleast looked good. I dunno what kind our trackers were compared to what 5.56mm NATO has but i got bit unrealiable feeling about them (7.62x39 tracer-rounds might have been made in Soviet Union), seemed like not nearly every tracer's luminating stuff burned.

There are some amounts of veteran stories abotu tracers i've read about from ww2. Some didnt' use them much atall, because they just gave away positions. Some could switch tracker-belt to regular-belt related to sun's position (shooting at sun with trackers isn't advisable and cause only harm, if i recall correctly the explanation). Some used/saved them for special events, like celebrating something.

Pandur made interesting point on muzzle-flashes. Could be, but i can't tell.

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Hi,

I've got no experience first hand of this stuff so I pretty much have to go with what I read or see on film. What I see is that muzzle flash seems to occur only with 7.62+ calibre rifles. I don't see it coming out of machine guns or assault rifles. Also, when it does occur, it seems to happen randomly, maybe one out of five rounds shot or something similar. What causes it and why is it not so prevalent?

Here is a good explanation of muzzle flash:

http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-090.htm

I'd say the powder used and the length of the barrel are probably greater controlling factors than the caliber when comparing 5.56 to 7.62. A 10.5in barrel AR-15 can produce pretty horrendous flash and blast at the muzzle.

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With a given cartridge flash is related to:

Length of barrel

Type of powder

any muzzle device if fitted

Primarily the flash is created by still burning gases exiting the barrel. A longer barrel gives the gas more time to finish combusting before venting. Certain types of powder ignite more quickly or burn more rapidly leading to less of a flash. Depending on the muzzle device fitted it can either increase or decrease the amount of flash observed.

In day light small arms normally aren't going to produce a very obvious flash. There is one, but it's hard to see. At night even pistols will have a noticeable muzzle flash. Heavier caliber weapons increase the visible flash you get, making it more easily visible in day light.

-Jenrick

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