Product Description

An original U.S. .50 Browning Machine Gun Drill Cartridge, manufactured by the legendary Frankford Arsenal in 1943 and bearing the desirable FA 43 wartime headstamp.

Founded in 1816 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Frankford Arsenal was the United States Army's principal ammunition development and production facility for well over a century. During the Second World War it became one of America's most important military establishments, producing millions of rounds of small-arms ammunition while also developing new ammunition types, proof cartridges, tracers, armour-piercing rounds and specialist training ammunition for the rapidly expanding U.S. Armed Forces.

Unlike ordinary service ammunition, this is a purpose-built military drill cartridge, manufactured for instruction rather than combat. These rounds were issued to machine gun crews to practise loading, unloading, belt filling, weapon handling, stoppage drills and classroom instruction without the danger of live ammunition. They were an essential part of training every Browning M2 crew before progressing to live-fire exercises.

The .50 Browning Machine Gun (12.7×99mm) cartridge was designed by the legendary John Moses Browning and officially adopted by the U.S. Army in the early 1920s. During World War II it became one of the most feared heavy machine gun cartridges ever produced, serving aboard B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-24 Liberators, P-47 Thunderbolts, Sherman tanks, half-tracks, naval vessels, anti-aircraft mounts and countless Allied vehicles. More than 100 years after its introduction, the M2 Browning remains in front-line military service across the world.

This example bears the FA 43 headstamp, confirming manufacture by Frankford Arsenal in 1943, the year the United States dramatically increased wartime production following its entry into World War II after Pearl Harbor. Original Frankford Arsenal .50 BMG drill cartridges are significantly scarcer than ordinary fired cases and are highly desirable among collectors of U.S. military ammunition, Browning machine guns and WWII militaria.

An outstanding original piece of American military history and a superb addition to any serious collection.

Specifications

• Calibre: .50 Browning Machine Gun (12.7×99mm)
• Type: Military Drill Cartridge
• Headstamp: FA 43
• Manufacturer: Frankford Arsenal, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Country: United States
• Date of Manufacture: 1943
• Weapon: Browning M2 Heavy Machine Gun
• Purpose: Military loading, unloading and handling instruction
• Condition: Original inert drill cartridge

Important Information

All inert ammunition sold by Tom & Jerry Militaria is fitted with either an inert fired primer or an inert oiled primer and is supplied strictly for display and collecting purposes only.