[Laufer]

Thanks for your views.

[Mooseman684]

None at all...
Rich

[Alan De Enfield]

According to : "Regulatons for Army Ordnance Services - Small Arms Ammunition" dated 24th Feb 1945.

Barrels of Vickers machine guns which have fired any 303 Tracer must be stamped up with a number 7 and returned immediately to Ordnance for replacement.
Exception - Tracer may be used in a Vickers mounted in an AFV where the loss of accuracy is accepted.

The damage caused results in loss of accuracy and it becomes dangerous to fire the correct Mk8Z ammunition over the heads of troops.

I dont know if this is relevant to Enfield bolt action rifles but thought it worth mentioning.

[madcratebuilder]

I have fired tracers in both 5.56 and 7.62 mil-surp. A lot in .22lr. All I have seen is maybe a bit more residue left behind. Normal cleaning took care of it, no sign of any kind of erosion in the barrel. The ones I have used are a phosphorous insert in the tail of the bullet. Reds outgoing and green is incoming.

[Laufer]

Thanks.

[mdj696]

I got to Viet Nam in June 67 and spent about all my time replacing burned out M-16 barrels. When I got there the infantry were firing a lot of tracers causing the barrels to burn out. With the .223 bullet, the tracer wound ignite before the bullet left the barrel, causing burned out barrels. The Army then went to chrome lined barrels and chambers.

[Mooseman684]

Quote from The U.S. Army Manual...
"Cartridge, 5.56-mm, Tracer, M196. (Used in the M16A1 rifle) The M196 cartridge has a red or orange painted tip. Its main uses are for observation of fire, incendiary effect, and signaling. Soldiers should avoid long-term use of 100 percent tracer rounds, which could cause deposits of incendiary material, or chemical compounds that could damage the barrel. Therefore, when tracer rounds are fired, they are mixed with ball ammunition in a ratio of no greater than one-to-one with a preferred ratio of three or four ball rounds to one tracer round. "
And from SBR..."SBR LaserMatch™ cartridges are non-corrosive and will not harm the barrel or firearm. They are visible at the muzzle and can be seen in full daylight and produce a Bright Visible Trace. ERVT produces a RED Trace, while the SRVT produces a GREEN Trace.
Modern tracers will not "burn" your barrel out and doesn't cause any additional wear. The story of tracers "burning" out your barrel came from the use of corrosive based compounds in their manufacturer before the 1960. Clean your gun thoroughly with warm soapy water after firing military surplus ammunition or surplus tracer ammunition if you are not sure of the manufacturer or date of manufacturer."

Rich