50 BMG casing pen - new pics

[pssherman]

After a couple of weeks of not being able to get into the shop, I got some time this weekend. I completed my prototype of a 50 BMG casing pen. I used slimline pen parts and rosewood. The overall length is 5.75 inches and weighs 2.8 ounces. The casing is powder coated and the rosewood is finished with CA.

The brass tube from the lower part of the pen extends into the dowel rod glued inside the upper part. The dowel rod has a brass tube glued in press onto the transmission and a section with clearance for the lower tube.

This pen is not meant to be carried in a pocket, but possibly as a desk pen or part of a desk set.

Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.

EDIT:
For a comparison in size, from top to bottom, 50 BMG, 30-06, 308 WIN, and 45 ACP. I also included a quarter in the picture for those unfamiliar with casing sizes.

Here is a picture with me holding the 50 BMG in my hand.

Paul in AR

 

[gerryr]

Nifty idea. What's the largest diameter? It looks to be about 1".

 

[arjudy]

Very cool!!!!!

<br />

 

[Rifleman1776]

Very good. For those who don't know how big a .50bmg is, you might want to put a quarter or something in the picture for scale.

 

[alamocdc]

That looks cool, Paul. That's thinking outside the cartridge.

 

[pete00]

neat...thanks for sharing.

 

[pssherman]

Originally posted by Rifleman
<br />Very good. For those who don't know how big a .50bmg is, you might want to put a quarter or something in the picture for scale.

Frank,
I will take another picture when I get home this evening. But as a start, the tenon is slightly over 1/2 inch in diameter and the max diameter of the casing is a little over 3/4 inch.

Edit
According to Wikipedia, the muzzle energy of the 50 bmg is about 5 times that of a 30-06 and during Operation Anaconda (March 2002) a Canadian sniper killed a Taliban guerilla at a distance of 1.5 miles. The sound arrived 7 seconds after the shot was fired.

Paul in AR

 

[Johnathan]

Wow, pretty cool!

 

[gerryr]

Is it safe to assume that these are not used for hunting if you want anything left to eat?[]

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by pssherman
<br />

Originally posted by Rifleman
<br />Very good. For those who don't know how big a .50bmg is, you might want to put a quarter or something in the picture for scale.

Frank,
I will take another picture when I get home this evening. But as a start, the tenon is slightly over 1/2 inch in diameter and the max diameter of the casing is a little over 3/4 inch.

Edit
According to Wikipedia, the muzzle energy of the 50 bmg is about 5 times that of a 30-06 and during Operation Anaconda (March 2002) a Canadian sniper killed a Taliban guerilla at a distance of 1.5 miles. The sound arrived 7 seconds after the shot was fired.

Paul in AR

I'm a little familiar with the .50. A retired Special Ops/Black Ops guy I know says our snipers are now using the .50 almost exclusively now. That 1 1/2 mile shot story sounds a bit incredulous, even for a .50. Not impossible but a real stretch.

 

[byounghusband]

So is this pen ILLEGAL in Kalifornistan??[] LOL!!!! []

 

[mrcook4570]

Originally posted by gerryr
<br />Is it safe to assume that these are not used for hunting if you want anything left to eat?[]

It should poke a nice neat 1/2 inch hole through its target. Most .50 BMG rounds are non-expanding. Muzzle velocity is very similar to a .30-06 (roughly 3,000 fps depending on load) but the .50 pushes a much heavier bullet (650+ grains), which, in the long, sllek boat-tail configuration, gives it a ballistic coefficient over 1 (so it can retain its downrange velocity much better than other rounds).

I reaaly like this idea. Is it necessary to remove the case to extend/retract the refill, or do you have a tube inside the case that slips over the transmission?

 

[pssherman]

Originally posted by mrcook4570
<br />
I reaaly like this idea. Is it necessary to remove the case to extend/retract the refill, or do you have a tube inside the case that slips over the transmission?

No, the refill is extended/retracted by twisting the rosewood/tip. The 1/2 inch dowel inside the casing has a brass tube to engage the transmission and an expanded clearance hole for the tube extension from the lower part. The case only needs to be removed to replace the refill.

Details of the dowel.
The tenon is 11/32 inch long and the 1/2 inch dowel is the inside length of the case minus 3/8 inch, to leave clearance for the tenon. A 7 mm hole is drilled the full length of the dowel. The hole is expanded in diameter for about 7/8 inch of the front end to provide clearance for the lower tube. A 7 mm tube is glued in the dowel so that it ends about 1/4 inch from the back end. A plug is glued into the back end to keep epoxy from getting into the tube when you glue the dowel in the case. I dripped some epoxy into the bottom of the case and put some on the back end of the dowel to secure the back end. I put plenty of epoxy near the neck end and on the front of the dowel to secure the front end. I put a nylon space in the neck and tipped the assembly with neck downward to allow the epoxy to flow to the neck area and surround the dowel.

NOTE: If you PC the case it must be done BEFORE you glue in the dowel.

Paul in AR

 

[Charles]

Very unique!! It is a great looking pen and definitely outside the box. That will be a real conversation piece. Love the massiveness!