272:
1899 and 1907 – which superseded the St. Petersburg
Declaration, and were signed by a far wider circle of nations – do permit the use of such ammunition for auto-cannons and heavy machine guns. Machine guns firing .50 cal/12.7mm ammunition are heavy machine guns. At best, the ICRC's position can be applied to only a small group of nations that were parties to the St. Petersburg Declaration; at worst, the ICRC's position is made moot by more than 100 years of subsequent international treaties.
156:
1384:
148:. It is used by many armies around the world both in regular forces and in special forces units. As it uses a .50 BMG round, this has led to some debates in the U.S. armed forces about the legality of using such a large anti-materiel rifle round against a human. There have been persistent reports that some U.S. military personnel believe that the use of .50 BMG in a direct antipersonnel role is prohibited by the
31:
280:
in an anti-matériel capacity. Most nations using the round train their soldiers not to deploy the projectile against personnel, but in the heat of battle such regulations are easily overlooked. Also, many parties currently fielding the ammunition have no such regulations, including the U.S., whose policy is that the ammunition is suitable for use against all targets.
279:
is that the 12.7 mm MP round should not be used against personnel, but an exception has been made for snipers using the round — due to the practical limitations of snipers having to change the type of ammunition used when switching between hardened and soft targets. It is being exported strictly
271:
the "military or naval" use of explosive or incendiary projectiles with a mass of under 400 grams is forbidden. Very few nations were parties to the St. Petersburg
Declaration, however, and that declaration does not govern the conduct of non-signatory parties. Further, the Hague treaties of
152:. However, Maj. Hays Parks states that "No treaty language exists (either generally or specifically) to support a limitation on against personnel, and its widespread, longstanding use in this role suggests that such antipersonnel employment is the customary practice of nations."
108:, which are only designed to attack people. As there is a greater international criticism of them, they are therefore rarely used. These are not generally referred to as anti-personnel weapons but by their own names or group terms (e.g.,
1051:
792:
840:
256:. Due to its popularity several U.S. arms manufacturers produce the round under license from NAMMO Raufoss AS. There is also a tracer variant, the MK300, used in the Browning heavy machine gun.
930:
70:
gave rise to weapons designed specifically to attack them, and thus a need to distinguish between those systems and ones intended to attack people. For instance, an anti-personnel
880:
815:
778:
686:
217:
component, thus making it capable of penetrating lightly armored targets and causing damage to personnel inside the target after penetration. It is a suitable round for engaging
915:
885:
835:
782:
796:
950:
935:
925:
895:
850:
38:
Anti-Personnel-Mine is detonated, it sends out 700 metal balls traveling at high velocity. These balls can kill or seriously injure any people in the 100-meter blast radius.
940:
865:
845:
825:
945:
920:
875:
860:
905:
613:
1099:
996:
890:
721:
1031:
1001:
603:
349:
628:
468:
264:
751:
855:
870:
267:
has sought to have the ammunition banned, due to concern over the incendiary and explosive components and their effect on personnel. Under the
955:
681:
910:
588:
830:
1016:
820:
1056:
1046:
900:
741:
608:
194:(Ammunition Factory) in Raufoss, Norway, established in 1896. The "Mk 211" name comes from the nomenclature "Mk 211 Mod 0" used by the
144:
designated as a
Special Application Sniper Rifle and designed for use against military equipment (materiel), rather than against other
1011:
746:
656:
506:
268:
178:
produced by Nammo (Nordic
Ammunition Group, a Norwegian/Finnish military industry manufacturer of ammunition), under the model name
1089:
1021:
1094:
1026:
532:
1079:
711:
380:
324:
1408:
706:
646:
618:
593:
583:
1074:
651:
1251:
1006:
788:
716:
666:
298:
661:
991:
736:
731:
726:
676:
671:
259:
There has been much debate over whether the Mk 211 projectile is legal to use against personnel, or if it is strictly anti-
1041:
701:
696:
691:
638:
195:
1084:
1256:
1036:
807:
598:
555:
1369:
1261:
981:
976:
769:
191:
89:
can fire armor-piercing ammunition in the anti-tank role, high-explosive ammunition in the anti-structure role and
128:
A debate has arisen over whether some primarily anti-material weapons can be used as anti-personnel weapons. The
986:
1296:
1119:
550:
545:
242:
90:
79:
120:, as well as causing long spanning consequences when they are not detonated in the case of buried explosives.
570:
540:
253:
74:
will explode into small and sharp splinters that tear flesh but have little effect on metal surfaces, while
356:
1209:
1139:
1134:
560:
499:
214:
137:
578:
415:
1189:
172:
141:
1194:
1154:
1124:
523:
276:
1271:
1246:
1241:
1174:
1149:
774:
249:
245:
113:
105:
1387:
1326:
1291:
1281:
1214:
1169:
1164:
1129:
623:
492:
460:
1311:
1179:
761:
226:
101:
78:
have considerably different design, using much more explosive power to effect damage to
1331:
1286:
1276:
1236:
202:
164:
75:
67:
59:
155:
1402:
1364:
1354:
1301:
1224:
1204:
1066:
387:
328:
63:
1359:
1306:
1266:
1219:
97:
35:
302:
1199:
1184:
436:
260:
149:
129:
109:
30:
386:. Defense Technical Information Center. April 1994. p. 150. Archived from
85:
Many modern weapons systems can be employed in different roles. For example, a
218:
175:
145:
17:
1159:
210:
132:
rifle, standardized by the U.S. military as the M107, fires a large-caliber
117:
71:
965:
230:
222:
206:
86:
51:
112:) by which they are specifically banned. Such weapons often create much
82:, or use explosively formed penetrators to punch through armor plating.
1349:
1321:
1316:
1231:
168:
133:
515:
238:
237:
round against such targets. The Mk 211 is a very popular .50 caliber
55:
47:
355:. Defense Technical Information Center. p. 12. Archived from
29:
234:
233:. The Mk 211 has about the same destructive power as a standard
488:
229:, as well as unarmored vehicles, and it is capable of igniting
58:, as opposed to attacking structures or vehicles, or hunting
201:
The multipurpose name is based on the projectile having an
484:
381:"Army Ammunition Data Sheets for Small Caliber Ammunition"
136:
round that will penetrate most commercial brick walls and
248:
rifle and other .50 BMG rifles. It is also often used in
96:
There are also more exotic classes of weapons, such as
1342:
1112:
1065:
964:
806:
760:
637:
569:
531:
522:
190:, which refers to Nammo's original parent company:
27:
Materiel designed to kill and injure infantry units
416:"Mark 211 .50-caliber Multipurpose Ammunition"
500:
8:
409:
407:
528:
507:
493:
485:
469:International Committee of the Red Cross
265:International Committee of the Red Cross
154:
289:
182:. It is commonly referred to as simply
301:. Marine Corps Gazette. Archived from
7:
350:"20mm AMR – New Use for Unused Ammo"
297:Parks, Maj W. Hays (January 1988).
93:shells in the anti-personnel role.
269:St. Petersburg Declaration of 1868
25:
1383:
1382:
461:"St Petersburg Declaration 1868"
116:and may affect large numbers of
62:. The development of defensive
54:and other personnel not behind
50:primarily used to maim or kill
465:International Humanitarian Law
171:(12.7Ă—99mm NATO) multipurpose
1:
325:"Nammo AS - 12,7mm (.50 Cal)"
797:National Revolutionary Army
275:The official stance of the
1425:
609:War of the Triple Alliance
437:"Small Caliber Ammunition"
414:John Pike (May 13, 2010).
327:. Nammo AS. Archived from
192:Raufoss Ammunisjonsfabrikk
1378:
629:Pre-20th century firearms
80:armored fighting vehicles
1017:Cambodian–Vietnamese War
1007:South African Border War
789:Second Sino-Japanese War
159:The Raufoss Mk.211 round
997:Portuguese Colonial War
1409:Anti-personnel weapons
1365:Civilian gun ownership
160:
39:
1042:Nicaraguan Revolution
992:Araguaia Guerilla War
561:Early thermal weapons
442:. ATK. pp. 31–32
158:
44:anti-personnel weapon
33:
1047:Salvadoran Civil War
614:Spanish–American War
589:American Indian Wars
418:. Globalsecurity.org
305:on February 28, 2014
277:Norwegian Government
1100:Russo-Ukrainian War
1037:Dominican Civil War
1012:Cambodian Civil War
973:First Indochina War
393:on December 2, 2007
142:anti-materiel rifle
1090:Russo-Georgian War
1032:Lebanese Civil War
1002:Rhodesian Bush War
619:Mexican Revolution
604:American Civil War
594:War of the Pacific
584:Napoleonic Warfare
250:heavy machine guns
241:round used in the
161:
106:biological weapons
40:
1396:
1395:
1108:
1107:
1052:Soviet–Afghan War
1027:Laotian Civil War
775:Spanish Civil War
331:on April 15, 2008
114:collateral damage
16:(Redirected from
1416:
1386:
1385:
1262:Mass destruction
1170:Blunt instrument
1095:Syrian Civil War
529:
509:
502:
495:
486:
479:
478:
476:
475:
457:
451:
450:
448:
447:
441:
433:
427:
426:
424:
423:
411:
402:
401:
399:
398:
392:
385:
377:
371:
370:
368:
367:
361:
354:
346:
340:
339:
337:
336:
321:
315:
314:
312:
310:
299:"Killing A Myth"
294:
263:ammunition. The
227:armored vehicles
198:for this round.
21:
1424:
1423:
1419:
1418:
1417:
1415:
1414:
1413:
1399:
1398:
1397:
1392:
1374:
1370:Science fiction
1338:
1210:Directed-energy
1104:
1080:Afghanistan War
1061:
960:
802:
762:Interwar period
756:
657:Austria-Hungary
633:
565:
518:
513:
483:
482:
473:
471:
459:
458:
454:
445:
443:
439:
435:
434:
430:
421:
419:
413:
412:
405:
396:
394:
390:
383:
379:
378:
374:
365:
363:
362:on June 4, 2011
359:
352:
348:
347:
343:
334:
332:
323:
322:
318:
308:
306:
296:
295:
291:
286:
138:concrete blocks
126:
87:tank's main gun
76:anti-tank mines
68:combat vehicles
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1422:
1420:
1412:
1411:
1401:
1400:
1394:
1393:
1391:
1390:
1379:
1376:
1375:
1373:
1372:
1367:
1362:
1357:
1352:
1346:
1344:
1340:
1339:
1337:
1336:
1335:
1334:
1324:
1319:
1314:
1309:
1304:
1299:
1294:
1289:
1284:
1279:
1274:
1269:
1264:
1259:
1254:
1249:
1244:
1239:
1234:
1229:
1228:
1227:
1222:
1212:
1207:
1202:
1197:
1192:
1187:
1182:
1177:
1172:
1167:
1162:
1157:
1152:
1147:
1145:Anti-personnel
1142:
1140:Anti-ballistic
1137:
1132:
1127:
1122:
1116:
1114:
1110:
1109:
1106:
1105:
1103:
1102:
1097:
1092:
1087:
1082:
1077:
1071:
1069:
1063:
1062:
1060:
1059:
1054:
1049:
1044:
1039:
1034:
1029:
1024:
1019:
1014:
1009:
1004:
999:
994:
989:
984:
979:
974:
970:
968:
962:
961:
959:
958:
953:
948:
943:
941:United Kingdom
938:
933:
928:
923:
918:
913:
908:
903:
898:
893:
888:
883:
878:
873:
868:
863:
858:
856:Czechoslovakia
853:
848:
843:
838:
833:
828:
823:
818:
812:
810:
804:
803:
801:
800:
786:
772:
766:
764:
758:
757:
755:
754:
749:
744:
742:United Kingdom
739:
734:
729:
724:
719:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
664:
659:
654:
649:
643:
641:
635:
634:
632:
631:
626:
621:
616:
611:
606:
601:
596:
591:
586:
581:
575:
573:
567:
566:
564:
563:
558:
553:
548:
543:
537:
535:
526:
520:
519:
514:
512:
511:
504:
497:
489:
481:
480:
452:
428:
403:
372:
341:
316:
288:
287:
285:
282:
203:armor-piercing
165:Raufoss Mk 211
125:
122:
26:
24:
18:Anti-personnel
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1421:
1410:
1407:
1406:
1404:
1389:
1381:
1380:
1377:
1371:
1368:
1366:
1363:
1361:
1358:
1356:
1353:
1351:
1348:
1347:
1345:
1341:
1333:
1330:
1329:
1328:
1325:
1323:
1320:
1318:
1315:
1313:
1310:
1308:
1305:
1303:
1300:
1298:
1295:
1293:
1290:
1288:
1285:
1283:
1280:
1278:
1275:
1273:
1270:
1268:
1265:
1263:
1260:
1258:
1255:
1253:
1250:
1248:
1245:
1243:
1240:
1238:
1235:
1233:
1230:
1226:
1223:
1221:
1218:
1217:
1216:
1213:
1211:
1208:
1206:
1203:
1201:
1198:
1196:
1193:
1191:
1188:
1186:
1183:
1181:
1178:
1176:
1173:
1171:
1168:
1166:
1163:
1161:
1158:
1156:
1153:
1151:
1148:
1146:
1143:
1141:
1138:
1136:
1135:Anti-aircraft
1133:
1131:
1128:
1126:
1123:
1121:
1118:
1117:
1115:
1111:
1101:
1098:
1096:
1093:
1091:
1088:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1078:
1076:
1075:Yugoslav Wars
1073:
1072:
1070:
1068:
1067:Post-Cold War
1064:
1058:
1055:
1053:
1050:
1048:
1045:
1043:
1040:
1038:
1035:
1033:
1030:
1028:
1025:
1023:
1022:Iran–Iraq War
1020:
1018:
1015:
1013:
1010:
1008:
1005:
1003:
1000:
998:
995:
993:
990:
988:
985:
983:
980:
978:
975:
972:
971:
969:
967:
963:
957:
954:
952:
949:
947:
946:United States
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
932:
929:
927:
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
862:
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
813:
811:
809:
805:
798:
794:
790:
787:
784:
780:
776:
773:
771:
768:
767:
765:
763:
759:
753:
750:
748:
747:United States
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
644:
642:
640:
636:
630:
627:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
605:
602:
600:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
579:Early Warfare
577:
576:
574:
572:
568:
562:
559:
557:
554:
552:
549:
547:
544:
542:
539:
538:
536:
534:
530:
527:
525:
521:
517:
510:
505:
503:
498:
496:
491:
490:
487:
470:
466:
462:
456:
453:
438:
432:
429:
417:
410:
408:
404:
389:
382:
376:
373:
358:
351:
345:
342:
330:
326:
320:
317:
304:
300:
293:
290:
283:
281:
278:
273:
270:
266:
262:
257:
255:
251:
247:
244:
240:
236:
232:
228:
224:
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
199:
197:
196:U.S. military
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
174:
173:anti-matériel
170:
166:
157:
153:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
123:
121:
119:
115:
111:
107:
103:
99:
98:neutron bombs
94:
92:
91:fragmentation
88:
83:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
64:fortification
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
37:
32:
19:
1257:Martial arts
1220:Depth charge
1190:Conventional
1144:
931:Soviet Union
808:World War II
472:. Retrieved
464:
455:
444:. Retrieved
431:
420:. Retrieved
395:. Retrieved
388:the original
375:
364:. Retrieved
357:the original
344:
333:. Retrieved
329:the original
319:
309:February 20,
307:. Retrieved
303:the original
292:
274:
258:
252:such as the
225:and lightly
200:
187:
184:multipurpose
183:
179:
162:
127:
95:
84:
43:
41:
36:M18 Claymore
34:When the US
1195:Crew-served
1155:Area denial
987:Six-Day War
982:Vietnam War
911:New Zealand
906:Netherlands
779:Nationalist
712:New Zealand
639:World War I
599:Crimean War
254:M2 Browning
219:helicopters
169:.50 caliber
150:laws of war
140:. It is an
130:Barrett M82
110:NBC weapons
1272:Non-lethal
1252:Insurgency
1247:Incendiary
1242:Improvised
1175:Ceremonial
1165:Biological
1125:Amphibious
977:Korean War
951:Yugoslavia
783:Republican
707:Montenegro
474:2010-08-27
446:2010-08-27
422:2010-08-22
397:2010-08-27
366:2010-08-27
335:2010-08-27
284:References
215:incendiary
209:core), an
176:projectile
146:combatants
1292:Pneumatic
1282:Offensive
1215:Explosive
1160:Artillery
1150:Anti-tank
1130:Ancillary
816:Australia
770:Chaco War
652:Australia
533:Premodern
213:, and an
211:explosive
118:civilians
102:chemicals
1403:Category
1388:Category
1355:Industry
1312:Tectonic
1297:Practice
1287:Personal
1180:Chemical
1120:Aircraft
1085:Iraq War
1057:Gulf War
966:Cold War
956:Infantry
936:Thailand
836:Bulgaria
793:Japanese
752:Infantry
717:Portugal
667:Bulgaria
647:Chemical
556:Japanese
551:Medieval
261:matériel
231:jet fuel
223:aircraft
207:tungsten
180:NM140 MP
72:landmine
52:infantry
1350:Arsenal
1327:Vehicle
1317:Torpedo
1277:Nuclear
1237:Hunting
1232:Firearm
926:Romania
886:Hungary
876:Germany
866:Finland
861:Denmark
851:Croatia
826:Belgium
821:Austria
722:Romania
682:Germany
662:Belgium
624:Antique
546:Chinese
541:African
524:History
516:Weapons
243:Barrett
188:Raufoss
134:.50 BMG
124:Debates
1332:Combat
1302:Ranged
1205:Deadly
921:Poland
916:Norway
901:Mexico
881:Greece
871:France
841:Canada
831:Brazil
737:Turkey
732:Serbia
727:Russia
687:Greece
677:France
672:Canada
571:Modern
239:sniper
104:, and
48:weapon
1360:Mount
1343:Other
1307:Space
1267:Melee
1200:Cyber
1113:Types
896:Japan
891:Italy
846:China
702:Japan
697:Italy
692:India
440:(PDF)
391:(PDF)
384:(PDF)
360:(PDF)
353:(PDF)
167:is a
56:armor
46:is a
1225:List
1185:Cold
311:2014
235:20mm
163:The
66:and
60:game
1322:Toy
246:M82
186:or
42:An
1405::
467:.
463:.
406:^
221:,
100:,
799:)
795:/
791:(
785:)
781:/
777:(
508:e
501:t
494:v
477:.
449:.
425:.
400:.
369:.
338:.
313:.
205:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
