ORIGINAL: cayugad
Do you feel that perhaps the material used and the design of the powerbelt could be responsible for the fragmentation we hear about today from their users?
You have beat me to it once again! I have wondered what material is used in the powerbelts. To get a .50 cal projectile to weigh in at a mear 245 grains, the lead must be very light or not dense. I think this may be the cause for all of the stories of the powerbelts fragmenting on impact. The copper plating is only there to reduce lead fouling and not strength. According to Powerbelt, the lead is soft enough that the charge pressure deforms the round and forces it into the rifling.