# The red bullet



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Hi
The last time my sister was down to visit we were shooting and I noticed that the bullet that was
at the top of the magazine had some red fingernail polish on it. I didn't ask but right away I knew
what it was for. It was so when she dropped the magazine out she could see weather or not
a round had been chambered. Even tho she still fallowed all the other safety precautions to make sure
that it was empty. Is this an old trick that I just never heard of? 

It seemed pretty cool to me,, Like if you drop that magazine out and don't see a red bullet. UH OH


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

I'd never rely on such a system.
Never assume anything when it comes to firearms.
Even if I saw a red-tipped bullet, I'd still check the chamber, making the effort to tip my bullets unnecessary.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

Nail polish is also a great way to seal the round. People use it around the base of the bullet and around the primer on the less expensive, unsealed rounds.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

The 1960's Army was so anal about making sure a rifle was cleared that visualy looking into the chamber was not enough, we were taught to stick our little finger into the chamber to make sure.
At least that worked with the M14, don't know if they still do with the tiny chamber on an M16.:-D

Speaking of red bullets - it was an old trick to put a couple tracers down near the bottom of the rifle magazine so you would know when you were about to run dry.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

That's what I remember from a few SPs when I was Nam.


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## jbrooks19 (May 22, 2014)

I prefer pink nail polish on my bullets...


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

In most competitions they use chamber indicators - small red disks on a stem that goes into the chamber. If the indicator won't stay put there is something in the chamber. That way the range safety officers don't have to walk the line to make sure the weapons are cleared and the chambers open.


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## Old SF Guy (Dec 15, 2013)

rice paddy daddy said:


> The 1960's Army was so anal about making sure a rifle was cleared that visualy looking into the chamber was not enough, we were taught to stick our little finger into the chamber to make sure.
> At least that worked with the M14, don't know if they still do with the tiny chamber on an M16.:-D
> 
> Speaking of red bullets - it was an old trick to put a couple tracers down near the bottom of the rifle magazine so you would know when you were about to run dry.


Hey RPD they still teach that method, especially on the crew served weapons and SAW's. The same for the tracer rounds. I'd put two back to back at mid mag and the last 4. I'm not sure I'd ever adopt any measure for unloading the weapons because habits get formed and the next thing you know...with one round in the pipe you change mags and then later drop the mag...see the red rpund and ....blam...accident. Just a bad habit to adopt in my view.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Old SF Guy said:


> Hey RPD they still teach that method, especially on the crew served weapons and SAW's. The same for the tracer rounds. I'd put two back to back at mid mag and the last 4. I'm not sure I'd ever adopt any measure for unloading the weapons because habits get formed and the next thing you know...with one round in the pipe you change mags and then later drop the mag...see the red rpund and ....blam...accident. Just a bad habit to adopt in my view.


The first thought that came to my mind when reading RPD's original post was: "Damn, that could really leave a mark if I tried that with Mrs Inor's Garand and accidentally pushed down the magazine with a knuckle or something." :lol:


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

I chamber check mag check before and after any contact with my guns.


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## omegabrock (Jun 16, 2014)

shotlady said:


> I chamber check mag check before and after any contact with my guns.


i take my 7 year old daughter to the range and she helps me clean them. any time i hand her a rifle, she checks the chamber/mag and any time she hands it back she checks them. she also ensures it's on safe...safety first


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

I have seen that technique used and its kind of old school to determine at a glance if a round has been chambered from the magazine and requires the weapon to be unloaded. 

I have also seen colored electrical tape used on magazines that stick out to allow the operator to immediately know if they have live ammo in the magazine or what type of ammo is loaded in a magazine too as well. This doesn't relieve you f the responsibility to check a fire arm to make sure its safe or not or if a mag is loaded or not and what its loaded with. But it is a tool that is useful when things get hot and smokey and you only have time to take a quick glance while under pressure. For example I have a few loaded mags at all times around the house in case something goes bump in the night. They have a band of red electrical tape on them to indicate they are loaded with live ammo. Even in the dark if I cant see the tape I can feel it on the mag and I know for a fact I have a mag full of live ammo in my gun or the mag I just tossed to my buddy is a loaded mag with live ammo.

Another reason to paint the tips of your ammo is if your are training using multiple shooters simulatiously on a gun range or room clearing drills. By having each person use ammo with different colors of paint you can usually determine with a pretty high degree or accuracy whos bullet struck what targets when running a timed drill. I picked that tip up in the military from air to air gunnery exercises we often ran. The fighter jets would fire on a towed cloth banner with multiple jets firing on the same banner. When we loaded 20mm ammunition into their bird we would load a 500 round belt of painted ammo of a specific color into a specific bird, so they could shoot for scores and qualify. You could tell how many times Jet with side number 111 from VFA-151 hit the banner by the number of holes with a red edge around it where the paint on the tip rubbed off as it passed through the cloth tow banner target.


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