Caliber .50 Cartridges
The caliber .50 cartridge consists of a cartridge case, primer, propelling charge, and the bullet. The term bullet refers only to the small-arms projectile. There are eight types of ammunition issued for use in the caliber .50 machine gun. The tips of the various rounds are color-coded to indicate their type. The ammunition is linked with the M2 or M9 metallic links for use in the machine gun.
| Cartridge | Use |
| M2 Ball | In marksmanship training, against personnel, and light materiel targets. |
| M1 Tracer | To aid in observing fire-secondary purposes are for incendiary effect and for signaling. |
| M2 Armor-piercing | Against armored aircraft and lightly armored vehicles, concrete shelters, and other bullet-resisting targets. |
| M1 Incendiary | Incendiary effect-especially against aircraft. |
| M8 Armor-piercing | Combined armor-piercing and Incendiary effect. |
| M20 Armor-piercing | Combined armor-piercing and incendiary effect, with the additional tracer feature. |
| M1 Blank | For simulated fire (contains no bullet). |
| M2 Dummy | For training (completely inert). |
| Mk 211 MP | Raufoss Multipurpose Ammunition |
| M858 SRTA | Short Range Training Ammunition |
| M860 SRTA | Short Range Training Ammunition |
| M903 SLAP | Saboted Light Armor Penetrator (SLAP) |
| M962 SLAPT | Saboted Light Armor Penetrator Tracer (SLAPT) |
| XM1022 | antipersonnel |
| GDT | Generic Dim Tracer |
