Question about .50 AE
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Found it: 
The Ultimate Pistol
It’s not an official title, but it perfectly describes the Beretta 92FS. Selected by a multi-national roster of defense and law enforcement organizations, tested and proven through a demanding quality control regimen before leaving the factory, and proven in the field in countless defensive confrontations, the 92FS is in all respects the “ultimate.”
The Legendary Beretta 92 Pistol
The most tested and trusted personal defense weapon in history. The 92FS, designated M9 by the U.S. Military, not only meets or exceeds all U.S. Military testing guidelines, it totally rewrites them. With U.S. Government standards for pistol reliability set at 1,250 MRBF (Mean Rounds Between Operational Mission Failure), the Beretta M9 averages 30,000 rounds for reliability. Each pistol must pass a battery of more than 3,000 quality control checks and measures that includes complete interchangeability of parts.
Precise, Safe, Reliable
92 Series Pistols are semi-automatics and operate on the short recoil, delayed locking block system, which yields a faster cycle time and delivers exceptional accuracy and reliability. Each features a lightweight, forged frame made form aircraft-quality aluminum alloy. All 92 series pistols feature unique safety refinements. On FS models, the manual safety also functions as a decocking lever. A firing pin block secures the firing pin. The chamber loaded indicator is visible or can be felt by touch.
Three Operating Systems, a Wide Range of Models
Beretta offers a choice of three operating systems, each with specific safety options: FS Models - Double/single action, external ambidextrous manual safety, decocking lever, trigger bar disconnect, rotating firing pin striker, firing pin block device. D Models - Double action only with no safety lever (“slick slide”), firing pin block device. G Models - Double/single action, external ambidextrous decocking lever, rotating firing pin striker, trigger bar disconnect, firing pin block device.
All models feature a “chamber loaded” indicator.
The Ultimate Pistol
It’s not an official title, but it perfectly describes the Beretta 92FS. Selected by a multi-national roster of defense and law enforcement organizations, tested and proven through a demanding quality control regimen before leaving the factory, and proven in the field in countless defensive confrontations, the 92FS is in all respects the “ultimate.”
The Legendary Beretta 92 Pistol
The most tested and trusted personal defense weapon in history. The 92FS, designated M9 by the U.S. Military, not only meets or exceeds all U.S. Military testing guidelines, it totally rewrites them. With U.S. Government standards for pistol reliability set at 1,250 MRBF (Mean Rounds Between Operational Mission Failure), the Beretta M9 averages 30,000 rounds for reliability. Each pistol must pass a battery of more than 3,000 quality control checks and measures that includes complete interchangeability of parts.
Precise, Safe, Reliable
92 Series Pistols are semi-automatics and operate on the short recoil, delayed locking block system, which yields a faster cycle time and delivers exceptional accuracy and reliability. Each features a lightweight, forged frame made form aircraft-quality aluminum alloy. All 92 series pistols feature unique safety refinements. On FS models, the manual safety also functions as a decocking lever. A firing pin block secures the firing pin. The chamber loaded indicator is visible or can be felt by touch.
Three Operating Systems, a Wide Range of Models
Beretta offers a choice of three operating systems, each with specific safety options: FS Models - Double/single action, external ambidextrous manual safety, decocking lever, trigger bar disconnect, rotating firing pin striker, firing pin block device. D Models - Double action only with no safety lever (“slick slide”), firing pin block device. G Models - Double/single action, external ambidextrous decocking lever, rotating firing pin striker, trigger bar disconnect, firing pin block device.
All models feature a “chamber loaded” indicator.
The Beretta 92F was the original gun sold to the military. When the infamous "slide breaking and flying in your mouth" incident with the SEALs happened, Beretta put a safety on the gun so that the slide would not fly off of the gun if the slide broke. The S in 92FS means that the gun has this "anti eating Italian steel" safety.
I'll take a stab at the Action Express moniker. The .41 Action Express was/is a cartridge where the case rim was of the 9mm dimensions but where the case body was blown out to accept .41 caliber slugs. So you ended up with a cartridge where the case rim was of smaller diameter than the case body. This was done to easily convert pistols chambered for 9mm to a larger bore. Similarly the ladies and gentlemen at Magnum Research took their pistol (Desert Eagle) chambered for .44 Magnum, kept the case rim diameter and blew out the case body to accept .50 caliber slugs. Now as to whether the case body of the .50 AE is larger than the rim, I don't think so, but cannot speak to it for sure because I have only seen pics.
In short, I believe those guys over in Israel apply the AE to new cartridges that are obtained by keeping the case rim dimensions of popular calibers and expanding the case body to accept larger projectiles. Perhaps Action Express was coined because they are able to design the action quicker because they already have pistols with the correct breechface or it means you can have a quickly convertable action in two calibers.
In short, I believe those guys over in Israel apply the AE to new cartridges that are obtained by keeping the case rim dimensions of popular calibers and expanding the case body to accept larger projectiles. Perhaps Action Express was coined because they are able to design the action quicker because they already have pistols with the correct breechface or it means you can have a quickly convertable action in two calibers.
hksigwalther
New member
AndABeer,
The case rim of the .50AE is indeed smaller than the case body (near the rim). Rim is ~0.511", case is ~0.534"
One of the benefits of an Action Express is that usually, only the barrel, recoil spring, and mag is needed to convert. For the .41AE, your using the 9mm bolt/slide, for the .50AE, the .44mag bolt/slide. This is also quite beneficial for production also as you don't have to produce a different bolt/slide assembly for the AE rounds.
The case rim of the .50AE is indeed smaller than the case body (near the rim). Rim is ~0.511", case is ~0.534"
One of the benefits of an Action Express is that usually, only the barrel, recoil spring, and mag is needed to convert. For the .41AE, your using the 9mm bolt/slide, for the .50AE, the .44mag bolt/slide. This is also quite beneficial for production also as you don't have to produce a different bolt/slide assembly for the AE rounds.
Aristophanes
The L frame Smith is the beefed up K frame. You've seen 'em before...the 586/686.
The M frame is represented by the Smith & Wesson Pocket Revolver. It was a 7 shot .22 designed as a defense gun.
cfb3 was close on the Beretta designations, except "D" is double action only, not decock. The designation for decock only is "G" for Gendarmes. The Gendarmes, or french police, originally requested this style.
AE is for Action Express, as already discussed.
The L frame Smith is the beefed up K frame. You've seen 'em before...the 586/686.
The M frame is represented by the Smith & Wesson Pocket Revolver. It was a 7 shot .22 designed as a defense gun.
cfb3 was close on the Beretta designations, except "D" is double action only, not decock. The designation for decock only is "G" for Gendarmes. The Gendarmes, or french police, originally requested this style.
AE is for Action Express, as already discussed.