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Posts Tagged .223
Ammo Comparison: M855 v M193
From Ammo To Go:
Technically, both the M193 and M855 are military cartridges. Like most military surplus supplies, there are strict rules around civilian ownership of M193 and M855 ammunition. However, the average Joe can get his hands on loads nearly identical to this military ammo, even though that ammo may not be actual “mil-spec.†Some of these loads are even manufactured on the same lines that make ammo for the military at Lake City’s Army Ammunition Plant.
Police Challenge ATF in Bullet Ban
From The Washington Examiner:
“Any ammunition is of concern to police in the wrong hands, but this specific round has historically not posed a law enforcement problem,” said James Pasco, executive director of the Washington office of the Fraternal Order of Police, the world’s largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, with more than 325,000 members.
He told Secrets that the round used mostly for target practice “is not typically used against law enforcement.”
M855 5.56 Ammo To Be Banned By ATF?
From Bearing Arms:
SS109/M855 is one of the two most common loadings for 5.56 NATO chambered AR-15 rifles, featuring a 62-grain bullet with a mild steel penetrator core. The cartridge was adopted by NATO in the late 1970s to give soldiers better long range performance, and reduce the possibility of fragmentation seen in the prior 55-grain M193 round cartridge that some viewed as “inhuman†and “devastating.†Civilian shooters like it because it is accurate, plentiful, and relatively economical to shoot.
ATF letter here
Gun Digest: .223 vs 5.56
From Gun Digest:
To a whole lot of shooters, ammo is ammo—if it fits, it shoots. These shooters tend to be the guys with seriously tired, worn, or even busted firearms. They also tend to focus on the wrong thing; you know, the guy who scrubs the brass marks off his ejector lump, at least until one day his rifle stops working or breaks into many pieces.
Wolf Performance Arms Importing Molot Veprs
Wolf Performance Arms is set to start importing Vepr rifles, an RPK variant, in five different calibers into the United States. It is nice to hear that more unique firearms will be available in the US market. The calibers include:Â 5.45x39mm, 5.56 NATO/.223, 7.62x39mm, 7.62 NATO/.308 and 7.62x54mmR. Guns.com and Outdoorhub have more information.
ROCK RIVER ARMS FRED EICHLER SERIES PREDATOR .223
Colona, IL (January, 2012)- Rock River Arms, Inc., an industry leader well-known for producing a full line of high-quality AR15-style rifles, components, parts, and accessories introduces the Fred Eichler Series Predator .223 rifle, representing further growth in RRA’s expanding line of high performance hunting firearms.
Fred Eichler comments, “I am extremely excited to get this new predator gun out in the field. Rock River Arms is known for their high-quality rifles and I’m honored to have been selected to have my own series.  After extensive in-the-field development, I am proud to attach my name to such an excellent product. I look forward to spending more time in the field with my Rock River Arms predator rifle.†Read the rest of this entry »
AK vs. AR – Lone Star Lowdown
Posted by Gary in Long Guns, Opinion, Training, Warrior Tools on 16/Sep/2010 16:09
This has nothing to do with Alaska and Arkansas.
From: Tactical Wire
Voices From the Field: More Bang for the Buckby Paul Markel
The boom in black rifle (AR) sales naturally led to a boom in the sale of .223 Remington or 5.56x45mm ammunition. This was no big surprise to anyone as that is the most popular chambering for that rifle. What you had was thousands of new AR owners now added to the .223 gene pool. The days of paying three dollars for a box of Winchester white box .223 are gone and not likely to return.
XS Sights Marketing VP Dave Biggers sights in S&W M&P15 in 5.45mm.
There is little doubt that feeding these self-loading, centerfire rifles has become a pricey endeavor. They are enjoyable to shoot, hence we do a lot of it. Your budget might allow for 100 rounds shooting sessions or 500 round extended weekends. Regardless, it’s always good to get more bang for your buck.
It was with this in mind that I first acquired a S&W M&P15 carbine chambered in 5.45×39 Russian. The price of the Russian equivalent to our 5.56mm runs about half. Simply put, you can buy 1000 rounds of 5.45×39 for what you’d pay for 500 in .223 Remington. That’s training or practice ammo mind you, match grade and controlled expansion .223 Rem runs much high at about a buck a shot.
Sabre Defense Tactical Rifles
Posted by Brian in Long Guns, Sabre Defense, Warrior Tools on 31/Mar/2010 14:21
Rock River Arms LAR Series
Posted by Brian in Long Guns, Warrior Tools on 31/Mar/2010 14:08
Kel-Tec SU Series
Posted by Brian in Kel-Tec, Long Guns, Warrior Tools on 30/Mar/2010 17:04
Golani Sporter
Posted by Brian in Long Guns, Warrior Tools on 30/Mar/2010 16:45
5.56 and .223 Ammo – Everything You Need to Know
Below are some direct links to an OUTSTANDING FAQ from The Ammo Oracle at AR15.com.
It is a very comprehensive collection of information on .223 and 5.56 ammo.
History and Basic Design of .223 and 5.56 Ammunition.
- What is the history behind the development of the .223/5.56mm round?
- What is the difference between 5.56×45mm and .223 ammo?
- Which should I be looking for in an AR15, a 5.56 NATO or .223 Remington chamber?
- What is the circle-cross stamp on some of my ammo?
- How can I tell if a round is SAAMI, U.S. military, or 5.56 NATO Mil-Spec?
- What is FMJ? JSP? JHP? FMJBT?
- What is “Ballistic Tip” ammo?
- What types of ammo has the US Military used in its M16s and M4s?
- What about Mk262 or Mk262 Mod1?
- What are the dimensional specifications for M855 and M193 casings?
- What is SS-109? Is it the same as M855?
- What type of ammo is current issue for US Military forces?
- Why did the US Military adopt M855 for the M16?
- So why don’t all US military units carry M855?
- Is all SS-109/M855 ammo marked with green bullet tips?
Performance of .223 and 5.56 Ammunition.
- I have my rifle zeroed with M855 ammo. Will any 62gr ammo shoot the same?
- Do M193 and M855 shoot to the same point of impact?
- Ok, what is all this stuff about rifle twists and different ammo?
- OK, that’s complex. Simple question: Can I fire M193 ammo in my 1:7 or 1:9 twist barrel?
- Can I fire M855/SS-109 in my 1:12 twist barrel?
- Will M193 be accurate in a 1:7 or 1:9 twist barrel?
- What twist rate do I want for my rifle?
- What about XM193 from Federal and Q3131a from Winchester? I have heard that some of these don’t meet military specifications, particularly with respect to sealant on the necks and primers?
- Holy earache Batman! This Q3131A/Lake City XM193 is really loud and it launches a FIREBALL from my muzzle! Everyone at the range is looking at me now. What gives?
- Military ammo has flash retardant, right?
- What sort of velocity and ballistics should I expect from military ammo?
- Will Military Ammo wear my favorite National Match/Elite Sniper/$5500 accurized AR rifle out faster?
- What is Moly? What’s it good for?
- Moly sounds hella-cool. I’m going to use it will all my rounds from now on!
Terminal Performance of .223 and 5.56 Ammunition.
- So which ammo is better, M193 or M855? And what is all this discussion about fragmentation? Are these dum-dum bullets?
- So, velocity is a critical component for the wound profile. How fast must the bullet be traveling when it hits its target in order to fragment reliably?
- At what range will M193 fragment? How about M855?
- So do both M193 and M855 fragment the same? How do their wound profiles compare to the FBI requirements?
- Isn’t 7.62 NATO much better for long range penetration than 5.56 anyhow? Why would I want to use 5.56 when I could send 7.62 downrange instead?
- Didn’t tightening the twist rate from 1:14 to 1:12 reduce the wounding potential of M193?
- If I increase spin or barrel twist, won’t that decrease wounding by making a round more stable in tissue?
- Does the 2,700 fps rule apply to all .223 and 5.56 ammo?
- That’s really complicated. Simple question: Why is M193 better than M855?
- But doesn’t M855 penetrate hard objects better than M193?
- I heard that M855 has had serious stopping problems in Afghanistan, and earlier in Somalia. Is this true?
- Is military ammo the best choice for defensive use?
- But what about specialty commercial rounds, like TAP, hollowpoints and softpoints? Aren’t they better than Mil-Spec ammo for defensive use?
- Won’t JSP and JHP rounds be safer indoors? Don’t I have to worry about FMJ rounds going through walls and hurting my family or others?
- I’m concerned about roving packs of zombies driving automobiles after the end of the world as we know it. Since, as everyone knows, you have to make headshots to kill zombies, what ammo should I be using to defeat auto glass and sheet metal?
- So are heavier rounds dead for self-defense purposes?
- What about using Wolf in defensive roles?
- Will M193/M855 penetrate a bulletproof vest?
- My department is considering using 10″ or 11.5″ barrels for our ARs. They are so cool, and everyone knows that all the real go-fast, high-speed, low-drag operators use SBRs. Plus, Robert DeNiro uses one in “Heat.” What’s the best ammo to use to poke big holes in the bad guys with these?
.223 and 5.56 Ammunition Testing
- Is Gelatin testing accurate or what?
- Where can I find reviews of various types of ammo?
- Why should I test new-production ammo? It should work, shouldn’t it?
- How do I make a professional looking/sounding range/ammo report of some ammo I liked/hated?
- What is “B & T Ammo Labs?”
Selection of .223 and 5.56 Ammunition.
- Do I want SS-109 or M855 then?
- What if I want more punch? What should I move up to from 5.56mm?
- Isn’t 5.56 too dangerous to use indoors? Shouldn’t I use a pistol or shotgun instead?
- What is “SHTF” ammo? What is TEOTWAWKI?
- What is the best M193 to get?
- But aren’t all M193 rounds the same? It’s a standard specification, right?
- What is with this goo and the dings on my Lake City Rounds? What is this discoloration on the necks of my Q3131A? Did someone take a blowtorch to it?
- What is the best M855 to get?
- Where can I get some M995 AP?
- Should I leave two tracers at the bottom of my magazine to tell me when I’m out of ammo?
- Isn’t shooting tracers bad for my weapon?
- Can tracers cause fires?
- What is the best round for hunting deer-sized game?
- What is the best round for varmint hunting?
- What is the best round for match use?
- Will steel-jacketed bullets wear out my barrel?
- Is Wolf-brand (or other steel-cased) .223 ammo okay to shoot in my AR15?
- Are there any other factors that might cause me to avoid ammo?
Ammunition recommendations from the authors of the AR15.com Ammo-Oracle.
Purchase and Storage of .223 and 5.56 Ammunition.
- Where can I get military ammo, like M193 and M855?
- What brands of M193 are available?
- What brands of M855 are available?
- Where did all the South African Battlepack Ammo go?
- I’m buying ammo for long-term storage and I have found some surplus ammo cheap. Should I buy that?
- So what should I be paying for ammo?
- I chambered a round in my AR and then unloaded it later. The primer has a small dent in it, apparently from the firing pin. Should I be worried about this? Won’t that cause a slam-fire? Should I switch to a Titanium firing pin?
- How do I store ammo properly?
- Where can I buy ammo cans?
- What is a stripper clip?
- What is a bandoleer?
- Where can I buy stripper clips, guides, bandoleers and related items?
- What is “sealed” ammo? Why does it matter? How can I tell if my ammo is “sealed”?
- What common ammo is properly sealed? Is Wolf/SA/Lake City/M193 properly sealed?
- My wife just got one of those uber-cool vacuum food packers. I was thinking of sneaking into the kitchen and vacuum sealing all my ammo when she goes to watch the kids play soccer this weekend. What do you think?
- OK I’m hyperparanoid. Plus, vacuum packing is cool. Which vacuum packer should I use? How do I get started?
- Can I store ammo pre-loaded in magazines for an extended period of time? Won’t the magazine springs wear out and cause feeding problems? Shouldn’t I rotate my mags?
- Shouldn’t I be loading my mags with a few less rounds? If I load them to capacity doesn’t that cause reliability problems?
Legal questions.
- Isn’t against the Geneva Convention for the military to use hollowpoint or fragmenting ammo?
- Isn’t M855 ammo Armor Piercing (AP) and illegal to possess for non-law enforcement? Isn’t M855/SS-109 restricted to military/law enforcement use? Isn’t SS-109 illegal in Illinois?
- I am never going to use handload/law enforcement only/specialized rounds for self defense because that fact will be used against me in a criminal/civil proceeding to show I am a evil man/woman and be used to imprison/bankrupt me.