Q. Will M193 be accurate in a 1:7 or 1:9 twist barrel?It may be marginally less accurate due to the fast twist rate, particularly in 1:7 twist barrels. Unless you're trying to use these rounds for benchrest shooting, though, it shouldn't be enough to matter.
A bullet's flight is disrupted slightly as it leaves the barrel and after traveling some distance, will "settle down" into an even spiral, similar to a thrown football. The faster a bullet is spinning, the longer it takes to settle down. The most accurate twist rate for any length of bullet will be just a bit faster than what is required to stabilize it for its entire flight path (1.3 SG). But note that bullet quality plays a much bigger part in this equation. A uniform bullet will spin true; a non-uniform bullet will wobble and be inaccurate. As a general matter when shooting M193 or M855 (as opposed to match ammo) its better to err on the side of a faster twist rate. Regardless, both 1:9 and 1:7 twists seem to shoot M193 and M855 very well.
Q. 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? You always have to worry about it, of course, but even FMJ 5.56 rounds will have less wound potential after penetrating a wall than even 9mm handgun rounds. Generally after passing through an interior wall or two, 5.56 bullets will have lost enough velocity that resulting wound damage would be greatly diminished. It should be noted, however, that all of the above bullets are still potentially deadly to those on the other side of a wall, so plan accordingly. Interior walls are concealment, NOT cover.
Fact: Evidence increasingly shows that 5.56 FMJ rounds like M193 and M855 are not the over-penetration risk they have often been though of as. In interior wall tests, 5.56 rounds have less wounding potential after wall strikes than any common 9mm or above handgun ammunition and/or 00 Buck shotgun loads. Q. 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 zombies in automobiles?
Without commenting on the wisdom of engaging roving packs of zombies without adult supervision, the best performing rounds, in terms of penetration of 6mm laminated front windscreen auto glass and other automobile structures, are probably the Federal Tactical 55 and 62 grain bonded JSP (LE223T1 and LE223T3).
Be aware, however, that these rounds, topped with Speer's Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet, are designed for penetration and generally do NOT fragment in CQB circumstances.
Unfortunately, Federal Tactical ammo is LEO-only, and while the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet is available in hunting loads and as a reloading component in the 55gr weight, the 62gr version appears to be available only in the Federal Tactical line. TBBC bullets are also extremely expensive, as they are a high-end, low-volume-production item.
Federal Tactical JSP. Q. So are heavier rounds dead for self-defense purposes?
Not really, no.In fact, some more recent work suggests that some heavier, lower velocity rounds are superior in terms of wound ballistics. Current tests of newer, magazine sized 75, 77, 87 and even 100 grain rounds show faster yaw in ballistic gel and much more dramatic fragmentation than M855. Some 75gr open-tip (i.e., JHP) match bullets have performed very well in law enforcement use over the past 5 years or so. Additionally, 77gr open tip match bullets seem to be performing very well for the US military in combat operations since September 11th. Also showing great promise is the 87 gr P.R.L. match round.
Some of these heavier bullets, probably because of their length, maintain their fragmentation down to below 2100 fps and as a result have a much longer range of fragmentation, out to as far as 300 yards.
The flip side is that these heavier bullets will require at least 1 in 7" twists for proper stability, are more expensive than 55 gr. FMJ, and some types aren't widely available as of this writing.
Some of the heavier bullets can offer superior performance, but at an increased cost. In the meantime M193 is probably still your best bet for bulk defensive ammo. Do take note: this does not mean that all heavy rounds are good terminal performers. Bullet construction is far more important than pure weight or velocity.
Perhaps most promising, however, is the 77 grain Nosler NATO loading from Black Hills. (Not to be confused with the 77 grain Sierra Match King which has a longer neck). This particular round has a very short neck, high fragmentation and wonderful muzzle velocity.
Fact: Black Hills loaded 77 gr. MatchKing bullets have already seen extensive combat use by US military special operations units over the past several months. Additionally, there are reports that the Hornady 75 gr. TAP has been successfully used by certain U.S. military units for the past few years.
Opinion: Some reputable testers have described the Black Hills 100 gr. round as the "most impressive performing .223 round we have ever tested." Unfortunately, despite excellent close-range performance, this experimental bullet was dropped due to concerns of over-pressure loads and "rainbow-like" trajectories at ranges beyond 100m.
Fact: From a 16" barrel the 77 grain round tested above was still at 2400-2450 fps at 200 meters--and still fragmenting. The 100 grain round was still fragmenting at 2100fps at 200 meters from a 16" barrel.
Q. What about using Wolf in defensive roles? Probably not the best idea.
Wolf is generally underpowered for a Mil-Spec 5.56mm round and velocity, so critical to wound profile in FMJ rounds, suffers as a result. Additionally, the gilding-metal jacket used on Wolf bullets is thicker and therefore more resistant to fragmentation.
In our gel tests, fragmentation of 55 grain FMJBT Wolf and wound volume were both lacking, and we wouldn't recommend it for defensive purposes, particularly not where at least M193 is available at a reasonable cost.
Unfired Wolf and a Wolf FMBTJ round after a close encounter with ballistic gelatin at 2885 fps. The round was fired from a 16" barrel at a mere 16 feet and still did not exhibit substantial fragmentation.
Q. Will M193/M855 penetrate a bulletproof vest? That depends.
Bulletproof vest standards in the United States are set and administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research and development branch of the Department of Justice (DOJ). The NIJ does a variety of studies including everything from testing stun guns and facial recognition technology to proposing the best communication equipment for law enforcement agencies. NIJ standards for Bulletproof vests and gear are defined in the new "Ballistic Resistance of Personal Body Armor," NIJ Standard-0101.04.
Generally speaking Type III-A armor is the about all that one can expect to encounter concealed. If you don't see armor, you know it's not type III or IV as Types III and IV are both so bulky as to have to be deployed as tactical vest type armors. Types III and IV require the use of "rifle plates" to stop rifle rounds. In general Type III armor employs a steel rifle plate over the chest. Type IV armor uses ceramic plates.
M193 and M855 at anything greater than 2200 fps will generally defeat all body armor up to and including Type IIIA. How much damage those rounds will do AFTER penetration is guesswork. In shorter barrels (14.5" and below) that damage is likely to be limited and wound profiles in such instances will resemble .22LR hits. With higher velocities it's still hard to imagine explosive fragmentation at anything but point blank range but M193 and M855 will certainly defeat all soft armor.
It is worth noting that Type IV armor is only required to withstand ONE hit in the specification. Many ceramic armor plates are designed to shatter on the impact of a round and lose their ballistic protection as a result.
(As a data point, one test on Chinese steel core 7.62×39mm ammo against a sheet of auto glass, in front of two pieces of sheet metal, two pieces of level IIA body armor, heavy denim, penetrated all barriers and then into the gelatin four inches).
Left: Type IIIA body Armor, Right: A Type III rifle plate struck with two rounds of:
M193 (upper right) M855 (Lower Right) 7.62 NATO (Left) at 25 feet.
(Plate photo courteously provided by and Copyright BulletProofME.com Body Armor)
Fact: NIJ's first standard, 0101.00, Ballistic Resistance of Police Body Armor, was published in March 1972.
A revised standard, STD-0101.01 was published in
December 1978. In March 1985, NIJ amended the standard, issuing STD-0101.02 to take into account armors' susceptibility to angle shots and multi-shot assaults. STD-0101.03 was released in 1987. Ballistic Resistance of Personal Body Armor, NIJ Standard-0101.04 was published in 2000 and is the first revision in 13 years.
NIJ Standard-0101.04 establishes six formal armor classification types, as well as a seventh special type, as follows:
Type I (.22 LR; .380 ACP). This armor protects against .22 long rifle lead round nose (LR LRN) bullets, with nominal masses of 2.6 g (40 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 320 m/s (1050 ft/s) or less and against .380 ACP full metal jacketed round nose (FMJ RN), with nominal masses of 6.2 g (95 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft/s) or less.
Type II-A (9mm; .40 S&W). This armor protects against 9mm full metal jacketed round nose (FMJ RN) bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 332 m/s (1090 ft/s) or less and
.40 S&W caliber full metal jacketed (FMJ) bullets, with nominal masses of 11.7 g (180 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against Type I threats.
Type II (9mm; .357 Magnum). This armor protects against 9mm full metal jacketed round nose (FMJ RN) bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 358 m/s (1175 ft/s) or less and
.357 Magnum jacketed soft point (JSP) bullets, with nominal masses of 10.2 g (158 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against Type I and Type IIA threats.
Type III-A (High Velocity 9mm; .44 Magnum). This armor protects against 9mm full metal jacketed round nose (FJM RN) bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft/s) or less and .44 Magnum jacketed hollow point (JHP) bullets, with nominal masses of 15.6 g (240 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against most handgun threats, as well as the Type I, II-A and II threats.
Type III (Rifles). This armor protects against 7.62mm full metal jacketed (FMJ) bullets (U.S. military designation M80), with nominal masses of 9.6 g (148 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 838 m/s (2750 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against Type I through III-A threats.
Type IV (Armor Piercing Rifle). This armor protects against .30 caliber armor piercing (AP) bullets (US military designation M2 AP), with nominal masses of 10.8 g (166 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of
869 m/s (2850 ft/s) or less. It also provides at least single-hit protection against the Type I through III threats.
Fact: Take a look at the very extensive history of body armor and the testing methods at the NIJ's official standard publication site.
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles1/nij/189633.txtQ. 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?We dislike this question. We dislike it because of its premise. The premise is that 10" or 11.5" barrels are good choices for law enforcement or defensive use. We strongly disagree with this premise. Some of us actually dislike even 14.5" barrels, in fact.
The primary wounding mechanism for .223 and 5.56 ammunition is fragmentation. The primary factor in fragmentation is velocity. The primary velocity booster is barrel length. 11.5" barrels barely bring milspec (NATO) 55 grain FMJ to 2700 fps (the critical fragmentation threshold for many FMJ .223 rounds). Accordingly, any distance at all drops the rounds below fragmentation velocity. 10" barrels are unlikely to ever get rounds above fragmentation velocity at all.
If you are saddled with a department mandated SBR we recommend the following:
1. A marathon letter writing campaign citing the Ammo Oracle often persuading the powers that be to see reason and potentially save lives by giving you REAL weapons, not toys.
2. Use heavier rounds known to fragment at lower velocities and do more tissue damage such as:
68 grain Hornady Match OTM
69 grain SMK OTM
75 grain Hornady TAP
77 grain Nosler OTM
Obviously, you should probably have a 1:7" twist.
Under no circumstances should you take comfort in the assurances your armorer gives you that the latest soft point or hollow point law enforcement specialty round will solve the problem. Most likely it will not. Soft point and hollow point rounds lack penetration even at high velocity. Because they are not prone to yawing or fragmentation lower velocities will not increase penetration as with many fragmenting rounds.
.223 and 5.56 Ammunition Testing
Q. Is Gelatin testing accurate or what? Many scholarly studies have shown that, for the most part, properly chilled ballistic gelatin simulates average penetration in tissue. Obviously, softer tissue (lungs, abdomen) will have more penetration while denser tissue (muscle) will exhibit less. For the most part, however, gelatin testing is a good indicator of how a round will perform on average in tissue. Built into the expectations for a successful gel test are margins for performance. 12" of penetration as an expectation (the FBI standard) is intended to cover the vast majority of shooting situations. While every ballistic encounter is unique, rounds that perform consistently well in properly prepared and calibrated gelatin can be expected to perform similarly well in actual tissue.
Often we see makers, backyard experts and others shooting things like a rib roast, a slab of beef or other strange food items (our favorite is fruit) and attempting to compare these results to results in human tissue. We also see people comparing deer results with results they expect in humans. "I killed a dozen deer with it... it must be a man stopper."
This is, unfortunately, folly. Deer, to begin with, have SUBSTANTIALLY different anatomies than humans (surprise surprise). The distance in tissue to vital organs is different, bone density is different, the location and strength of CNS structures is different, as is the vascular system. Further, because the CNS structures of deer are somewhat more primitive and less intricate than those of humans, they are far less fragile in some places, far more fragile in others. What works in deer may or may not work in humans. The same goes for hogs, varmints, pigs, dogs, zombies (headshots only please), and aliens (particularly grey skins- go for the big eyes, not center mass).
Likewise shooting a side of beef isn't good for much but making hamburger.
Why gel? Gel can be made consistent. We can compare apples to apples with gel and see that one round performs in it better than another. It is transparent and so we can measure ACTUAL wound cavities rather than just a gaping exit hole. Fragments are left behind in gel much as in tissue so we can measure fragmentation, and finally, properly calibrated gel has been linked by at least six studies to performance in human tissue. This bears repeating because many people choose to ignore this. Performance in properly calibrated gel simulates very closely performance in human tissue in test after test.
The trick with gel is asking "was the gel properly prepared and shot?"
When looking at test information focus on several factors:
1. Was the gelatin calibrated right before testing? Calibration is accomplished by firing a .177 cal BB into the gel and measuring penetration. Proper penetration indicates that the gel is of a known density and can be used to measure penetration accurately.
2. Was the gel prepared properly? Proper gel preparation is important to gel testing and professional experimenters will always note that the gel was prepared according to particular specifications.
3. Was the gel stored properly. Proper gel storage is also important and professional experimenters should note how their gel was stored prior to shooting.
Q. Where can I find reviews of various types of ammo? Besides the AR15.com Ammunition forum, which will often have information on the ammo types currently available from distributors, check here:
http://www.aaconsult.com/ammoreview Q. Why should I test new-production ammo? It should work, shouldn't it?It should work fine and it usually will, but any company can (and has) put out bad batches of ammo. Plus, some rifles are marginal and you may find that some ammo isn't reliable in your rifle. Always test your ammo before committing it to storage or duty use.
Fact: Testing and reporting results is a great way to contribute to the community. Good range reports help us all spot good and bad ammo.
Q. How do I make a professional looking/sounding range/ammo report of some ammo I liked/hated? The best range reports will list:
Conditions: Temperature, humidity, wind, altitude. (These are very important)
Type of Ammo: Manufacturer, weight, bullet type (M193/M855 hollow point, boat tail, full metal jacket, etc.), year of manufacture, lot number (lot number is important).
Results: Velocity, size of groups, range of the target. (You'd be surprised how many people report 1" groups and then fail to report that they were shooting at 25 yards). Groups should be at least 5 rounds, preferably 10. If you are using a chronograph, velocity should at least include a list of all the rounds timed and if you have the time, average, high, low and standard deviation.
Try to use the standard chronograph distance: 15 feet from the muzzle. This makes it very easy to compare your results to military and other tests which use 15 feet as a standard. Technically, M855 is measured from 78 feet according to the spec (no, we have no clue why) but it's easy to adjust 15 foot figures to 78 feet and 15 feet is probably much safer for your chrono screens.
Other observations: Excessive flash, slow primers, reliability, any failures or malfunctions.
All these details will permit other shooters to assess the ammunition you tested.
Opinion: A good example range report (courtesy of AR15.com's own t38tallon):
Here are the results of my testing of Lake City XM193
(Lot-1) ammo.
Firearm-Bushmaster M4, 14.5" barrel, (1-9")
Brass Headstamp-00, 01
Temperature-62-65 deg F
Altitude Above SL-100'
Number of shots in test-10
Target Distance-100Y
Sights-Open from bench rest
Velocity Measured with a Chrony @ 10' from muzzle.
High Velocity-3087 fps
Low Velocity-3030 fps
Average Velocity-3053 fps (10 shots)
Accuracy-Good, at approx 2" Q. What is B & T Ammo Labs?
B & T Ammo Labs is AR15.com's home grown ammo lab. It does gelatin and performance testing primarily on rifle ammo. It was formed originally by AR15.com's Derek F. and Tatjana out of an increasing need for terminal performance information on newer and heavier rifle rounds in .223 to determine the ideal self-defense loading to replace M193.
Now B & T Ammo Labs serves as a clearing house for ammo testing information, terminal performance review and a forum for reader ammo testing contributions. It is dedicated to brining terminal performance information and ammunition and other equipment reviews to the AR15.com community.
B & T Ammo Labs is happy to take reader submissions. Mail them for more info at:
[email protected].
Visit: B & T Ammo Labs.
Selection of .223 and 5.56 Ammunition.
Q. Do I want SS-109 or M855 then? Between the two? Probably M855. As noted you never know for sure what your going to get with loads that are only marked SS-109. M855 shouldn't cause you any problems and is generally well liked by AR15 shooters. Don't worry if ammo is labeled as SS-109/M855. That should be M855 spec. Note: M855 is effectively a implementation of the SS-109 interoperability standard (so all NATO members can shoot each other's ammo). The US, however, requires stricter standards in M855 and as a result, M855 manufacturers generally load their rounds to hit at least 3000 fps at 78 feet from the muzzle. The SS-109 specification had a lower 2985 fps requirement and British SS-109 rounds are slower still (2700-2800) to deal with the SA80 rifles.
Opinion: Some British SS-109 reportedly is underloaded (in order to permit proper operation in the L-85 Bullpup also called the SA-80 rifle) and therefore causes some short cycling in Bushmasters and Colts and isn't likely a good choice for emergency or critical use ammo.
Q. What if I want more punch? What should I move up to from 5.56mm?If you are looking for more effective terminal performance you probably have to move up to 7.62 NATO or a 12ga shotgun. In 12ga, the Choke #00 "Precision Bonded" Buckshot appears to be among the best performers. Brenneke slugs are a good choice when penetration through intermediate barriers is required. Moving up to a 16-18" rifle chambered for 7.62 NATO might be a good alternative--as long as ammunition is carefully selected for optimal performance. In 7.62 NATO, the bullets with the best terminal performance include plastic tip bullets such as the 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip and 155 gr Hornady AMAX (they have dramatic fragmentation and usually maintain 13-15" of penetration in gel testing), as well as the 165 gr Sierra GameKing softpoint. Obviously, any of these combinations will be better for defeating barriers--particularly windscreen autoglass--than 5.56 mm, and accordingly should be more carefully deployed with an eye towards indoor overpenetration.
5.56 LC'00 (left) and 7.62 NATO Hirt (Right)
Q. Isn't 5.56 too dangerous to use indoors? Shouldn't I use a pistol or shotgun instead?Virtually any kind of ammo, with the exception of light bird shot, will easily penetrate typical wall construction (two layers of wall-board separated by 3 to 4 inches of space). Testing has shown, however, that after penetrating a typical interior wall, a 5.56mm projectile will have less wounding potential than most common handgun or buckshot loads. This is true because the low mass of the bullet sheds velocity quickly, and velocity is its key wounding component. This doesn't mean that 5.56mm ammo isn't still potentially deadly, but that the severity of an injury is likely to be less from a 5.56mm bullet than from a 9mm, .40, .45, or #00 buckshot round. What is important is not the degree to which these rounds penetrate, but their "ex post lethality" or their lethality AFTER encountering wallboard or other cover/concealment.
The difference is so significant that the FBI and other ballistic experts recommend that law enforcement transition to handguns to "dig suspects out" of cover because of the superior penetration and wounding ability of handgun rounds over 5.56 or .223.
This, along with the increasing number of lawsuits from "friendly fire" submachine gun victims and 5.56mm's ability to penetrate ballistic vests, are some of the reasons that many SWAT teams are transitioning away from the 9mm MP5 and selecting 5.56mm carbines instead.
This is understandable given the longer barrel length and therefore higher velocity and consequently higher penetration of handgun rounds in submachine guns.
If our experience on the forums are accurate, most shot gunners and submachine gun fans receive this news poorly. It does seem counterintuitive since 5.56mm is a "high powered round." All we can say to this is that the FBI FTU fired hundreds of rounds through carefully constructed wall sections and then into gel. Ignore these results at your own peril.
Fact: Interestingly enough, in FBI Firearms Training Unit tests show that submachinegun and handgun rounds penetrated more on average than .223/5.56mm rounds in typical interior construction and tissue.
Opinion: Generally high velocity rifle rounds fragment so readily that over-penetration in an urban (indoor) setting is LESS dangerous than with handgun or submachinegun rounds like 9mm, 10mm, .40S&W, etc. 5.56 FMJ rounds will do more penetrating than JHP and JSP rounds but still are generally safer for interior use- insofar as bystanders are concerned.
Q. What is "SHTF" ammo? What is "TEOTWAWKI? "SHTF" is an acronym for the "[censored] Hits The Fan," meaning a natural disaster, a catastrophic breakdown in civil service, a military takeover, a New World Order, or an invasion by brain eating zombies that makes life an exercise in "every man for himself." (Also known as "The End Of The World As We Know It" or TEOTWAWKI--easily characterized as akin to a third NSYNC and Britney Spears tour.) Of course, depending on your view of the goodness (or lack thereof) of man, you may or may not consider a SHTF scenario likely. It is worth noting, however, that the New York blackout, the LA riots, earthquakes, and other fairly recent breakdowns in social fabric have all made the prepared feel pretty good about having a little SHTF ammo around. It all depends on your tin-foil hat quotient™.
Regardless of your politics, SHTF ammo is a good term to use to refer to ammo stored away (perhaps underground), "just in case." Criteria for good SHTF selections are obviously: Storage/durability, cost, defensive performance as an antipersonnel round, reliability, reliability, and reliability. This is ammo that--quite simply--just has to go bang every single time without fail.
As a general matter, new manufacture (i.e., less than 3 years old when you buy it) military-spec ammo is probably the best for SHTF use. The bullets and primers are sealed, they may have flash reducing powder formulas, they are loaded a bit hotter than commercial ammo, designed for storage under military (read: non-ideal) conditions, non-corrosive, cheap ($0.10 - $0.14 a round if you buy in quantity), and have good antipersonnel properties.
SHTF sort of supposes that you will be a lone actor, that engagements will be inside of 150 yards, and that you'll be in an urban or suburban environment. Of course, we tend to like M193 for these purposes. M193 has the added benefit of working in a wide variety of weapons and rifling twists, making it a good trade commodity, and flexible in whatever 5.56 weapon you're likely to get your hands on.
Opinion: Don't buy anything from late 1999.
Some purists might tell you that anything of late 1999 manufacture is likely to suffer from quality control issue because of the rush of many manufacturers to meet Y2K demand.
Opinion: You should probably avoid surplus ammo since there is no telling how it has been stored over the last many years.
Opinions (Pro and Con):
5.56 is not good SHTF ammo.
5.56 doesn't penetrate enough, it doesn't defeat light cover and the lack of fragmentation at range of FMJ rounds means that 7.62 is a better choice.
5.56 is best for SHTF.
5.56 is light, more of it can be carried, light recoil means faster shot recovery for follow-ups and it performs just fine inside of 200 meters. Since SHTF engagements aren't likely to exceed that there is no reason to use 7.62.