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Page AR-15 » Ammunition
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Posted: 5/25/2012 9:39:44 AM EDT
Looking back at prices for this ammo, I see around 2005 and later, it was going for 120 dollars....... for a 300 round pack, and people thought this was a great price... just a few year earlier, it was around $350 for a tub of 9 battle packs.
I saw another site selling it at $150 a battle pack, but no date on the site so I don't know when it was. How high did it go??? At at 2005 prices, I would have thought that was a bit high for surplus. Was it really that good?
I still have a tub of it left that I paid $300 for in the mid 90s (?)  and I thought that was a decent price for plinking ammo,,, but nothing great.
At todays prices 120 per 300 is still a bit high for plinking ammo.






Link Posted: 5/25/2012 10:58:50 AM EDT
[#1]
I would classify it as "plinking ammo" in the sense that it used to be so economical. Not quality wise though.
I know the SA 7.62 X 51 is mil spec, sealed and crimped primer, annealed shoulder ammo packed for long term storage. Basically NATO spec. IIRC, Isn't the SA 5.56 battle pack ammo the same?
In any case, I wish I'd bought a truck load at those early prices when Portugese 7.62 (NATO stamped) and SA 7.62 was <30 cents/rd.
Link Posted: 5/26/2012 10:48:17 AM EDT
[#2]
Yeah, it was about as good as lake city US production ammo.  SA is M193, which is M16-spec ammo.  It's a full hot 55gr military load which predates the 5.56 NATO adoption, and is not 5.56 NATO because it doesn't use the 62gr mild steel penetrator bullet (SS109) which is specified for NATO ammunition like the US M855 cartridge.

While M855 fired out of 1:12 twist M16A1 and earlier barrels does not stablize properly, the opposite is not true - M193 stabilizes just fine through any generation of the M16 family of weapons.

Cheapest I ever got the SA tubs was $269 delivered per tub (2700 rounds), in mid 2001, iirc.

A similar buy could be had on the milspec IMG (Guatemala) M193 ammo in green wooden crates of 1440 rounds, of four 360 round sealed battlepacks with 12 30rd cardboard boxes in each battlepack.  Those were $134.99 delivered, iirc.
Link Posted: 5/26/2012 4:42:02 PM EDT
[#3]
I'm not sure why it was surplused, but my chrono tells me the ES is a tick higher than most other stuff I have.  

That said, the stuff is hot.  Some rounds go over 3400 fps from 20" A1s.  Slow is low 3300s.  

I have 2 unopened tubs - wish I had more.  Should have bought a metric crap-ton when it was $300/tub. Have a fair amount of Radway, Guat, XM855, and UAE.  Despite the velocity ES and age the SA is the very last stuff I will burn up.  

Sam
Link Posted: 5/26/2012 5:19:34 PM EDT
[#4]
Yea, my SA is part of my stash even tho it's a bit old. I'm just afraid in 10 years that we will look back at todays prices and say the same thing.."I wish I had bought"...... but at my age, in 10 years I won't be planning to be Rambo during SHTF.. so just a can full might do me..
Link Posted: 5/26/2012 5:55:19 PM EDT
[#5]
It was as good as any other mil spec XM193. Still got a good bit of it. People like it because of how it was packed. And are willing to pay more for it because of it.
Link Posted: 5/28/2012 8:14:54 AM EDT
[#6]
Berdan primed as I recall...so the case is a write off.

 I surely liked it when it was a dime a round, delivered. Still have a tub full.

FN in MT
Link Posted: 5/28/2012 10:43:45 PM EDT
[#7]
Yeah, it is good stuff.  Still have around 900 rds in my stash.  Price is a little high now when you see it for sell.
Link Posted: 5/29/2012 8:27:32 AM EDT
[#8]
It is decent low end ammo, although better the wolf etc.  But nothing special.  value is the same as any other random lower end 55 fmj minus whatever you think used brass is worth.
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