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Posted: 3/1/2006 8:08:15 AM EDT
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Since the previous poll about Sellier&Bellot has been archived, I have started a new thread to collect more information as this ammunition is still for sale, and questions come up at least once a week in the ammo forum. The previous results were: 361 TOTAL votes 292 Have Not had any problems at all 35 Had some problems, but would continue to use the ammunition 34 Have had major problems, and would not use the ammunition again IF YOU HAVE ALREADY VOTED IN THE PREVIOUS POLL, PLEASE DO NOT VOTE AGAIN. I will add the totals and generate a correct count for the ranking in the Ammunition review thread Please add your personal experience with SELLIER&BELLOT ammunition to this thread. When you do, please give information about: 1) Firearm used in 2) Approximate number of rounds fired. 3) Ammunition type (55gr, 62gr) I am trying to solicit only information about your PERSONAL experience with this ammunition. If you haven't used it, then please don't clutter up the thread. Information about proper functioning (or lack thereof) is obviously the most important, but factors such as the accuracy or other peculiarities you've noticed are informative also. If you have had problems with this ammo which were severe enough to cause you to stop using this ammo, then please describe them. And one more minor request: keep your reviews objective. |
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Summary of comments from the archive server: DaPhotoGuy: 1) Ammunition used: SS109 2) Fireare used: DPMS Lo-Pro Classic, 16" non chromed 3) Approximate number of rounds fired: 100 rounds with one blown primer. bdorrman: Altogether I've used about 750 rnds of their M193 ammo in my Bushmaster A2 Shorty. No malfunctions of any sort and as I reload, I'm kind of partial to their brass in both 5.56 and .45ACP. RussB: (1) Ammunition used (M193, SS109) Both (2) Firearm used in RRA CAR UTE (3) Approximate number of rounds fired. 1000 rounds of .223, 80 rounds of SS109. The SS109 is some of the most accurate ammo I've fired out of my Rock River. No problems at all. Consistent, clean ammo. I would & will buy S&B .223/5.56 ammo again. 2Manchu: S&B M193: 1000-rds "" SS109: 250-rds. Olympic CAR97M4 No problems, will buy more. imposter: 1)M193 2)Bushmaster 20" 3)1,000 It worked fine but I had some cases split, which made me nervous. Charging_Handle: I've fired probably 300 rounds of their SS109 stuff through a Colt 20" HBAR. While I bought it reluctantly when I couldn't have any luck finding IMI at the time, I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by it's performance. It was accurate, hot and reliable. I'm not saying I would give up IMI for this brand, but my experience suggests it isn't quite as bad as what I have been led to believe. I also probably would not recommend the cases as a reloaders dream either. AR15fan: I tried 1000 rounds of S&B SS109. It worked fine in my OLY MFR and Colt M4. mr_wilson: 223 = SS109 & 55FMJ, several 1000 rounds of each w/ no problems 45cap = 230grn. FMJ, 2-3 1000 rounds, no problems 9mm = 115grn. FMJ, 4-5 1000 rounds, no problems 380 = 90grn. FMJ, 3-4 100 rounds, no problems 12GA = Rubber BS, 1/2 25 rounds box, no problems Mike XzombeeX: Tried a mixed bag of S&B and PMC (both 55gr) this weekend in my 6.5" Oly. (9.5" fake suppressor / Predator Rail / Pneumatic Buffer). Bang bang click (eject). Bang click(eject). Bang Bang Bang click (eject). All unfired S&B on the ground w/ deep primer strikes. All PMC-- empty cases. I'll stick with PMC. rolex_20001: 1) Ammunition used (M193)Lot #323/4 2) in GAU-5 11 1/4 bbl class 3 3) Approximate number of rounds fired. 1600 out to 2000. Rounds printed a 2-3 inch group supported open sights. I have a elcon but have not used it on this weapon. In the process of bldg a M4gery. and will test the last 400 with the M4 and elcon Fat_Boy: My friend and I have used about 10k of S&B. About 3k of that was the 5.56 55gr. Out of the total 10k we have only had ONE bad round, 5.56. I noticed a primer that was not seated "properly" while loading my mag. It may have gone bang, but I tossed it. No need to take a chance. I have had no FTF or FTE or any other problems at all. Recoil and flash are less then the Fed XM 193 that I have. Group size is the same (1.5"@100y), but the POI is a little different. This all out of a Bushy 16", 3.5x ACOG w/ triangle. The triangle is nice and quick, but not a great choice for shooting groups. My friends 20" HBAR, 4x ACOG w/ standard crosshairs will shot 1"@ 100y. I don't reload, so I can't comment on the quality of the brass. FB warhorse: Colt A3 16" HBAR Standard S&B FMJ A bunch of them Great plinking round no problems whatsoever. Cheap too. mattja: The SS109 runs fines in my Colt and DPMS frankengun. Never tried it in the match rifle, of course. AnttiS: I have shot maybe 500 rounds of S&B M193 with my SAR-80. The only problem I have experienced is that there seems to be one rounf for every 100 rnds that will not go BANG. There is something wrong with the primer I suppose. Some rounds like this will work if I give them a second chance, others never. I haven´t had any problems with other brands of ammunition like IMI, PMP and PMC. I do have a lighter hammer spring in my rifle. I have heard similar happening to a friend of mine too. Strudle54: 500+/- M193 Brass not the steel stuff, never had a problem. -knock on wood- Out of bushy 16" Ops: S&B SS109 is someof the most accurate ammo we have tested, consistent 1 MOA groups from 3 different ARs. (2 Bushmaster A2 20", one 16" Frankengun of undetermined lineage.) The "M193" has a heavily copper plated steel jacket, otherwise near spec and just over MOA in the same rifles. I have had no failures of any kind in about 1K rounds, nor have any of my associates for about 5k total. Its my preferred ammo. Ops SeanT: 1. M193 steel case 2. Bushmaster 20" 3. 500 I've had several problems with this ammo. The spent case sometimes gets stuck in the chamber and I have to ram a cleaning rod down the barrel to fix it. I also had a major jam once, a round got loose in the receiver and when the bolt was moving forward it hit the cartridge and it was now firmly wedged in there, it would NOT move. I had to take it home and it required a hammer and a screwdriver and lots of time to fix. Needless to say, I don't use their .223 steel case M193 anymore. But I do like their 9mm and .45 ACP brass ammo. ChadInOKC: DPMS A15 16". This stuff worked great except for a few of the primers were blown off. Went about 200 rounds with this stuff. JoeInCT: M193 - 200 rds - DPMS Classic A2 HBAR, dry 75* day - No issues at all, brass really launches, hotter & cleaner than both FAE 223 & XM-193, VG accuracy at 100 & 200 meters, and same/better price than both locally in box qty. Very satisfied. Will buy again. Ag_Bullet: At least a case of "M193" through my 20" DPMS, no problems, good (not great) accuracy. dbshabo: I've put ~1K rounds of the M193 thru my Bushy 20" and 16" with maybe 4 FTF's. My rifles eat it up and it groups MUCH better than the other 'cheap' ammo that I have tried. This 'cheap' ammo does not include XM193 or Q3131A. They are my prefered choices. For the $ I love S&B. Shabo Torf: I have shot hundreds of rounds of this stuff: 1. Very accurate for plinker ammo 2. Penetration is better than M193 spec ammo due to bullet construction 3. Brass is bad. Split necks after 1 firing are too common. This brass is unsuitable for reloading. I have taken a few S&B cases to make dummy rounds though. All in all, it is good plinking ammo, and don't reload the cases. It is cheaper, than some but not as cheap as others. cnorton: Bushmaster 16" AK .223 - 1000 rnds. M193 - No problems. bought 1000 more rnds. Beretta 92FS 9mm - 115gr - 800 rnds. No problems. Benelli M1S90 12Ga - #4 buckshot - Cycles ok. Very dirty. It is supposed to be 2 3/4" but is a tad LONG and will only go 6 + 1 in my 7 + 1 Benelli. Benelli owners beware. NESurvival" 55gr FMJ 20" A2 HBAR: Blown and flattened primers. phoenix27: Have shot 2,000+ rounds of their .223/M193 ammo via a Colt 20" HBAR and Bushmaster Shorty AK. Had only one problem with a squibb round that blew up one of the guns and almost killed me. Surviving that experience, S&B bought me a new upper after I provided eyewitness accounts and photos of the event. The ammo is a bit underpowered compared to WIN Q3131A or the South African surplus stuff, but shoots very straight. I was able to put 50/50 in a 2-inch diameter 10-ring using my Bushy Shorty AK at 50m with 37X (in a 1-inch X-ring) using open sights. This is as accurate as it gets for my money using a short 14.5-inch barrel and a stiff crosswind. Still have 1,000-rounds of the stuff left and it's great for the range. Self-defense? Give me the WIN Q3131A that has a higher velocity and will break up upon impact with a bad guy. I have shot about 1,000-rounds of their 9MM and 40 S&W pistol ammo with perfect results and no problems. The 9MM/115-gr seems a bit on the hot side and the 40 S&W/180-gr seems like it's a dog on the slow side. Taxman: I have fired probaly 1000 5.56 in 55Gr and SS109, and about 1000 9mm, no porblems except for 1 9mm round was not set properly. DPeacher: 1) Ammunition used (M193, SS109). SS109 2) Firearm used in. Armalite 20" M15A4 3) Approximate number of rounds fired. 2000 No malfunctions of any kind. 3MOA. Buey: 1. M193 2. Bushmaster A1 3. 5000 rnds frozenny: Hi Guys: S&B steel cased 55 fmj, lacquered, packaged 8 boxes of 140 rounds (loose) per case. Bought 5 cases at the astounding price of $25.00 PER CASE. Fired some 600 rounds +/-, in Colt 20" HBAR Match Target. No failures. Seems very dirty, and accuracy is mediocre at best. Please note: I've previously purchased S&B ammo, clearly marked Non-Corrosive/Non-erosive that in use was actually found to have some major mystery priming issue that caused all sorts of corrosion and fouling. S&B, as is typical of their firm, refused to acknowledge the problem, or to even examine the ammo and test it. I'll hold what I have. It's junk ammo, but it serves as a decent little stockpile. Better than nothing. But I'm certainly not buying more. ProCharger: (1) Ammunition used....M193 (2) Firearm used in....Armalite Eagle Arms M-15 carbine (3) Approximate number of rounds fired....300 Stuff shot great every time out....not a single misfire or single loading failure. I will definately buy again. Brett MTNmyMag: RRA 16" upper Bushy lower 2k plus rounds very accurate in my set up no problems at all love it buying more MEH92: Ammo: M193 Gun: 10.5" barel w/ 5.5" FS "commando" upper (non-chromed), PWA lower Magazines: various USGI and Colt Ar-15 Rounds: 1000 S&B seems to have a strange stink to it when fired. It also seemed a little dirtier than Federal XM193. The ammunition worked perfectly, though. I prefer Federal XM193, but wouldn't hesitate to use S&B. Paul: Armalite M15 SPR 55 grain green-box A few thousand rounds without problem C5TT: 1) M193 2) AR15 '16 M4 BBL 1:9 3) 600rnds Zero problems TacticalMan: 1) M193 2) 20" & 16" ARs 3) 1,700 About 1 dead primer every 400 rounds (4 total so far). No cracked case necks until 4th firing of reloaded cases. Accurate enough for practice, brass nice enough to reload for competition. Have shot and reloaded one lot 4x so far, before I got any cracked case necks. Brass is in nice condition out of rifle, slight rim lifts and ejector scrapes out of carbine. compuvette: .223 55gr FMJ 2000 rounds-ish Full auto out of reg M16 no problems - will buy again 9mm 115gr FMJ 2000 rounds Full-auto out of reg MP5K no problems - will buy again StealthyBlagga: Bought 1000rnds of 55grnFMJ ~18months ago, out of which roughly half-a-dozen had backwards primers. The rest of the batch had no problems and shot fine, but the fact of the backwards primers left me disinclined to buy more. MrCraigCraig: 1) Ammunition used (M193, SS109) 2) Firearm used in 3) Approximate number of rounds fired. 1) Sellier & Bellot, NP 39.51 20 pcs 223 REMINGTON (5,56 x 45 mm) Bullet: Type FMJ - M 193/No 2903, Weight: 3,6g 55gr Primer: 4,4 Boxer Stamped into the top flap of the green cardboard box: 347/36 Printed below the stamped information: T. C. 0 5271 - 2 Headstamp: S&B (a symbol that looks like a circle wearing a crown) 223 REM 2) Bushmaster XM15E2S, 20" Barrel 3) 60 cartridges No malfunctions. Fired for familiarization, plinking and initial evaluation. Point of impact correlated nicely with point of aim established using other ammunition. I've only fired 60 of the 200 cartridges initially purchased. I'm satisfied with the function. I may test for accuracy later, but I was hitting with enough regularity that my evaluation session was almost boring. I observed a scent similar to rotten eggs (a.k.a. "cat piss"). Price was right and service was good from Natchez Shooters Supplies (www.natchezss.com). I'm satisfied. RaynoEleven I shot about a thousand rounds of .223 S&B about three years ago. No problems at all. bigbore Great ammo in all calibers. Roentgen Shot Sellier & Bellot ammo in 9mm Para, .45 ACP, and .223. No problems whatsoever. Troy Be very careful. S&B ammo is normally loaded with copper-plated-steel-jacketed bullets, not gilding-metal (i.e., copper alloy) jackets. As such, it is not safe to use this ammo for shooting at steel targets, as the ricochet danger is very great. Several years back, when S&B's brass-cased ammo was first imported, folks started bringing this stuff to shooting schools, and there were a number of injuries, cuts primarily, from pieces of bullets bouncing back to the shooting line when fired at steel targets (plates, pepper poppers, etc.). Most schools have banned S&B ammo for this reason. During the dry season, the steel jackets are also a fire hazzard, as the jackets will cause sparks when hitting rocks. Every year, steel-jacketed ammo causes range fires, and last year, one of the big SoCal wildfires was started by steel-jacketed ammo. Finally, these bullets will not fragment in tissue, and will perform much like the Wolf ammo did in the B&T Ammo Labs tests. Just keep these factors in mind when using any steel-jacketed ammo. A magnet can be your friend. Torf I bought a bunch a few years ago in .223 and have shot most of it up. It functions good and is pretty accurate for plinking ammo. I do have a problem with the brass though. Many once fired cases have splits around the neck. I would NOT even think about reloading it. None of my splits were serious, as they were limited to the neck. I have shot many of these rounds through MGs and Semi-Autos, and there have been no significant failures. Again, my experience is mostly limited to .223. Keiler Fired .223/5.56 M193 type in my SL8-5. No problems, and yes its pretty hot compared to other factory loads, still pretty decent accuracy, around 1,5-2" at 100m (G36 scope). Dont know how many rounds, but its in the 3 digits range. dbshabo I have put ~1500 S&B 55gr .223 (mint green box) rounds thru my 2 Bushy's (one 20", one 16") with maybe 2 FTF's. No complaints from me other than the price has gone up to where I don't consider it cheap ammo anymore. texassooner Put 860 rds of that stuff through my bushy over the past three weeks. It was the newer green box stuff. I also use alot of the 30 carbine stuff for my m2. Never had a problem with it at all. Taxman I have shot the 55 and 62 grain brass cased rounds with no problems in close to 1000 rounds. akconvert I had one round go "pop" When I took it out everything was intact except the primer had blown out of the back of the case. When I looked into the primer pocket I realized they hadn't punched a hole into the interior of the case for the flash to go through to the powder. tonymel19 1) EA J-15 cast lower with Bushmaster 16-inch M4-profile bbl 2) 100 rounds 3) 55gr FMJ/M193 Ambient temp was ~37F. Accuracy was very good compared to Wolf. No problems whatsoever. I paid $120/1000rds. I have 2 more unopened cases. Boxes are new yellow & green boxes. Spectre1 I have fired a few thousand rounds of the 55gr .223, and very little of the 62gr .223 without any problems. (Bushmaster) Forest I bought a couple hundred rounds of S&B M855 type ammo. I had no problems with it and it chronoed to M855 spec. Ops Some friends did some accuracy testing with S&B SS109 and were pleasantly surprised, 1 MOA groups out to 300 meters with several ARs. Great Stuff. Ops davis9588 shot about 2-300 rds of 55grain, with no problems whatsoever... thru Busy m-4gery..16". Purchased 800rds of the 62grain S&B, have yet to shoot any of though. Burns cleaner than Winchester though The_Beer_Slayer had several rounds of the commercial .223 seprate after firing. The brass is complete crap. DO NOT RELOAD IT. CarbineMonoxide Absolutely no reliability problems after 5,000 rounds from Olympic Arms ICR 16" bbl. Very satisfied with accuracy, but have never done much bullseye /benchrest shooting or compared against another brand. Pretty nasty ammonia smell during high volume shooting. I am sticking with S&B for 223 JohnParis 200 rounds in .223 - 5.56, M193, fired through a 11,5 barrel. Fail to feed every 2 or 3 rounds. Work better with the can on the gun (Brugger and Thomet vortex II), but the ammonia smell is a real, real problem in this configuration. Peter556 I have shot approx. 250 rounds of the "M193" version through my 3 bushys with no problems. Brass has always be bright/shiny and not a sinfle malf. AnthonyL I ran 300 rounds of the newer S&B (yellow and green box) .223 M193 ammo through my Colt M4 last weekend with not one issue. Every round fired perfect. |
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Okay, this will take a while: 2,000 rounds 45 ACP 230 gr FMJ in a ParaOrdnance P14.45 ACCURATE, no problems 1,000 rounds 7.62x25 85gr FMJ in CZ-52 and Tokarev no problems 2,000 rounds 9mm Luger 115gr FMJ in CZ-52, Tokarev, Hi-Point carbine, and Kahr PM-9 ACCURATE, no problems 200 rounds .38 special 158gr LRN in colt magnum carry, ruger redhawk no problems 50 rounds .38 special 158gr FMJ used in ruger redhawk not very accurate, steel jacket, range not happy 50 rounds .357 mag 158gr FMJ used in ruger redhawk steel jacket, range not happy 300 rounds 9mm makarov 95gr FMJ used in Bulgy Makarov ACCURATE, no problems 100 rounds 12 gauge 2 3/4 buckshot used in Benelli Nova kicks like a mule, no problems 100 rounds .410 000 buckshot used in crack barrel, and saiga .410 no problems 100 rounds .410 00 buckshot used in crack barrel and saiga .410 no problems 60 rounds .223 62gr ss109 used in AR15 no problems 500 rounds .30 carbine 110gr FMJ used in ruger blackhawk and m1 carbine ACCURATE, no problems 100 rounds 8x57 mauser 196gr sp used in 1938 Turkish mauser ACCURATE, kicks like 2 mules, no problems 100 rounds 7.62x54R 174gr hpbt used in Finnish M39 ACCURATE, no problems I've seen some scored brass for the 7.62x54R, but it looked like a minor surface scratch and didn't cause any problems. I don't care for the revolver rounds, and probably won't buy any more. The semi-auto pistol rounds are FANTASTIC. The buckshot is great. All of the rifle stuff I've shot is great. Hope this helps. Sam |
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I know it's not 223 but believe problems with one indicate likely problems with the rest. Bought a box of 158 gr RNL .38spl. First ever use of B&S, (oops thats S&B, well maybe I got it right the first try). 10 rounds out of the fifty had insufficient crimp to keep the bullets in the case. All ten bullets moved forward enough to tie up the revolver. Some of those bullets moved forward with the recoil of just one round fired. Figure you get what you pay for. Obviously, S&B is cheap ammo, that may, or may not work for play. I won't ever use this brand for practice or serious use. |
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Purchased about 10 boxes of the ss109 in light green box. This was fired from 16" bushmaster carbine. All rounds were fired off, out of the 10 boxes half of them had same lot number the outher boxes mixed lot numbers. The problem I had was that out of all the boxes with the exception of one at least 3 out of 4 rounds out of each box (rounds not mixed) had ruptured cases from just below the neck strait down to the head region of the case. Not really something I would try again. |
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I shoot it in 9mm Luger too now, it has become my standard 124fmj load in practise and competition (Glock 17). Runs absolutely flawless, loaded to commercial specs though, maybe a tiny bit hotter. Accurate enough for service pistol ammo (2" at 15 meters from a rest), very clean, no smells, goes bang always and doesnt cost much. Bullet and case is brass, no issues here. Around 2500 rounds through my Glock since I started using it as standard. Matt |
| I bought a few boxes of this ammo from Sportsmans Guide just because it was the cheapest brass cased .223 they had in stock. This is the only ammo I have ever had any problems with in my Oly AR-15. I had a round jam while shooting and upon inspection the bullet had been pushed entirely back into the case, The bullet was so loose that all I had to do was grab the bullet and pull it out of the casing. Apparently this ammo is produced with poor quality control and it could result in a blown up gun and injury with bullets seated so loosely. |
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