:: Ammo Oracle

The AR15.Com Ammo Oracle

History and Basic Design of .223 and 5.56 Ammunition.

Performance of .223 and 5.56 Ammunition.

Q. I have my rifle zeroed with M855 ammo. Will any 62gr ammo shoot the same?
Q. Do M193 and M855 shoot to the same point of impact?
Q. Ok, what is all this stuff about rifle twists and different ammo?
Q. OK, that's complex. Simple question: Can I fire M193 ammo in my 1:7 or 1:9 twist barrel?
Q. Can I fire M855/SS-109 in my 1:12 twist barrel?
Q. Will M193 be accurate in a 1:7 or 1:9 twist barrel?
Q. What twist rate do I want for my rifle?
Q. 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?
Q. 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?
Q. Military ammo has flash retardant, right?
Q. What sort of velocity and ballistics should I expect from military ammo?
Q. Will Military Ammo wear my favorite National Match/Elite Sniper/$5500 accurized AR rifle out faster?
Q. What is Moly? What's it good for?
Q. 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.

.223 and 5.56 Ammunition Testing

Selection of .223 and 5.56 Ammunition.

Ammunition recommendations from the authors of the AR15.com Ammo-Oracle.

Purchase and Storage of .223 and 5.56 Ammunition.

Legal questions.

Miscellaneous .223, 5.56 and Other Ammunition Questions.

Q. What type of ammo is current issue for US Military forces?

All front-line forces are armed with M16A2s and M4s and are issued M855 as standard-issue ammo. A few remaining Reserve and National Guard units, as well as some Air Force units, still carry M16A1s (you've probably seen them in the airports lately) and are issued M193 Ball (if they are issued any ammo at all) because of the difference in twist of the barrel.

Some special forces units, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq, are using Mk262 and Mk262 Mod1 ammo. These are rounds loaded with heavy (up to 77 grain) JHP match bullets, in response to some issues with M855 terminal performance. This continues a recent trend towards heavier rounds (69 grains and over) for improved terminal ballistic performance.

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