I am trying to I’d this ammo that was acquired in 2010. Any ideas what it actually is?

Attached File

I was issues that ammo for the All Guard team back around that time as well. It was a contract run of match Ammo for the military teams. That’s how their ammo comes for that. I have some old boxes in the garage o keep using for reloads I’ll see if I can find one that I didn’t paint over the label and verify.

Thanks! This came straight from John Noveske who I would guess had access to it. I just couldn’t find anything like it other than the history page on the BH site.

Here are a couple of pics of some more lot numbers.

Wonder if the 07 and 08 are the year?

Correct. That’s the year that lot was made

MK262 went through several changes.

Black Hills was making 77 grain match ammunition for the Army shooting team and later others, since before there ever was MK262 ammunition.

The match ammunition is loaded for accuracy.

The MK262 ammunition is made for a specific version of an AR / M16 and is made to a higher than match ammunition velocity, so the trajectory matches M855 ammunition, M855 trajectory, not M855 velocity.

The 77 grain bullet ammunition was unsuitable for the M4 Carbine.

Later, Black Hill conducted testing of 30 different powders, to see if a 77 grain bullet can be loaded to MK262 velocity, while meeting M4 Carbine gas port specs.

Black Hills found only one powder tested that would often work within the M4 gas port pressure range, but not all lots of the the powder would do so when loaded to MK262 velocity.

The results of that testing did result in Black Hills switching the MK262 ammunition powder to that powder, in an effort to expand the market of MK262 ammunition, but none of the MK262 ammunition and its changes had any effect on the 77 grain match ammunition loaded for accuracy.

After the announcement that MK262 powder had changed, I got one round and measured the4 powder charge at 23.9 grains on my powder scale.

More recent versions of MK262 ammunition have given me 25.3 grains and 25.6 of powder on my scale.

Did MK262 powder change again?

Hornady 5.56 75 grain TAP ammunition gave 26.0 grains of powder on my scale.

CFE-223 powder gives similar velocity, but CFE-223 hasn't matched factory ammunition in accuracy for me.


Hornady did have a PDF on their Law Enforcement website for 5 months that stated that neither their 75 grain 223 ammunition nor their 75 grain 5.56 ammunition met the gas port requirements for Carbine length gas systems in AR's, but could be used with full rifle length gas system AR's.

After 5 months, that one PDF was removed from the website, but older and newer monthly PDF's on that website are still posted.

That's similar to what Black Hills said when they stated that after testing 30 powders, one came close, but none consistently met the M4 gas port pressure requirements.

There may be even newer powders now though.

Sir:
I'm sorry but I disagree with some of your comments here:

-The Mk262 wasn't designed to match M855 trajectories.
Further the 77SMK has a better BC than the M855 bullet.........  you'd have to SLOW IT DOWN to attempt to match the trajectory, not speed it up.

-I'm not sure what you mean that the mk262 was "unsuitable" for the M4.  It, and clones, shoot quite well in M4's.
What do you mean by that?  

-Variances in powder charge weights have nothing to with a potential change in powder types.
You can't tell, for sure, what powder is what by looking at it, further it is common for manufacturers to match pressures and velocities in their loads.  To do so, as
they load different lots of the same powder, they change the charges to match the required pressures and velocities of that contract.

OP:
You have for all intents and purposes mk262.    

Thanks everyone. I never got into the history of the Mk262 ammo and this ammo isn’t marked as such so I was curious.

Appreciate all the feedback. Now I want to accuracy test this stuff.

MK262 is slower than M855.

The 77 grain match ammunition by Black Hills was even slower and the request for the MK262 velocity was so the trajectory was as as possible to M855 ammunition.

It was not an M855 velocity match, but a trajectory match, or as close as it can be.

That's whole point of loading MK262 to the velocity it has.

The match ammo stimulated interest in making the MK262 ammo, but a velocity increase was needed over the match ammo to get the 77 grain bullet closely matching M855 velocity.

It’ll be interesting to see what this crony’s out of the 14.5 barrel. I have my accuracy loads with 77 gr Berger’s to compare them to.

The Army contract match ammo made by Black Hills with 77 grain bullets pre-dates the development of MK262 ammunition.

It was loaded for accuracy and for the full length 20" barrel and gas system of match rifles.

The original MK262 ammunition used the same powder as the match ammo, but loaded hotter, to a higher velocity, so the point of impact was similar to M855 ammunition at 400 meters.

The MK262 ammo is made to use in a rifle specifically made for MK262 ammunition.

Some time later, Black Hills conducted a study to see if a different powder could match the MK262, but also produce gas port pressure within the M4 gas port specified gas port pressure range.

Black Hills reported that they tested 30 powders and only one of the 30 would almost produce the desired velocity and gas port pressure consistently, but some lots of that powder would not meet the M4 gas port pressure range, while making MK262 velocity.

Even though, no powder was perfect, that one powder was close enough for M4 use, that Black Hills switched to that powder for loading MK262 ammo.

In similar gas port pressure testing, Hornady had on their law enforcement website a PDF that stated their 75 grain 223 TAP ammo could be used in bolt action and 20" AR rifles, but not AR's with carbine gas systems.

Hornady also stated that their 75 grain 5.56 TAP ammo should only be used in full lenggth 20" AR rifles and not in AR's carbine length gas systems.

That PDF document did not mention mid length gas systems and is the only monthly PDF that has been deleted from the Hornady Law Enforcement website.

It was posted and available for download for about 5 months.

These days there may be a third powder now used in MK262 ammunition, but I haven't any documents about it, only that it seems to measure a different weight on my powder scale now.

Sir:
We can agree to disagree...................
A 77SMK has a better BC than the SS109 bullet.................. because of its inherent design, regardless of the velocity.  
Even at the "slow speed" of say 2700fps, it doesn't matter.
So I'm not sure what you mean.  


Otherwise could you provide the sources of your comments?

And can we get this back on track?
The OP was asking about his ammo, not the history of mk262 or anything about the Hornady bullets.

The ammunition that inspired MK262 was the 77 grain bullet match ammunition that Black Hills makes for the Army shooting team.

Its lower velocity has a different trajectory than MK262 ammunition.

It was desired to give MK262 ammunition a higher velocity than the 77 grain bullet match ammunition, in order to mimic the trajectory of M855 ammunition.

The first MK262 ammunition used the same powder that Black Hills uses in the match ammunition, only loaded hotter, to meet the desired velocity.

Since MK262 was designed to work in one specific firearm and that firearm was designed to work with MK262 ammunition, the powder and charge wasn't a problem.

Later Black Hills conducted a feasibility study of getting MK272 velocity, while working within the specified M4 gas port pressure range.

Black Hills tested 30 powders.

Only one powder would give MK262 velocity while often being in M4 gas port pressure range, only when testing different lots of that powder, not lots met the desired specifications.

Even though not all of of that powder are suitable for MK262 velocity and M4 gas port pressure, Black Hills decided to switch to that powder for loading MK262 ammunition, with the permission of the military.

The match ammunition velocity is too slow to mimic M855 trajectory, even with the 77 grain bullet, but it was found that increasing the velocity of the 77 grain bullet from the match ammo to the MK262 ammo, resulted in the desired M855 trajectory.

The match ammunition is designed in 20 inch match rifles and MK262 ammunition is designed to work in the MK12 SPR, that was specifically designed to work with MK262 ammunition.

Yes, I tried that.

I found the download link for the monthly PDF, but it was bland, with the document not available.

It is the only monthly PDF on the Hornady LE website that has been deleted.

It was 2015 0r 2016 I think, started in Feb and deleted 5 months laster.

Feb 2016 to Jun or Jul 2016, I think Jun was the last month it was still available.

I lost my father my July and he had been ill for 7 months, so I didn't really keep up with it.

I did download the PDF to an old hard drive that went bad or the computer went bad.

The drive has an older interface than my newer computer, so I'll have to try an adapter to USB or something to try to recover the files on it.

My mother has been ill since before I lost my father, but she was taken to hospital tonight, unresponsive, her vital signs were okay, like she was sleeping, but a lot of blood in her urine.

When I have time, I'll try to recover the hard drive, but it has been in a very humid basement for 5 years.

I thought it was interesting that, not only was the 75 grain 5.56 load overgassing a carbine (14.5" / 16"?), but also the 75 grain, "223" load was also out of carbine / M4 gas port pressure range.

A change in powder might fix that and may have fixed that.

It is difficult to match Hornady factory accuracy with handloads, while matching velocity.

I measured 26.0 grains of ball powder in the 75 grain 5.56 TAP load and can just match the velocity, but not the accuracy.

Air Soft:
Thank you for simply repeating your original post.  

So I take that to mean all this is simply your thoughts, without any documentation to support it.
Thanks again.

Black Hills was known for their 77 grain match ammunition.

This was inspiration for MK262 ammunition and Black Hills was asked if they could get more velocity with a 77 grain bullet, so that the trajectory closely matched that of M855 ammunition.

They did so, but they originally used the same powder, loaded hotter.

Some years later, the testing they did to see if a powder could be found to get MK262 velocity with a gas port pressure within that of the M4 carbine.

They reported no one powder could consistently meet those specs, they did find one powder that was very close and some lots would meet the desired specs, but not lots of that powder.

Black Hills then asked the military if they could switch MK262 powder to that powder, because it was so close to meeting M4 gas pressure specs and they did make the powder switch.

That has been some years now, but shortly after the powder switch, I mesured 23.9 grains of powder on my scale.

More recent lots of MK262 ammunition have measured 25.3 and 25.6 grains of powder for me.

I have no information if the powder type was switched again, but maybe it has.

Originally Posted by Guns & Ammo Magazine

When a six-man Special Operations team looking for Scuds in Iraq in early 2003 ran into a reinforced Iraqi infantry company, the future looked grim for the Americans. Facing overwhelming odds, it was quickly decided that three men armed with sniper rifles would cover a hasty retreat back to the LZ. With these odds death, or worse, seemed certain.

Yet the ensuing firefight did not go as the Iraqis had planned. Rather than being overwhelmed, the three American Snipers instead put down a hail of highly accurate rifle fire. Advancing against this murderous wall, entire sections of Iraqi infantry were simply cut down. Screaming and rattling away with their Kalashnikovs on full auto, they were knocked from their feet with carefully aimed shots. When staggering losses finally broke their spirit, the surviving Iraqis either threw down their weapons or simply ran away. Scattered about lay the bodies of 167 of their comrades. The Iraqi dead lay in mute testimony to the Americans’ tenacity and marksmanship skills.

With the criticism of poor terminal performance leveled by many on the 5.56X45mm, you would think those 167 Iraqis were cut down by 7.62X51mm M14s. Such was not the case. They fell to 5.56X45mm MK-12 Mod 0/1 sniper rifles firing 77gr MK-262 Mod 1. Developed to offer increased accuracy, range and improved terminal performance over the standard 62gr M-855 load, the MK-262 Mod 1 has performed quite well in actual combat. This impressive combat record has stimulated a great deal of interest among civilian shooters, so we thought we’d take a look at this load.

When work was undertaken on what was to eventually become the MK-12 series of sniper rifles it was understood from the outset that a better 5.56mm load would be needed. Standard M-855 MP-Ball (Multi Purpose-Ball) was deemed unsuitable due to its accuracy and terminal performance criteria. Manufacturing specifications for this load only require it to shoot into four MOA from 100 to 600 meters. For use at 600+ yards a projectile with a higher ballistic coefficient was desirable to reduce drop and wind drift. The question was how to make the 5.56mm into a viable 600+ yard cartridge.

While competition shooters, or “yellow glasses”, are often scorned by the tactical crowd, they laid the ground work in this regard. Loads using 75, 77 and 80gr HPBT match bullets began to dominate service-rifle competition in the late 1990s. One company that was at the forefront of loading extremely accurate and consistent 5.56mm match ammo was Black Hills Ammunition. Its 5.56mm match ammo was so good, from lot to lot, that it had contracts from all the armed forces rifle teams. This was quite a testimony to both Black Hills and its workers. So, Black Hills was contacted about the specific needs and requirements the military had for this new 5.56mm combat load.

Testing was undertaken using a variety of projectiles and powders, with the goal being enhanced accuracy and terminal performance at extended distances. At first a 73gr Berger Open Tip Match bullet was selected, then changed to a 77gr Nosler Open Tip Match bullet. This load with the 77gr Nosler was called the MK-262 Mod 0. This was later changed to a 77gr Sierra MatchKing, and was named the MK-262 Mod 1. Rather than being loaded to commercial .223 Remington pressures, this ammunition was loaded to higher 5.56mm NATO pressures to enhance performance. The resulting load was very similar to match ammunition loaded for the Army Marksmanship Unit for use in competition.

The MK-12’s ammunition evolved and was eventually type-classified as MK-262 Mod 0 and Mod 1. The primary difference between the two is the addition of a semi-cannelure to the Mod 1 projectile to prevent bullet setback during feeding.

Both terminal performance and accuracy of this ammunition are markedly improved over M-855 MP-Ball. Each lot is tested for accuracy by firing 10, 10-shot groups at 300 yards. The average group size is between two and two and a half inches. Due to the way the 77gr Sierra MatchKing behaves in soft tissue, this load offers dramatically increased terminal performance compared to the M855; while still being Land Warfare legal. The downside is that penetration is not as good as the M-855 round on harder targets or body armor.

Curious as to how the MK-262 Mod 1 would compare, I arranged to test some out of a MK-12 Mod 0 clone built by Angus Arms. Initial testing was performed from a bench at 100 yards by the rifle’s builder, Angus Norcross of Angus Arms. Five-round groups were fired, and velocity was recorded 12 feet from the muzzle with an Oehler 35P chronograph. Five rounds of 62gr M-855 MP-Ball were fired first as a control.

The M-855 grouped into 2.37 inches at an average velocity of 3,044 FPS; unimpressive but within specifications for this load. Switching to Black Hills 77gr MK-262 Mod 1 cut the group size dramatically. Four rounds clustered into less than half an inch, and Norcross put all five into .6 inch. Most impressive was the velocity of this 5.56mm pressure load. The 77gr Sierras were averaging 2,783 fps from the short 18-inch barrel of the MK-12 Mod 0. In comparison a Black Hills .223 Remington-pressure 77gr match load averaged 2,615 FPS from the same rifle.

From the bench we moved to shooting prone from a ridgeline. Conditions were cold, with an ambient temperature of 30 degrees and wind gusts up to 12 mph. A heavy layer of snow covered the ground. After posting targets 300 yards away I proceeded to fire five-shot groups off the bipod.

First up was the M-855, which grouped into a fairly respectable 5.25 inches. Switching to MK-262 Mod 1 cut group size almost in half. This load averaged three inches at this distance. What was most impressive was how controllable and easy to hit with the MK-12 rifle was with this load. Making rapid multiple hits on multiple targets at random distances is simple. The gun simply spits empty cases.

Without a doubt, the MK-262 Mod 1 has proven very effective in actual combat. It’s capable of excellent accuracy out to 700+ yards if you can call the wind. Terminal performance is a noticeable step up from M-855. While it was originally intended for use in the MK-12 series sniper rifles, its enhanced terminal performance has led to it being used in M-4 carbines as well. Basically, it’s a desirable commodity being used by whatever troops can get their hands on it.

MK-262 Mod 1 Specifications

Manufacturer: Black Hills Ammunition
Caliber: 5.56X45mm NATO
Bullet: 77gr .224” Sierra Match King, Semi-Cannelured
Color Code: None
Casing: Black Hillls 5.56X45mm Match, Sealed for Submerssion, Crimped Primer
Head Stamp: None
Velocity: 2,791 FPS out of an 18” Bbl
Testing Notes: Velocities are an average of 10 rounds recorded 12 feet from the muzzle with an Oehler 35P chronograph at an ambient temperature of 30 degrees fahrenheit at 100 feet above sea level.

The 5.56 TAP T2 is not a problem, like the Superformance loads are.  From day one, the 5.56 TAP T2 was marketed to law enforcement/military.  I've been testing Hornady 5.56 TAP T2 since 2005.  I've fired thousands upon thousands of rounds of it from 14.5", 16", 18" and 20" barrels and have never had any issues with it.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/ar-15/Hornady-5-56-TAP-T2-223-TAP-FPD-223-TAP-LE-223-Match-heavy-OTM-thread-/16-283506/?page=1


....

Another of your great recommendations, professor!

I love the stuff, perfect for SBRs and Recons.
It really seems to shine out of 16/14.5" 1/7 SS or CL barrels.

Excellent! That provides some insight!

I remember working on the Special Purpose Receiver (SPR) program (97-98') before it was adopted as the Mk12 Special Purpose Rifle.  At that time we were shooting Federal Gold Medal 69 gr BTHP and later some 77 gr Match ammo from AMU.  Since that time Mk262 Mod 1 LR has been my standard load out from rifles with 10.3" and 14.5" barrels down range.

To the OPs question, I won a case of the same BH 77 gr Match from the All Army Matches back in 05' or 06'.  Same ammo we used during those two matches.  I still have about 400 rds left at home.

CD

Nice! The Noveske that came with the ammo shoots pretty good with this ammo. I scoped it to test and something is fubar. Vortex Viper PST in a LaRue mount dialed all the way up and I had to hold something like 30moa on top of that to get on target. That sucks but this gun is going to live with the T1 on top so not a huge deal for me other than knowing it’s fubar.

MK 262 Mod 0
The most deadliest ammo for 5.56 used in Iraq and Afghanistan
Made specifically for the MK 12 Mod 0 and Mod 1.
But was also accurate in M4 and M16A2 very lethal on enemy with no armor.
1/7 twist recommended !