Ok, I have read the statements that all bulk packaged M855 is PD.  However, I would quote the description of the item on Cabelas' website.

Bulk Lake City Arsenal .223 SS109 Ammunition
Shoot the same ammunition that our troops abroad trust their lives to in these bulk-packaged .223 rounds. Manufactured in the USA by Lake City Arsenal, this overrun of ammunition is not remanufactured or below-spec rounds. The 62-grain, steel-core M855 Green Tip Penetrator is the same firepower supplied to our elite units, including the Navy SEALs. Stringent military standards ensure reliable, consistent performance for your target shooting and varmint hunting. Muzzle velocity: 3,070 feet-per-second. Includes six .50-caliber, military-surplus ammo cans. Per 2,000 rounds.

Are they wrong, lying, etc?  The reason I ask is conventional wisdom states that no grade A ammo is available to the public, yet the Ammoman has it available now....  (that comment is not a ping on the Ammoman, it is to illustrate that resourceful individuals can accomplish things that some might think impossible)

I find it hard to believe that a company as large as Cabelas would be deceiptful.

I've always wondered about this as well.

Conventional wisdom is that thanks to Mr. Clinton, US made tier 1 full mil-spec grade ammo is almost impossible to come by except for small lots of trade backs.

I was lucky enough to score some of the Botach IMI M855 before it was all gone, but in the interest of building up my SHTF stockpile, I've been keeping an eye out for more tier 1 M855.  

It seems like nine times out of ten, what is advertised as M855 turns out to be PD, reman or SS109 spec ammo.  Which makes it that much harder to identify the little bit of tier 1 M855 that does show up on the market once in a long while.

Rule of thumb aside, what is the best way to separate the bits of true tier 1 M855 that sometimes does appear from the "supposed" M855 stuff.

-Frank

Quoted: Bulk Lake City Arsenal .223 SS109 Ammunition Shoot the same ammunition that our troops abroad trust their lives to in these bulk-packaged .223 rounds.

The clue's are in here.
1st point: Lake City .223 Should be 5.56
2nd point: SS109 Ammunition Should be M855 ammunition.
SS109 is the bullets designation, not the ammo's

Mark

I don't disagree that they do not use correct nomenclature to describe the ammunition, but to state emphatically that it is not remanufatured or below spec would place their advertising as 100% false and actionable if it is in fact XM855PD.  Unless you are suggesting that it isn't actually M855.  I'm not trolling, just trying to determine if:
1. It is better than XM855PD
2. They are packaging something besides M855
3. They are mistaken or engaged in false advertising

Additionally from the Cabela's website

This newly-manufactured ammunition is produced to mil-spec requirements, but is production overrun. The package includes a required warning label stating "for training use only" since it can't be used to fulfill the original contract; but may be sold as surplus. Some of this ammo may not have green tips, it is still M855 62-grain,steel tipped ammo,but the green paint may have faded or not be present.

It's XM855PD.

Ammoman:
UNITED STATES GOVT. ISSUE
BRAND NEW AMMO

Cabelas:
Shoot the same ammunition that our troops abroad trust their lives to in these bulk-packaged .223 rounds. Manufactured in the USA by Lake City Arsenal, this overrun of ammunition is not remanufactured or below-spec rounds. The 62-grain, steel-core M855 Green Tip Penetrator is the same firepower supplied to our elite units, including the Navy SEALs. Stringent military standards ensure reliable, consistent performance for your target shooting and varmint hunting. Muzzle velocity: 3,070 feet-per-second. Includes six .50-caliber, military-surplus ammo cans. Per 2,000 rounds.

Midway:
Federal Lake City Ammunition is loaded to NATO specifications, and even includes the green painted tip. This is the same ammunition currently being used by the US Military. This ammunition is non-corrosive in boxer-primed, reloadable brass cases.

Outdoor Marksman:
Manufactured in 2000's, Lake City NATO Stamped Brass, Non-Corrosive, Boxer primed reloadable brass case, Made in the USA! Bulk Packed in bags/boxes of 1000. Mixed dates on headstamps.

Sportsman's Guide:
Actual, current over-run of U.S. military rounds from Federal®! Some of the SS109 M855 bullets have the distinctive Green tip markings, others have been cleaned. 62-gr. FMJ, brass-cased, Boxer-primed, reloadable.

Compare prices and availability, updated daily at the AR15.com Ammo Price List

I bought the same stuff a year ago, it's XM855PD. Lots of tarnished cases, a few dinged ones (sufficiently so that I pitched them). If you want the good stuff, get them from ammoman.