After reading the outstanding Ammo FAQ provided here, and making a trip to my favorite shop, all I was able to find was Winchester Q3131...

The FAQ indicates that there was a potential problem with some lots of Q3131 in 1999... The rounds in the box I picked up today are headstamped "WCC 00" and have the NATO cross...

I notice that Winchester only has the Q3131A listed on their Web site. Should I hold out for the Q3131A before buying by the case (if I can get it, here in Canada...)

Thanks in advance for your input...!

SPT.

I would, in fact, wait for q3131a if you believe you can get it.

There were only a few lots of q3131 that had problems- but why take the chance...?

The problems are over-rated and 4 years ago.  It's doubtful there's any left around.

I fired several boxes of the "bad lots" without difficulty.  

The NATO cross is bogus, this isn't NATO spec ammo.  The cases are over runs from producing M855 Ball.

-- Chuck

I agree with Chuck the bad ammo was produced 3 years ago and I would be surprised if you found some now.  I had found some 'bad' Q3131 in late 2000, and the last posts on finding some bad Q3131 were mine (as far as I could see).

My bad lot had the ammo running really HOT.  Most of it fired OK (just REALLY fast on the chrono with an larger than normal muzzle blast).  But I had 2 rounds pop primers (out of around 100 rounds fired) - one was just annoying - the other locked up my rifle.

BTW I have 20 rounds left of this bad batch, the rest I gave to a friend with a .223 bolt gun.

I don't believe that Q3131 is currently being manufactured.  So any stuff you find now could very well be from the bad lot.

Chuck,

If the Q3131 isn't NATO spec... is it still considered M193...?

Thanks for your help.

PST.

Nope.

There is not, and never has been a NATO spec for M193 ammunition.  So the answer to your question would be yes.

The Azalin

Azalin --

Q3131 and Q3131A are M193 Ball, a 55gr bullet.  This is [i]5.56mm[/i], not [i]5.56mm NATO[/i] which has a 62gr bullet and is M855 in the US version (SS109 standard).

The M16A2 can shoot either, the M16A1 is wildly inaccurate with M855, hence the green tip to warn US troopers.

I had several folks send me samples of the "bad" Q3131 a couple of years ago.  I couldn't find anything wrong with it in accuracy, function, and muzzle velocity.  Could have been weapon specific.

Note WCC is domestic Winchester; W.C.C. is IMI-produced Winchester.

Also note the common use of M855 cases to make M193, don't depend on the NATO Cross on the case to tell 5.56mm from 5.56mm NATO.  Some, maybe much USGI M193 Ball is using these cases too, there's no reason to use special cases when you need the production.

-- Chuck

I found some at a local gun shop stamped '94 seems to shoot ok. All of it has gone bang. [8P]

Bought 3 boxes of Winchester Q3131 headstamped WCC99 to shoot in my DPMS Classic Sixteen. Out of 8 rounds I had one fail to extract and four fail to eject. I had bought this ammo a couple of weeks ago at Sports Authority, so some of it is still floating around.