If any of you have any chrono numbers for .223/5.56mm loads, would you mind posting the results in this thread? When it runs it's course, I'll try to find a place to put it and host it for future reference. It can be any type of ammo, from mil-spec to match to the various 55gr FMJ commercial loads that are on the market. In light of the recent .223 ammo shortage, this information may be more important to AR users now than ever before.

If you have data, please try to list it in a similar order as this:

1. Ammo used (Brand/bullet weight/product number)
2. Weapon and barrel length
3. Temperature
4. Chrono range from the muzzle
5. average velocity
6. Hi/Low velocity
7. Number of rounds fired

I personally would like to know the commercial ammo that most closely duplicates M193 ballistics. Being that M193 is very hard to find right now, I'd rather hang on to as much of it as possible and train with the commercial stuff that's readily available. But obviously, I'd prefer to do the most realistic training I could, so that means I'd rather use a load that's 100 fps slower than XM193 as opposed to 200 fps slower.

So, I'm sure me and the other users here would appreciate some sort of thread like this. So feel free to post anything you have.

-CH

Data for 20" bbl.

1. Mk. 262 Mod. 1, 77 gr. SMK
2. AR-15, 20” bbl.
3. 94 deg. F
4. 15’ from muzzle
5. Avg. Vel.- 2871  (ES-15.69, SD-6.32)
6. High-2882, Low-2866
7. 5 rounds

1. XM-193, 55 gr. FMJ
2. AR-15, 20” bbl.
3. 94 deg. F
4. 15’ from muzzle
5. Avg. Vel.-3367  (ES-42.11, SD-17.57)
6. High-3386, Low-3344
7. 10 rounds

1. Win. Q3131A, 55 gr. FMJ
2. AR-15, 20” bbl.
3. 94 deg. F
4. 15’ from muzzle
5. Avg. Vel.-3375  (ES-64.12, SD-23.81)
6. High-3410, Low-3346
7. 10 rounds

1. Win. Q3131 (early 1990’s production), 55 gr. FMJ
2. AR-15, 20” bbl.
3. 94 deg. F
4. 15’ from muzzle
5. Avg. Vel.-3355  (ES-61.21, SD-22.24)
6. High-3381, Low-3320
7. 10 rounds

1. M855, 62 gr. FMJ
2. AR-15, 20” bbl.
3. 94 deg. F
4. 15’ from muzzle
5. Avg. Vel.-3193  (ES-24.42, SD-9.16)
6. High-3204, Low-3180
7. 5 rounds
       

Data for 16" bbl.

1. Mk. 262 Mod. 1, 77 gr. SMK
2. AR-15, 16” bbl.
3. 87 deg. F
4. 15’ from muzzle
5. Avg. Vel.-2721  (ES-47.12, SD-17.46)
6. High-2745, Low-2698
7. 5 rounds

1. XM-193, 55 gr. FMJ
2. AR-15, 16” bbl.
3. 94 deg. F
4. 15’ from muzzle
5. Avg. Vel.-3203  (ES-99.19, SD-37.97)
6. High-3267, Low-3168
7. 10 rounds

1. Win. Q3131A, 55 gr. FMJ
2. AR-15, 16” bbl.
3. 94 deg. F
4. 15’ from muzzle
5. Avg. Vel.-3185  (ES-64.57, SD-24.39)
6. High-3218, Low-3153
7. 10 rounds

1. M855, 62 gr. FMJ
2. AR-15, 16” bbl.
3. 94 deg. F
4. 15’ from muzzle
5. Avg. Vel.-3087  (ES-78.26, SD-32.96)
6. High-3132, Low-3054
7. 5 rounds

The Mk. 262 in the 18" SPR w/ suppressor averaged ~2830 fps at ~85 F.  I wasn't using my chrono and we were doing other work, so that's the best  info I have on it.

Nice report. Thanks very much for sharing. It was interesting to note that the Q3131A was faster than XM193 in the 20" barrel and slower than XM193 in the 16" barrel. Not that the difference was dramatic or anything, but it caught my attention.

CH,
I've got a bunch of that data in spreadsheet form over at my site.  Feel free to copy it over here.

Sweeeeeeeet! Forest, you da man.

Lake City XM-193 55 grain full metal jacket:

Chamber pressure: 61145 PSI
Mean pressure: 61145 PSI
Maximum pressure: 63406 PSI
Minimum pressure: 59614 PSI
Range: 3793 PSI
Standard Deviation: 1062 PSI

Velocity: 3473 FPS
Mean velocity: 3473 FPS
Maximum velocity: 3492 FPS
Minimum velocity: 3443 FPS
Range: 49 FPS
Standard deviation: 16 FPS

11 rounds fired from a Hart 20 inch test barrel.
(1st round was a fouler and discarded from the sample.)
(Special note: Sample fired in a .223 chamber for uniformity of testing and the fact that many users fire this ammunition in .223 rifles.)

Accuracy
10 rounds in two five-round groups were fired from a 1 in 12 twist, 20 inch, Wiseman v-block test barrel. 3 non-recorded foulers were used in each test.
Accuracy measured at 200 yards with Ohler acoustic system.
(All statistics given for 200 yard measurement)

Group 1:
2.8 inches
Ballistic co-efficient = 0.246
velocity: 2734 FPS
Energy: 913 ft-lbs
Power factor: 150.4

Group 2:
3.2 inches
Ballistic co-efficient = 0..251
velocity: 2720 FPS
Energy: 904 ft-lbs
Power factor: 149.6



American Eagle AE223 55 grain full metal jacket:

Chamber pressure: 50300 PSI
Mean pressure: 50300 PSI
Maximum pressure: 51336 PSI
Minimum pressure: 49239 PSI
Range: 2098 PSI
Standard Deviation: 717 PSI

Velocity: 3261 FPS
Mean velocity: 3261 FPS
Maximum velocity: 3280 FPS
Minimum velocity: 3246 FPS
Range: 33 FPS
Standard deviation: 12 FPS

11 rounds fired from a Hart 20 inch test barrel.
(1st round was a fouler and discarded from the sample.)

Accuracy
10 rounds in two five-round groups were fired from a 1 in 12 twist, 20 inch, Wiseman v-block test barrel. 3 non-recorded foulers were used in each test.
Accuracy measured at 200 yards with Ohler acoustic system.
(All statistics given for 200 yard measurement)

Group 1:
3.4 inches
Ballistic co-efficient = 0.264
velocity: 2614 FPS
Energy: 835 ft-lbs
Power factor: 143.8

Group 2: (one flyer recorded)
6.2 inches
Ballistic co-efficient = 0.257
velocity: 2593 FPS
Energy: 821 ft-lbs
Power factor: 142.6


Wolf Polymer 223 55 grain full metal jacket:

Chamber pressure: 40389 PSI
Mean pressure: 40389 PSI
Maximum pressure: 43274 PSI
Minimum pressure: 36661 PSI
Range: 6612 PSI
Standard Deviation: 2134 PSI

Velocity: 3112 FPS
Mean velocity: 3112 FPS
Maximum velocity: 3155 FPS
Minimum velocity: 3087 FPS
Range: 68 FPS
Standard deviation: 24 FPS

11 rounds fired from a Hart 20 inch test barrel.
(1st round was a fouler and discarded from the sample.)

Accuracy
10 rounds in two five-round groups were fired from a 1 in 12 twist, 20 inch, Wiseman v-block test barrel. 3 non-recorded foulers were used in each test.
Accuracy measured at 200 yards with Ohler acoustic system.
(All statistics given for 200 yard measurement)

Group 1:
7.0 inches
Ballistic co-efficient = 0.241
velocity: 2395 FPS
Energy: 701 ft-lbs
Power factor: 131.7

Group 2:
7.2 inches
Ballistic co-efficient = 0.244
velocity: 2378 FPS
Energy: 691 ft-lbs
Power factor: 130.8


I will edit this post when I get a chance to test LC XM193 (I know the box says Federal, but it never sees Minnesota)
I have the results for Wolf 62 grain, but I'm waiting to match it against Federal's lowest common denomanator.
Federal samples are pulled directly from loader checks.
(For anyone that is interested. In the second American Eagle Group, if the flyer is removed, the 4 shot group is 4.2 inches)

And for the number junkies:
Temperature: 68 degrees F
Humidity: 59%
Altitude: 1000 feet
Barometric pressure: 29.20 in Hg
Wind speed: 1 MPH
Wind direction: 6 O'clock