I think ATF says that ss109 or M855 is not AP (sorry I ain't lookin it up fer ya
)
I always thought ATF did this because the infantry really needed something better than m885, especially when facing BTRs, etc. No better way to justify money from congress for developing a new round than to say the infantry needs AP meanwhile listing the m885 as not AP. And that's just my opinion cause the m855 was not available to civis in the past and when it was, the M995 came around the bend for the infantry. [Oh yeah, M855 is not AP, and only equals regular ol' fmj 308 and only at really long distances when its really weak on balistics, at short distance the m855 will just fall apart, literally, which isn't really much to say about the m885, and that's my lowely opinion in case some puke anti is reading this].
M995
is AP and NOT available to civis (even individual LEO) under any circumstances. (oh yeah they got another AP load for the 7.62 developed at the same time called the m993).
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m993.htm
Anyone who says M855 has tungsten cores may not have his/her facts straight or is an anti.
. Remember even african game loads used to hunt famed cape buffalo, a 500-grain Speer AGS tungsten core solid at 1,530-fps - and this ain't AP - don't ask the buffalo of course and I'm not sure about its legality in IL because of the substantial tungsten slug in the center.
Whether its legal, I can't really say (any LEO or ASA please), I guess it depends on what county cough cough, er city you live in too heheh.