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Posted: 3/18/2005 6:38:13 PM EDT
| Just want to know, is this stuff the real deal? Picked up 20 rds at a local fun show. Box is white and has Olin on the back, nothing about Winchester though. Stamped 04 WCC, and has the NATO marking. |
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Finally, someone that actually acknowledges the Q3269. I found some quite a while ago and asked a question here and nobody even answered me. I believe that's the actual military ammo. Q3270 is the M856 tracer round. I may be wrong but since no one ever told me otherwise, that's the scoop AFAIK. Scott |
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The only reference to these two items I've ever seen is at Williams Shooters Supply, about 40 items down the page. An internal stock number? Could be some if this: Olin Corp., East Alton, Ill., was awarded on Dec. 23, 2003, a $9,275,026 firm-fixed-price contract for 5.56mm ball M855 clipped commercial pack cartridges. Work will be performed in East Alton, Ill., and is expected to be completed by April 30, 2005. DefenseLink |
No one ever responds to my posts. The stuff I located was also through Williams. It was relatively cheap, $4-something per 20 and the M856 was like $7.75 per 20. This was at least a year ago though. Cabela's just had some of the tracers for $7.99 per 20 on their website last week. Might still have some but I haven't checked. Thanks for responding to my response, Scott |
Q3131A would be US mil-spec equivalent M193 - NATO never adopted the cartridge. |
The Q designation means it is "white box" or "bargain line" ammo, as opposed to the Super-X or Supreme commercial lines. The Q-loads originated when Olin (Winchester's parent) won the contract to operate Lake City for the military in 1986 (to 1999). The "A" in Q3131A is used to indicate that the ammo is subcontracted (to Israel in this case). -Troy |
It's because Winchester was given a military M855 two years ago due to the inability of Lake City to keep up with the huge increase in demand due to the WoT. Winchester was able to buy some new machinery with that equipment to make M855, and is now a second domestic supplier. It's being made by Winchester/Olin at their plant in East Alton, Illinois, not at Lake City. Previously, Winchester didn't own military-type loading machines, and so they couldn't make Mil-Spec ammo in their own plant. Now they can, in limited quantities anyway, and like Federal is doing with Lake City, they are able to release Grade 2 ammo to the civilian market. Assuming military demand drops to managable levels in the next few years, they will be able to sell Grade 1 ammo eventually. -Troy |
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