Well, fellow Texans, let us not allow our friends from other states to stock up on the Winchester Q3131 while it is available.. I'd rather we hoarded it all!  

Midway USA has it in stock.. $222 retail or $204 if you have a dealer account.. $15 to ship to Houston for 1 case (about $21 for 2 cases).  I just got some myself so I thought I'd pass along the info ...

I used the "email me when available" option on Midway's site.. that was Oct 17, 2004 and I only got the email today saying it is in, so get it while its hot...

I wasn't familiar with that ammo designation so I did a google search on it. I found this at the top of the search responses.
Jim

Nevermind. It's apparently the 1999 lots of this ammo that has problems.Scroll down

Jim

Ya, I called Midway to double check that this was the ammo made in Israel by IMI and he confirmed it was.  The reviews on their site for it are regarding Q3131A.. so he says Midway is a bit confused on the product numbering but that it is the IMI made stuff...which ought to have the "A" at the end on the 1000 round case when it shows...

It's just not been so easy to come across this stuff for any price the past many months.. so I thought I'd share that they actually had some.. even if with shipping, it's more than some would pay.

Ammo

Like with all things if you feed it garbage, don’t expect high performance. Ammunition like Wolf (steel cased) usually feeds fine in ‘in-spec’ rifles. It is cheap blasting/training ammo, though it is very dirty and underpowered. However to insure full reliability and performance stick with mil-spec (or close to it) ammo. Even the clean/accurate commercial ammo (like American Eagle) should only be regulated to training as they lack the flash retardants and muzzle velocity of the military loadings. Military spec (M193) ammunition includes Winchester Q3131 (made in the USA), Winchester Q3131A (made in Israel by IMI), and IMI M193 and IMI M855 (62gr). Of all these I prefer the Winchester Q3131A it is of higher quality (IMHO) than Q3131 and it generally costs less than the IMI M193 (though it’s the same stuff). Stay away from the 1999 lots of Winchester Q3131 (USA produced). I’ve found there was poor quality control and different lots have had problems (including popping primers). Some of the lots were known, but others have just been discovered (2 years after production). As a rule its just best to avoid the 1999 lots for maximum dependability. Another good inexpensive load is the South African military ammo (in the brown ‘battle packs’). It seems identical to M193, and if nothing else its cheap, CLEAN, practice ammo that shoots to the same point of aim as M193. This stuff is 20 years old so I wouldn’t be using it for long-term storage, but it shoots well.



The second link's author seems to like the Isreali ammo too. It sounds like a good buy. I ought to stock up on some for December when my trade goes through.
Jim

edited- I gotta use spell check.

Thanks for the update but $237 shipped

I am used to paying 150-180 shipped (per 1k).

Well, granted it has been cheaper in the past or at some gun shows that won't gut your wallet on the shipping.  The question these days is simply "can you find it at all?"  If not, and you want some, well then ..

I'll keep an eye for Q3131A at the Pasadena and Reliant shows this month.. and will make an update as to confirm that it actually is "A" marked on the box when it arrives on Tuesday from Midway...

Brian

Quoted: I am used to paying 150-180 shipped (per 1k).

sure, but used to paying for something 3 yrs ago and now is different.

TXL

last gun show in San Antonio i was giving 100 rounds (5 boxes) of this ammo with every new AR-15 sold.  i will probably be doing it at as well this weekend in Belton, and if i have any left, the weekend after in Austin.

it is supposedly good stuff, 5.56 Israeli!