Ammo ID

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Good Ol' Boy

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I was gifted some 5.56 from an acquaintance who is ex military. Career guy. Doesn't have an affinity for AR's because of his service so he gave me a wee bit of ammo he has no use for.

I've never bought M855 so I don't know what it looks like, but thats what this appears to be.

My main concern is making sure they aren't reloads, I have a thing about shooting other folks loads. Not a fan.

Here's a couple pics for reference. I can take more if needed.


20220620_205135.jpg 20220620_205057.jpg 20220620_205533.jpg
 
I was a bit troubled by the bright ring near the head of the case in the second pic, as if it were reloaded from an overload or from an oversized chamber. Could be a lighting effect, but I would like to have the other rounds in hand for examination. Suspicion: reloads. Solution: inertia or collet bullet puller. Maybe just geriatric paranoia, or maybe it's just old-time reloader's paranoia, or maybe it's just lighting.

And you have just met a reloader who has put his reloads in stripper clips.* Same old story: I haven't seen it, so it can't exist. < Just a wisecrack, don't get bent out of shape. :D

Terry, 230RN

* .30-'06 for bolt rifles, 7.62 X 39 for SKS, probably some others I've forgot. Carcano? Can't remember on that one.
 
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thanks Shimitup for that write up you provided. I'd had a few questions about the differences between M193 and M855 and the info on this current round is very on point. Thanks again...
 
Yep, M855A1, which is the current /newer standard issue round, def not reloads. Not very consistent in accuracy, loaded HOT, and will damage steel targets, so don't fire it into your $2000 Larue auto reset at 100 yards. Also known to cause accelerated wear on feed ramps. Not my favorite round AT ALL, but I would not hesitate to shoot it from my range gun in modest quantities. For some reason, those "not in the know" assume that since it is a "new" round developed and issued during GWOT that it is high performing and awesome, since obviously the mil would never issue our people something that is anything but awesome, right? Personally, I would like to know how it passed testing, and who was responsible for that. If I came about any quantity of this stuff, I would trade it for a larger amount of a "lesser" (but more consistent) round to someone who covets it, such as PMC ball.
 
From what I understand, M855A1 is not sold commercially to the public.

I don't know the ins and outs of government issue ammunition, but what you have may be construed as Government property. I'm not sure how much of it your acquaintance gave you, but I'd make sure I shot it up first before the rest of my stash.
 
Burt, you beat me to it; I lost the thread and accidentally closed the viewer.

Not discounting any of the above, look at the primers. Examine the edge around the primer cavity. Military ammunition - unless it's been changed in manufacturing process - has crimped in primers. The crimp is a concentric 'ring' of stamped brass metal, part of the cartridge case itself (not a separate part).

In reloads that crimp is removed (more for seating a new primer than for removing the old primer). I've never heard of a primer crimping process for reloaders.
Primer Crimp.JPG
Primer Crimp.JPG
The reddish depression is the crimp of which I speak. (The red is a sealant to resist moisture. Applied like ink.)
 
Easiest test -- look at the primers. If they are staked or sealed, it's factory.

You beat me to it. I look for a primer crimp. I know a few reloaders who reuse stripper clips but I don't know any that crimp primers. I'm going to say this is factory ammo.

I've also heard that this ammo is hard on feed ramps. This was heard 2nd or 3rd hand from Fort Benning.
 
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I greatly appreciate all the responses.

I am not a reloader and know little about it. I just mentioned not liking shooting strangers reloads because well, I don't like to. :)


Here is what the bottom of the casings/primers look like, for those asking. Not sure what those dimples are and that kind of got me wondering about the reloading aspect.


20220621_212349.jpg
 
99.9% certain that's just standard issue factory Lake City M855A1 that has made it's way to the public domain. There are always a few clips full of it on GunBroker at any one time, probably with a similar back story. It's definitely NOT M855 "Green Tip".
 
I greatly appreciate all the responses.

I am not a reloader and know little about it. I just mentioned not liking shooting strangers reloads because well, I don't like to. :)


Here is what the bottom of the casings/primers look like, for those asking. Not sure what those dimples are and that kind of got me wondering about the reloading aspect.


View attachment 1085541
The crimp looks to be there. Looks to be primer sealant on it. I'm not familiar with that specific military ammo. But nothing looks tampered with.
 
I greatly appreciate all the responses.

I am not a reloader and know little about it. I just mentioned not liking shooting strangers reloads because well, I don't like to. :)


Here is what the bottom of the casings/primers look like, for those asking. Not sure what those dimples are and that kind of got me wondering about the reloading aspect.


View attachment 1085541

Yes that's factory.
The pressure ring we see around the bases in the first photos is concerning, but that may just be light. Maybe these rounds were chambered before? And a rough patch near the rear of the chamber rubbed that ring into them.
 
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