M855/SS109 5.56 ammunition

[LAR-15]

OK why isn't M855 classifed as 'armor piercing"?

Thanks

 

[elChupacabra!]

I don't think it really is armor piercing - it's not capable of defeating Level III or IV armor, but just about any centerfire rifle round (also not "armor piercing") will defeat Level I or Level II armor.

That's my understanding, at least.

Now the black-tipped M995 stuff - that IS armor piercing, and restricted as such.

 

[LAR-15]

But doesn't it technically meet the definiton of 'ap' or maybe it doesn't?

 

[TexasRifleman]

From an ATF letter I found a while back.....

CONSTRUCTION - The bullet must either have a core made ENTIRELY out of one or more of the listed metals, or be a full jacketed type bullet with a jacket comprising more that 25% of its weight. Thus SS109/M855 .223 (5.56mm) bullets would not be covered, because their core is only partly steel, and partly lead. Lead is not a listed metal, and bullets with cores made partly out of lead are OK.

The actual law:

B) The term 'armor piercing ammunition' means-

(i) a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or

(ii) a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile.

The SS109 bullet does not fall into that group. (ii) says INTENDED for use in a handgun where (i) says MAY be used in a handgun. M855, being a military loading, is clearly not INTENDED for use in a handgun.

Clear as mud huh......

 

[Z-Michigan]

it's not capable of defeating Level IIIA or IV armor

Level IIIA is weaker than Level III. Most rifle bullets will go through IIIA, while full III is rated to stop most of them.

A more logical system would have avoided the "A" and just had 1-6 (corresponding to I, IIA, II, IIIA, III, IV).

 

[elChupacabra!]

Oh sorry I guess I switched that around - was thinking III was the weaker one, IIIA was the upgrade... thanks for correcting my error

 

[everallm]

That's good to know, it means all my hand crafted Osmium, Iridium, Thorium and Plutonium cored rounds are legal, not being listed materials.....

 

[K3]

That's good to know, it means all my hand crafted Osmium, Iridium, Thorium and Plutonium cored rounds are legal, not being listed materials.....

Cool.

Which of your 3 eyes is dominant when shooting?

 

[Titan6]

Depleted Uranium turned out to be convient as we had so much of it we did not know what to do with. What better way to get rid of it than to shoot it at the enemy? Solves several problems at once.

 

[ctdonath]

Review what TR quoted.

Laws about "armor piercing ammo" have absolutely nothing to do with any demonstrable ability of ammo to pierce armor, it is ONLY about materials, percentages, and what it could conceivably be fired from.

Such is the insanity of much of law.

 

[Z-Michigan]

That's good to know, it means all my hand crafted Osmium, Iridium, Thorium and Plutonium cored rounds are legal, not being listed materials.....

Don't forget enriched uranium! Go up to 95% U-235 and the target may not care if it was armor piercing or not!

Oh yeah, while osmium/iridium ammo would go through just about anything (density ~22.5) one bullet core would cost more than most guns...

 

[xx7grant7x]

iridium ammo would go through just about anything

Time to melt down all those fancy iridium spark plugs I have

 

[Z-Michigan]

You'll probably need a couple thousand "iridium" tipped spark plugs to get one bullet.... but have fun!

 

[stampsm]

so technically you can use tungsten core ammo as long as lead makes up part of the bullet(not alloyed with something else) ?

 

[Z-Michigan]

Yes, I think you could use ammo with a partial tungsten core (balance lead) if you could actually find some. It's not on the shelves at my local Walmart. I suspect any company with the ability to make such ammo won't sell it to the public, looking only for lucrative government and export contracts that they won't get if they do sell it to the public.

 

[stampsm]

well i ran some numbers and it would cost around 1-2 dollars per bullet not including the powder, brass, and primer to make your own . bullet swagging presses are not that uncommon it would just take alot of time to do it all. i am guessing max around 30-45 per hour if you do it by hand.

apparently the m995 round costs almost 1.50 each for the military to buy them and those prices are from 3 years ago
http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/rifle/556mm_ammo.html