Where to get 5.56 Hornady TAP?

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C

.cheese.

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I've been searching around but haven't found a place that even carries it. I know it's technically LE only, but I've bought Speer LE marked ammo boxes before without a problem. Supposedly the way it works is that they have to be sold to dealers that supply LE agencies, but where it goes from there is up to the dealer.

Or is that just with Speer and not Hornady? I would love to get some of this ammo if nothing else to do a wetpack test vs the .223 version.

On the subject, wet-pack would have to be what - 20 inches - for safe 5.56 testing?

Anybody who knows a place that sells it to civs would be great. It's civ legal, there's just some expectation by Hornady that it be sold to LE agencies.... which is silly IMO since it's not AP or anything.
 
You cannot get Hornady 5.56 TAP without LE letterhead. It isn't a matter of legality as much as company policy. They sell .223 TAP in their TAP FPD line; but they have restricted access to the 5.56 TAP to LE only. I guess they are concerned that there might be liability if someone fed their tight .223 match chamber the 5.56 pressure ammo since otherwise Hornady FPD and LE TAP ammo is pretty much the same.

Realistically, there isn't that much difference between the two types of ammo. The 5.56 TAP is a tiny bit faster and a bit less accurate.
 
Here is a thread of ARF that shows the difference is amazing detail... http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=16&t=283506

boxes_FPD_resized.jpg


boxes_556_resized.jpg


cartridges_TAP_side_by_side_resized.jpg
 
I agree I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it.

In fact I shoot Federal American eagle through my AR15 and FAL for practice and self defense... (like I am ever gonna use a FAL or an AR15 for self defense anyway...)

Cameron
 
The difference between .223 and 5.56 TAP isn't worth the trouble to obtain it.

That ARFcom photo is old also, the .223 is no longer black cased, at least the last 10 boxes I bought were not.
 
cameron, relax a little. I'm at work, so unfortunately I can't pull up the CTD website. As I recall, however, the picture was of ammo in red boxes, and CTD says it is "law enforcement marked TAP." Note, they did NOT advertise it as "TAP FPD", and the pic was not of a black box like the FPD stuff comes in.

It may be ".223" as opposed to "5.56x45", but it sure sounds like TAP law enforcement ammo, and not TAP FPD.
 
I'm relaxed... I'm eating a brownie and drinking some good coffee.:)

The original question asked:

Where to get 5.56 Hornady TAP?

Hornady severely restricts this ammo and it is not sold on Cheaper Than Dirt, as Roberts mentioned above it requires an order on LE Dept letter head to obtain. It is NOT .223 TAP (red box) nor is it .223 TAP FPD (black box) it has a different order number a different chamber pressure and can have a significantly higher muzzle velocity approx 170-180 fps.

I just wanted to clarify that Hornady 5.56 NATO TAP is NOT sold through Cheaper Than Dirt so there is no confusion.

Hey, unless I had read this information before, I would never have known the difference either.

Cameron
 
The difference between .223 and 5.56 TAP isn't worth the trouble to obtain it.

That ARFcom photo is old also, the .223 is no longer black cased, at least the last 10 boxes I bought were not.
Click to expand...

It is confusing, but the .223 TAP FPD is black cased still but the delineation is not between TAP (red box) and TAP FPD (black box). It is between 5.56NATO and .223 Remington.

  • TAP (red box/brass colored case) is available in .223Rem and 5.56NATO, Hornady restricts the 5.56NATO and not the .223Rem.
  • TAP FPD (black box/black cartridge case) is only available in .223Rem and is obviously not restricted.

Hope this clears up the confusion.

Cameron
 
with all due respect guys, when somebody asks specifically about where to obtain if possible 5.56 TAP they're not looking for:

1. Where to get .223 TAP
2. Where to get .223 FPD
3. Why they don't need 5.56 TAP
4. Why it isn't worth it to get 5.56 TAP
5. What the difference is between 5.56 and .223 TAP
 
cheese, while that may be true, I'm glad for those responses becuase it showed me that FPD is just fine, and that the 5.56 TAP is not enough better to matter.
 
cheese, generally when someone asks a question there are others reading the answers than the OP.

Since you knew when you posted that you couldn't get the stuff, the topic turned to differences in case other readers might wonder.

I agree it's stupid that they won't sell it, since there is no legal problem with the ammo, but Hornady has made it clear time and time again they won't sell this stuff without agency letterhead.

I assume its more to do with product liability than anything else.
 
fair enough. If others benefit from the alternative answers, then I have no business complaining.

Oh well. If Hornady won't sell it, I'll look elsewhere for a quality 5.56 HP.

I know that it is only marginal in difference, but I figure with 5.56, every little bit of velocity helps, even if it does decrease accuracy.
 
Don't be an ammo nitpicker. Get the FPD stuff, it's perfectly fine and a huge leap above any milspec load.


Here's the velocities I get with FPD chrono'd:

24" 1/8 Hornady TAP FPD 2,716 fps
20" 1/7 Hornady TAP FPD 2,657 fps
16" 1/7 Hornady TAP FPD 2,612 fps


The 5.56 TAP (redbox) is only going to show its usefulness out past 175yards. At any range you'll likely use the AR (50 yards or under) it isn't going to make a difference. Even past 175yards, you're still hitting them with something vastly superior to M193 or M855 military issue.


Some people stress over the difference and make huge efforts to find the redbox stuff. Some because they just want bragging rights or to feel special, others because they are told the redbox is better. Yes, it is better - but not by any amount that will make a real difference in the real world. What? 5% more fragmentation? 50 yards more fragmentation range? That's not going to save your butt, where the FPD wouldn't have sufficed.


Now, stay away from the 60gr TAP. It doesn't penetrate well enough. That is a special purpose bullet. The whole 5.56 thing comes into play when talking about 55gr and 62gr ammo. These bullets do not have the fragmentation or tumbling effects of 75gr ammo - therefore, you want to push them as fast as possible to get them to penetrate and frag and to extend the range at which they will. The emphasis and importance of higher velocity 5.56 pressure levels isn't as critical when using good bullets like the 68, 69, 75 and 77gr ....
 
I know this is an old post, but I have been looking for hard data on just how much better the Hornady 75gr 5.56 TAP ammo is from other 75gr .223 ammo. I have also been looking for data on how effective the Hornady 60gr TAP V-max red box in .223 was for self-defense compared to, say a Black Hills 68gr OTM.

I have read many answers. Some make sense, many don't. Much is contradictory. Then I read this...

The 5.56 TAP (redbox) is only going to show its usefulness out past 175yards. At any range you'll likely use the AR (50 yards or under) it isn't going to make a difference. Even past 175yards, you're still hitting them with something vastly superior to M193 or M855 military issue.

Some people stress over the difference and make huge efforts to find the redbox stuff. Some because they just want bragging rights or to feel special, others because they are told the redbox is better. Yes, it is better - but not by any amount that will make a real difference in the real world. What? 5% more fragmentation? 50 yards more fragmentation range? That's not going to save your butt, where the FPD wouldn't have sufficed.

Now, stay away from the 60gr TAP. It doesn't penetrate well enough. That is a special purpose bullet. The whole 5.56 thing comes into play when talking about 55gr and 62gr ammo. These bullets do not have the fragmentation or tumbling effects of 75gr ammo - therefore, you want to push them as fast as possible to get them to penetrate and frag and to extend the range at which they will. The emphasis and importance of higher velocity 5.56 pressure levels isn't as critical when using good bullets like the 68, 69, 75 and 77gr ....
Click to expand...

I think I've found my answer.
 
try ammotogo or gtdist I know thry have it and keislers if you have to have
good luck better buy it now while can
 
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