View Full Version : Finally found some real M855
I looked all over trying to find some NON IGMAN M855. Finally found some Q3269 (1K rounds) M855 today at the fun show. I have always thought it hard to find the 2007 stamped Winchester M855. I also found some 05' Lake City M855, but it was even more expensive and the stripper clip/bandoleer packaging wasn't important to me.
So far accuracy is OUTSTANDING for M855 It also seems to be fairly "hot". I took a cartridge
down and measured what is either 26.5gr or 27.5gr depending on how I read the sliding weight scale (it confuses me how it works with 1 weight sliding towards the fulcrum to add measure and one sliding away to add measure or whatnot, I do not get it). I need to find my digital scale. There is a small (but thorough) amount of sealer on the primers, it is purple/black in color, and a good bit of black tar sealant on the bullet. This is the REAL M855 :)
2007 headstamp w/NATO circle btw.
http://i30.tinypic.com/2utj4zr.jpg
http://i32.tinypic.com/2hnox9g.jpg
This was shot in gusty wind as well as being kindof a "quick" group. Had I taken a bit more time I see this being 2.5MOA ammo easily.
PS. I broke out my old steel plate (3/8" thick mild steel). It went through that and both outer and inner (missing internals) skins
http://i30.tinypic.com/ac8l0n.jpg
Well you are smart to avoid that Igman stuff from what I've heard.
I looked all over trying to find some NON IGMAN M855. Finally found some Q3269 (1K rounds) M855 today at the fun show.
How much did 1K rounds cost you?
decodeddiesel
02-19-08, 17:32
How much did 1K rounds cost you?
That's the real question. A pretty penny I bet.
...what was wrong with the Igman stuff?http://emoticons4u.com/smoking/rauch06.gif
How much did 1K rounds cost you?
I payed out the nose for it, but it is properly sealed (soaked 2 rounds in WD-40, one for 36hrs and the other for 12hrs and both when the bullet was pulled were bone-dry inside and the primers were very hearty sounding when I fired the primers.)
2.75 MOA for a carelessly fired group in 10mph gusts of wind (it was moving the rifle so I had to pause once, thats how ugly it was) is NOT! bad for M855 either. Had I fired it from a rest and eliminated the wind I would guess 2-2.5MOA is attainable from this.
I also measured 27.5gr of powder taken from the two rounds I took down today. Seems like they are hot :D
Okay, I still have not justified myself enough, but the case cost me $500 OTD at the funshow. All the same lot # of course. All 2007 Headstamped. Damnit the man said they were assymbled by little elves in a separate part of the factory.
...what was wrong with the Igman stuff?http://emoticons4u.com/smoking/rauch06.gif
Shortstrokes and some rifles are throwing 5-6" "patterns" with it at 100y.
I'm paying $384/1K OTD for Sellier & Bellot (their version of M193). I think Grant has a better deal going, so I'll have to check.
M855 is just too expensive. :eek:
...I'll thank you not to make fun of my groupings...
LOL...that's buckshot stuff...
http://emoticons4u.com/smoking/rauch06.gif
...So what is NATO specs for that ammo supposed to be...
Shouldn't there be a velocity/pressure floor in ammo designated that way?
Was that a bad batch or is the spec different for Igman compared to everyone else? Is it meant to be used in weapons other than AR/M4 types?
What's da' deal here?
...I'll thank you not to make fun of my groupings...
LOL...that's buckshot stuff...
http://emoticons4u.com/smoking/rauch06.gif
...So what is NATO specs for that ammo supposed to be...
Shouldn't there be a velocity/pressure floor in ammo designated that way?
Was that a bad batch or is the spec different for Igman compared to everyone else? Is it meant to be used in weapons other than AR/M4 types?
What's da' deal here?
Velocity/pressure won't cycle an AR worth a hill of beans unless the powder's burn rate curve is right.
I'm paying $384/1K OTD for Sellier & Bellot (their version of M193). I think Grant has a better deal going, so I'll have to check.
M855 is just too expensive. :eek:
It is expensive, but I found some good stuff and it should keep from now until the end of time as well as it is sealed. It is my "serious" ammo. I also bought it b/c the sights on my rifle are calibrated for it and I figure I should have some of the ammo my rifle was designed to shoot.
M855 is just too expensive. :eek:
And not worth it in my opinion. The only good thing about M855 is the high quality of production. Performance is not worth $0.50 per round in my opinion. There are much better alternatives for Zombie ammo or whatever...
For that price, I'd rather get M193.
decodeddiesel
02-19-08, 19:25
...Performance is not worth $0.50 per round in my opinion....
....For that price, I'd rather get M193...
Agreed 100%. I have used M855 in the sandbox and in training for years. I was not impressed with the accuracy of this ammo, and not very impressed when I saw the terminal ballistics.
Still though, you can rest assured that it WILL fire when called upon.
...
Velocity/pressure won't cycle an AR worth a hill of beans unless the powder's burn rate curve is right.
...alright, I'll bite, what's the correct burn rate curve then...?
For that matter, what's so much more critical in this ammo that makes it worth so much?
...or is it just a warm and fuzzy knowing you have it...?
Storage? Is it the only ammo that comes tarred and painted?
I just got curious from seeing the posts about it...the real 855 thing...
I've just been shooting PP 55 and Black Hills...they both seem to work just fine and are quite a bit less pricey...just wondering what I'm missing out here in the desert plains...I couldn't afford to buy it anyway...so thanks for the info...http://emoticons4u.com/smoking/rauch06.gif
If funds were unlimited I'd buy....
....but they're not and thus I go for the more reliable and accurate bang for the buck.
After seeing what happens when you store a round in the magazine for a while and CLP drips on it, the tar and paint is worth it to me. Guy on TOS pulled down a round he had in his weapon for a while...no-go. IT was all clumpy powder and dead primer.
As to the accuracy, I cannot see to shoot better than 2.75 MOA 10-shot groups anyways when using open sights (which is what the rifle I bought it for has).
When it comes to the "why" did I buy it, I bought it because it WILL GO BANG and because any hole is better than no hole. Also, as stated, a 1/9 barrel with calibrated sights is what it was made for (The minimi was originally tested/developed with a 1/9 barrel but due to the tracer it was changed to 1/7 and the "burn past 800m" was changed to "burn TO 800m" in the wording of the spec in an effort to get the tracer to meet spec. Hence I want the right thing for my rifle because then when I go to the range I can dial it in using the little numbers and have fun trying to hit/guestimate the range to the unmarked gongs. Sorry if that is a bit nit-picky, but I find it fun!
Also, I bet in 1-2 years I can get my money and then some for it if I decide I don't like it.
Terminally? My friends never had any issues in the sand-box, but then again they had SAW's. Seems the only people complaining are using the M4. I have an A2 with a 20" barrel, not an issue.Evan Smith even carried M855 until he discovered DPX. He had no complaints towards it except when dealing with cars, which is why the 30 round mag exists imho.
All I know is the round is as accurate as anything I have shot except for the Hornady T2 or maybe some black-hills or whatnot and that is good enough for me :)
(T2 got me a 1.1" group while this got me a 2.75" group. The T2 was shot on a better day as well. Again, not enough to matter to me).
And yes..I do get a warm fuzzy feeling from owning M855 with a NATO stamp that I know to be good ammo. *going back to my cool-aid now)
...makes sense to me...
These days ya' gotta' get 'em anyway ya' can...If a little ammo will do it, then it's worth it, no matter the cost...enjoy...
http://emoticons4u.com/smoking/rauch06.gif
Shortstrokes and some rifles are throwing 5-6" "patterns" with it at 100y.
Ditto on the short stoke. I could feel the difference in recoil on my first 5 shots. To top it off I bought 2 battle packs of this junk.
Agreed 100%. I have used M855 in the sandbox and in training for years. I was not impressed with the accuracy of this ammo, and not very impressed when I saw the terminal ballistics.
Still though, you can rest assured that it WILL fire when called upon.
Indeed. That's the one characteristic that gives M855 value. It's a sealed cartridge assembled with a high level of QC.
decodeddiesel
02-20-08, 09:55
...Seems the only people complaining (about terminal effects) are using the M4...
Heh...You're absolutely correct. For me it was a lack of consistency with the effects. Of the first hand hits I have seen, it has been everything from a guy hit in the torso from a range of less than 25 meters getting patched up and smoking a cigarette within 20 minutes of being hit. Then again I have seen dudes dropped at 200-300 meters with torso hits who were dead before they hit the ground, and a guy hit at CQB range in the upper leg who had an exit wound where his kidneys should have been, needless to say he was dead within minutes and no longer a threat once hit.
I do have to say that all of the observed effects of Mk262 have been very effective. That is some very lethal ammo. Once again though you got to pay to play.
Failure2Stop
02-20-08, 10:20
My only use for M855 was for non-work practice with my mirror gun.
Then I realized that M193, M855, and Mk 262 Mod 1 only have about a 1 MOA difference in trajectory out to 300 yards with either a 200(50) or 100 yard zero.
So I do my close training with 55gr and my long with 77 gr, since I do a lot of 200 and under, with most at under 25.
M855 PD is just not worth the price to me. I keep a few mags of 75gr 5.56 TAP for bad-day possibilities.
For me it was a lack of consistency with the effects.
One of the many reasons that makes me wonder why people are so enamored by the M855. We have been trying to do better for years, but a large segment of the population can't seem to get enough, regardless of price.
The issue with all 5.56 projectiles- fleet yaw variation. Longer bullets do better in reducing the issue, but it seems to be in the above 70gr class that they really work.
One of the many reasons that makes me wonder why people are so enamored by the M855.
Me too. I have about 60 rounds of it saved in case I ever need to debunk some myth about the ammo. But I'm just not that fond of it for much of anything else.
If I were issued it, I wouldn't complain. But since I'm paying for my own ammo, I pick something else.
decodeddiesel
02-20-08, 11:56
But since I'm paying for my own ammo, I pick something else.
For this reason I have a hard time justifying M855 vs. M193. Like F2F said though, I too keep 90 or so rounds of 5.56 75gr TAP in P-mags on hand for "bad day" scenarios.
demigod, then would you consider Prvi Partisan M193 for general use as good as xm193, that is to say Prvi is new manufacture where as xm193 is pull downs,or :confused: reassembled? Don..........
Let me put it this way.... I'm currently buying PRIV M193 a few hundred rounds at a time.
I don't really know how it stacks up against XM193. Someone here said they didn't get great fragmentation out of it when he shot it into water out of a 20" barrel at point blank range. I'd like to try this myself some time.
XM193 isn't remanufactured. I don't have the exact explaination of it saved, but I finally did see some documentation as to what XM193 was. I think at this point we still see it available because it's so profitable for Federal to continue cranking it out. It's now in that black box with a more commercial appearance to it.
The bottom line, though.... In my home defense weapon, I run XM-193. There's been millions of rounds of it fired and I'm not aware of one single legitimate complaint. There's more elegant rounds out there (TAP, Mk 262 mod 87, etc.), but I'm more than comfortable with regular M193
thanks demigod, xm193 for me then. i hope that you do not mind that i continually single you out when i have a tech question, as you always have a prompt and direct answer. Don..........:)
No sweat. Some will say you're nuts for listening to me! :p
I just ordered 500 rounds of XM-193 the other day myself.
Beat Trash
02-22-08, 16:27
Anyone shoot any of the Prvi M855 ammunition yet? Would be interesting to see a comparison of the Prvi M855 to Lake City or Winchester M855.
I didnt even know Privy made M855. Is it true M855 or SS109?
Anyone shoot any of the Prvi M855 ammunition yet? Would be interesting to see a comparison of the Prvi M855 to Lake City or Winchester M855.
I got some and it didn't cycle my mid length RRA reliably.
Beat Trash
02-23-08, 15:20
I didnt even know Privy made M855. Is it true M855 or SS109?
Marked as M855...
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.