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View Full Version : Can you legally buy these ??????



Socom II
04-17-08, 07:44
Saw some of the SS/109 M855 62gr. bullets for reloading on an auction site. Do you think that these are the steel core bullets or just the FMJ with lead inside?? :confused:

markm
04-17-08, 08:25
Of course you can buy them. I personally hate them. They're not very accurate, and I have to adjust my bullet seating die to get the OAL right.

And yes. They're the penetrator round. And that steel penetrator doesn't do shit to hard armor. Regular M193 projectiles will actually do more damage to armor than the penetrator round.... I've done the research.

decodeddiesel
04-24-08, 12:14
Better not else large men in black jump suits may be smashing through your windows in the middle of the night shooting your brains out at point blank range.

j/k

There are a lot of projectiles out there that are far superior to those M855s.

Renegade
04-24-08, 13:35
Saw some of the SS/109 M855 62gr. bullets for reloading on an auction site. Do you think that these are the steel core bullets or just the FMJ with lead inside?? :confused:

Yes, unless your state has restrictions. If they are M855, then they have a steel core penetrator.

WS6
04-28-08, 02:23
Of course you can buy them. I personally hate them. They're not very accurate, and I have to adjust my bullet seating die to get the OAL right.

And yes. They're the penetrator round. And that steel penetrator doesn't do shit to hard armor. Regular M193 projectiles will actually do more damage to armor than the penetrator round.... I've done the research.

Was it hands-on? I have found that M855 will cut more steel than M193 at any range. This is based on a 3/8" steel plate in my front yard and some 2x4's behind it. The M855 CONSISTANTLY at any-range (well, out to 145 yards, thats as far as I could get in my front yard) would penetrate the plate + 1 or more 2x4's. The M193 (Q3131, and this was a HOT lot, averaging 3275fps with some rounds 3350+) would make it through the plate all the time until about 100 yards, then it was about 75% of the time. At no range would the M193 do more than throw the spall from the plate (a plug of steel, as it wouldn't penetrate but rather cause spalling, unlike the M855 which actually penetrated, albeit only the steel) against the 2x4, causing what amounted to a nasty dent, even at 25m.

Therefor I must say, M855 on homogonous armor is probably the best bet this side of M995 if you are using a 5.56 caliber weapon. Note, this does not mean M855 is not going to frag like crazy BEYOND the "armor", only that if I was waging a bet on what 5.56 would cut the most steel, I would pick M855.

markm
04-28-08, 08:21
All my unofficial research was inside of 100 yards. I tested a couple of metals.

Armorgard armor from Heflin steel here in Phoenix:

M193 does noticeably more pocking damage to the surface of the armor. My belief is that the velocity margin of M193 vs. M855 at the short range is the cause of this.

The second metal I tested was of unknown hardness. Not quite as hard as armor, but not mild steel. It was the material used for the leading edge of a front loader's scoop. A guy I know cuts it down for me to make gongs.

Anyway. I shot 3 rounds each of M193 and M855 at 45 yards with a 20 inch AR. The results were the same as above. The craters from the M193 were about twice as deep as the M855. (I had pics of this test, but they were hosted on TOS.)

WS6
04-28-08, 22:33
All my unofficial research was inside of 100 yards. I tested a couple of metals.

Armorgard armor from Heflin steel here in Phoenix:

M193 does noticeably more pocking damage to the surface of the armor. My belief is that the velocity margin of M193 vs. M855 at the short range is the cause of this.

The second metal I tested was of unknown hardness. Not quite as hard as armor, but not mild steel. It was the material used for the leading edge of a front loader's scoop. A guy I know cuts it down for me to make gongs.

Anyway. I shot 3 rounds each of M193 and M855 at 45 yards with a 20 inch AR. The results were the same as above. The craters from the M193 were about twice as deep as the M855. (I had pics of this test, but they were hosted on TOS.)


Perhapse it depends more on the steel than it does the projectile. I used a steel of unknown hardness. M193 made bigger pock marks, but M855 cut through the steel better, if that makes sense. If I were hiding behind it, I would have MUCH rathered M193 be fired.

markm
04-29-08, 08:42
Perhapse it depends more on the steel than it does the projectile.

For sure. Someone on TOS pointed out that a military .308 round's penetration on wood actually improved as the velocity of the bullet dropped off (to a diminishing point).