1/4" steel armor test

[tpd223]

I had a buddy who really liked high velocity rifles, and often shot handloads from his .220 Swift and .17 Rem. The .17 would shoot a nice clean little hole through an old bridge girder he salvaged, while 30-06 ball just dented it. Apparently a 1000-ish FPS difference in velocity made a big difference.

[domestique]

Thanks for the info Doc.

I have some "Lab certified" Level III AR 500 steel plates from Targetman.com. I plan on doing my own chrono’d "back yard ballistic test" and will be shooting the plate with:

10mm (200 gr WFNGC) from a Glock 20 4.6" barrel (1,250 FPS)
5.56 mm M193 from a 16" barrel
5.56 mm MK262 from a 16" barrel
300 Blackout (168 gr. pulled M2 black tip) from a 16" barrel
300 Blackout (150 FMJ) from a 16" barrel
300 Blackout (150 gr. API ammo)
30-06 (168 SMK) from a 24" barrel
300 RUM (180 TTSX) from a 26" barrel

I’m most curious about the 300 Blackout loaded with M2 black tip and API ammo. Knowing that they should penetrate at 30-06 velocities, I curious how they do at a couple hundred FPS slower Blackout velocities.

[Koshinn]

It is quite a normal finding for 855 to be stopped by steel, but 193 to punch through. Likewise 855 is a poor choice against automobile windshields.

Why did the military switch to 855?

[Shao]

Why did the military switch to 855?

This is from what I understand: Because NATO thought that the wounding capability of XM193 was inhumane so they switched to 855since it produces more ice-pick like wounds and less explosive trauma. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[Ned Christiansen]

M855 was designed specifically to perf a Soviet helmet at 500 M. At least that was the info put out by the gun press, at the time.

[tpd223]

This is from what I understand: Because NATO thought that the wounding capability of XM193 was inhumane so they switched to 855since it produces more ice-pick like wounds and less explosive trauma. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

You are in fact wrong.

NATO was looking for a 5.56 round that would get through Soviet helmets and body armor at distance, and wanting a round that would work through both rifles and SAWs. In the testing completed back then the M855 shot through a steel barrier at greater distance than the 7.62 round.

At close range the M855 will yaw and fragment pretty much the same as the M193

[black22rifle]

By any chance was this bainite flash armor? If not can you tell us the brand?

[Shao]

M855 was designed specifically to perf a Soviet helmet at 500 M. At least that was the info put out by the gun press, at the time.

You are in fact wrong.

NATO was looking for a 5.56 round that would get through Soviet helmets and body armor at distance, and wanting a round that would work through both rifles and SAWs. In the testing completed back then the M855 shot through a steel barrier at greater distance than the 7.62 round.

At close range the M855 will yaw and fragment pretty much the same as the M193

Hmmm thanks... you learn something new every day. Well those test results have me all sorts of confused now.

[200RNL]

I had a buddy who really liked high velocity rifles, and often shot handloads from his .220 Swift and .17 Rem. The .17 would shoot a nice clean little hole through an old bridge girder he salvaged, while 30-06 ball just dented it. Apparently a 1000-ish FPS difference in velocity made a big difference.

I've done some tests on 3/8 steel plate and have found that when lead core, high velocity bullets, successfully penetrate, they punch a hole through plate, much like a paper hole puncher. The holes produced in the plate are much larger than the diameter of the bullet. The bullet disintegrates and the punched out steel from the plate then becomes the projectile. This steel projectile is easily stopped by a couple of pieces of wood.

On the other hand, steel core, especially AP, punches sub caliber holes, remains intact, and maintains enough velocity after penetration to do considerable damage to anything behind the plate.

[chungdae]

Hmmm interesting data.