Hi y'all,

I am acquiring some 7.62 NATO M61 AP tips, and my seller is offering me (same price) a choice between the Israeli IMI-production projectiles, and U.S.-made Lake City projectiles. I am quite familiar with the Israeli offering, and while no AP tips could be called "common" at all anymore, the Israeli model is certainly the one almost always encountered for reloading in this country.

I have a good bit of experience and have worked up loads for the Israeli projectiles, and so I know them well. These are the ones that sometimes don't have a painted tip, and have the double cannelure, apparently for loading as either .30-06 or 7.62 NATO ammo. I have also sectioned them and tested them, and they perform well, though I am a bit confused about the blunt tip of the penetrator core, as it seems that a spearpoint shape (like the .30-06 M2 AP) would be more effective. I also am not a big fan of the steel jackets on the Israeli projectiles. While this is NOT for blasting ammo, and I am sure that the few test rounds I have fired did not have an adverse effect on my chrome-lined barrels, I still prefer to shoot projectiles with a brass jacket.

Concerning the Lake City M61 projectile, on the other hand, I have basically no knowledge. My seller sent me pictures of them, and they have just 1 cannelure, a very pronounced boat tail, and a black-painted tip. I have heard of the FN, Hirtenberger, and Bofors designs of 7.62 NATO AP (I believe the Bofors is a different design and designation, while the FN and Hirtenberger are types of M61), but until now have never even read that there is a Lake City design. Perhaps it is not a different design, and is just a projectile of either the FN (spearpoint penetrator) or Hirtenberger (blunt tip, the type our Israeli friend produce) produced at Lake City, but I am hoping someone here has experience or insight into Lake City M61 tips. What I would really like is to see a picture of a sectioned one of those bullets for a look at the core, and also to know whether the jacket material is steel or brass.

I am leaning toward the Lake City because it looks so nice, is American-made, may have a softer jacket, may contain a better-penetrating core, and is just plain cool, but I want to hear some input from y'all fine folks before I make my decision.

Thanks in advance!