Mk318 Gel Shots?

[Leatherneck556]

Now that Mk318 Mod0 is actually out for civilian purchase, are there any gel shots that we can see? I'm interested in bare gel and also in auto glass/some intermediate barrier (maybe like a loaded AK mag).

I guess I'm kinda confused as to how it works. Not yaw-dependent... but does it fragment? If so, how far out will it fragment from a 14.5" barrel? 20" barrel? How quickly does the fragmentation/start of temporary cavity begin? How deeply does it penetrate both through intermediate barriers and without?

I ask not just for my own personal knowledge, but also because (as my screen name would imply) I'm in the Marine Corps. I'm an infantry officer and I'm pretty interested to know what the stuff me and my Marines are using actually does.

[DocGKR]

We have procured Federal T556TNB1--ammo is scheduled to arrive from Anoka in the next week or so. We will shoot bare gel, auto windshields, and perhaps some other barriers and post the results before the end of the year.

[Leatherneck556]

Awesome! Thanks for the reply, Doc.

Obviously, you have your own criteria that you will test, but if you were to be taking any requests, I'd be interested to see how it does through IIIA armor and also against a loaded AK mag in a chest rig.

[DocGKR]

I can tell you right now that it punches through level IIIa soft armor like it is not there; level III hard armor is another story...

[variablebinary]

We have procured Federal T556TNB1--ammo is scheduled to arrive from Anoka in the next week or so. We will shoot bare gel, auto windshields, and perhaps some other barriers and post the results before the end of the year.

How soon till we can expect to see head to head comparisons between M855A1 and MK318?

Lots of people looking to see this comparo

[Todd.K]

How soon till we can expect to see head to head comparisons between M855A1 and MK318?

Lots of people looking to see this comparo

I bet the people who made the green bullets ARE NOT looking forward to a real comparison...

[200RNL]

I guess I'm kinda confused as to how it works. Not yaw-dependent... but does it fragment?

Either it yaws and fragments like M193 or....it yaws with no fragmentation like 5.45 Russian.....or, it's a politically correct magic bullet that accomplishes everything, just don't ask how..... top secret you know.

[Failure2Stop]

Either it yaws and fragments like M193 or....it yaws with no fragmentation like 5.45 Russian.....or, it's a politically correct magic bullet that accomplishes everything, just don't ask how..... top secret you know.

It yaws and fragments once inside soft tissue.
It exhibits less yaw during flight.
M855 produces it's most spectacular damage when the bullet hits the target while the axis of the projectile is not on the flight path, which results in shallower penetration prior to fragmentation. Uunfortunately, it reduces precision since yaw and precession are not consistent with M855, and reduces barrier-penetration characteristics.
The Mk318 has more consistent precession and yaw, less fleet-yaw, better precision, excellent barrier performance, and superior (by the data I have seen) soft tissue destruction.

These are good things, and are not uncommon in other projectiles. It is high time these have been brought to our service ammo.

[bernieb90]

I can see how MK318 is a big leap forward as far as small arms ammunition for the military. I was wondering why the recent obsession with MK318 on the civilian side? Seems like any load like the 60gr Nosler Partition, 55/62 gr TBBC etc. will work just as well, and these have been available for years. Is there any advantage to MK318 over currently available bonded/partitioned bullets as far as terminal performance goes?

[BrianS]

I can see how MK318 is a big leap forward as far as small arms ammunition for the military. I was wondering why the recent obsession with MK318 on the civilian side? Seems like any load like the 60gr Nosler Partition, 55/62 gr TBBC etc. will work just as well, and these have been available for years. Is there any advantage to MK318 over currently available bonded/partitioned bullets as far as terminal performance goes?

Maybe just anticipation of superior performance combined with lots being on the market at more reasonable prices in the event major military contracts are ongoing?

Just a guess. I know many people with 10s of thousands of rounds of M193 and/or M855 style ammo stockpiled, no so with the more expensive match or hollowpoint type ammo.