interesting PMC ammo problem

[Robb Jensen]

A few of my co-workers and I went shooting yesterday at Quantico. One of my co-workers bought a 20" ArmaLite AR (at the shop we work at). It's a flat top (with flat top clamp on factory gas block), SureFire M500 rifle length handguards w/integral light. He added a VLTOR E-Mod complete kit (and is using the stock CAR length buffer spring and CAR 2.9oz buffer) to it and a Trijicon 4x ACOG w/LaRue mount. He replaced the bolt with a BCM unit (kept the ArmaLite carrier). I assembled the SureFires on this rifle about 6 months ago and had to replace the handguard cap to get them to fit.

Anyway he had bought a few hundred rounds of PMC Bronze. His rifle would short cycle (would eject the empty but fail to pick up the next round) about 40% of the time with this ammo and he was running it very wet with oil.

This stuff works in my carbine length guns just fine (I've shot a few thousand rounds of the stuff in the last 6 months or so). I'm thinking it might be like the Radway Green and Serbian stuff where it's pressure drops off too fast and can't cycle a 20" gun reliably.

His ran great with my Federal XM193 and American Eagle 55gr. Another interesting thing is in one of the boxes of XM193 I gave him (2007 stuff) had a M856 tracer round (orange tip) in it (DOH!).

I think this is what we'll be seeing in future times as ammo is getting scarce. (poor quality)

[Lumpy196]

Even more interesting considering what creme-puff loads the American Eagle 55gr has been in the past...

[KintlaLake]

FWIW, the first 400 rounds through my S&W M&P 15 recently were PMC Bronze. There were two short-cycles, both (apparently) lube-related. (We were breaking-in the shooter, too. )

[markm]

I just bought 2 boxes of this stuff at the local Gun store. I'll make a note to run it thru my "fence post" to see how it works.

I still have a few boxes of those Priv short strokers too.

[hgunnerm&p15t]

my s&w m&p15t will not shoot wolf ammo at all- it will eject the used case but will not pick up the new one--it shoots american eagle ae223 like a champ and also seller and bellot 55 grfmj like a champ but will not digest any wolf at all-next to try is pmc and remington umc

[markm]

I put my 2 boxes of PMC in my shooting tote. I hope to get out this weekend. Once I have my fence post at least 80-100 rounds dirty, I'll give the PMC a try. (sometimes marginal ammo will run on a really clean gun)

If I can, I'll try to run some in a full auto 20 incher. Poor cycling ammo really acts up in full auto. I fired some of the Priv M193 in full auto on a 20 incher. Talk about slowing down the cycle rate!

[markm]

Well I finally got the PMC out, and ran it thru a 20 inch rifle.

The weapon had about 50 or so rounds thru it already.... so it was out of the clean and freshly lubed mode.

Anyway, I could tell right away that this stuff was not right. I could feel the cycle of the weapon slow down significantly. Semi auto struggled along with it, but full auto killed it. It wouldn't even complete a 3 round burst.

There's definitely an issue with the powder charge. I only shot one of the 20 round boxes I had. It didn't take long to get the same results that Gotm4 reported above.

[markm]

Took the other 20 rounds I had out yesterday. The ammo ran much better with my silencer mounted on my 20 inch barrel. (same weapon, just as dirty as the previous attempt.)

[mark5pt56]

I've seen over 100k of this stuff fired recently and have'nt seen any issues. Most through 14.5-16" guns 25-30k through 20" Bushmasters.

I've put alot through my Sabre/PK middy and 14.5 Colt, all 100%

Mark

[markm]

Are you talking current production? I know the OLD PMC had a great reputation. But the Current PMC in the Black/Bronze box (.223) is fussy in my 20" bushmaster upper.