What is SS 109 ammo?

M855, also known as SS109, green-tipped ammo, and Penetrator rounds, is a 5.56x45mm caliber, 62 grain round with a lead alloy and steel core. Originally known as SS109, this round can trace its roots back more than 50 years to the time surrounding the standardization trials NATO carried out in the 1970s.

What is M193 ball ammo?

What is the M193? The M193 is essentially the standard, average, or ‘run of the mill’ 5.56 rounds. Used in massive quantities by our troops overseas; the M193 is a 55 grain, lead cored, full metal jacket projectile with a muzzle velocity of 3,250 fps.

Is M193 armor piercing?

Ask an expert why M193 at full velocity will reliably perforate a steel armor plate, and you’ll hear “speed kills” or a variation of that refrain. In other words, it’s commonly assumed that M193 penetrates better simply because it is faster. This is untrue. In fact, it can’t possibly be true.

Is M855 better than M193?

If penetration, longer distance, resistance to wind, and other environmental factors are important to you, then M855 will suit you better. But if you’re buying ammo for range shooting, hunting, or self-defense, the average, run-of-the-mill (and cheaper!) M193 is a better option.

What is the point of green tip ammo?

Green-tip ammunition is most common in 5.56/. 223 Rem caliber and is mainly designed for use with the AR platform. These rounds were originally considered controversial, as they meet one of the criteria of the federal definition of armor-piercing ammunition.

What 5.56 round does the military use?

M855A1 Enhanced
The M855A1, a 5.56 mm Ball ammunition, is an enhanced performance round for today’s combat and training environments. It works with the M4 Carbine, the M249 machine gun, and the H&K and M16A2 rifles.

Is M193 good for home defense?

Defensive ammo selection is going to be different for different rifles, but M193 isn’t the best home defense option for any rifle. Firstly, you’re not going to want to use FMJ rounds in a home defense situation. You want ballistic tips, hollow points, or soft points for reliable expansion.

Who makes M193 ammo?

The civilian market most commonly has access to one of two types of 5.56: M193 Ball and M855 Ball. A ton of this ammo is manufactured at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Missouri.

What does M193 mean?

What is M193? If you were to label any of the 5.56 cartridges “vanilla,” you would pick the M193. It is the standard cartridge the military issues for field use in the M16A1 rifle. It features a 55 grain bullet. A lead core with a full metal jacket make up this cartridge.

Is M193 steel core?

The M193 cartridge is a 55 gr lead core surrounded by a copper jacket (FMJ-BT, full metal jacket with boat tail). While the M855 “green tip” cartridge is 62 gr and has a steel core “penetrator” at the tip which helps it go through barriers more easily (also FMJ-BT).

What does black tip ammo mean?

If you find Black Tipped ammo out there (and you probably won’t), that means you’re looking at a true armor-piercing round.

What does a blue tip on a bullet mean?

What does Blue tip on bullet mean? A blue tip bullet in NATO countries like US and UK indicates incendiary bullets that burn rapidly or have high explosive incendiary. Modern blue tip bullets are intended for armor penetration and then explode.

What is an M193 round?

What is M193? Developed in the early 1960s, M193 5.56 cartridges first saw combat in Vietnam, where they were used in the then relatively new M16 rifle. Formally adopted in 1964, M193 was the primary round used in military M16s until the 1980s.

What is the difference between the M855 and M193?

The bullet loaded in M855 differs significantly from M193 and other standard FMJs. These “penetrator” projectiles were specifically engineered to improve long-range performance in the Belgian Minimi and American M249 SAW.

Is M193 ammo considered military ammo?

Technically, both the M193 and M855 are military cartridges. Like most military surplus supplies, there are strict rules around civilian ownership of M193 and M855 ammunition. However, the average Joe can get his hands on loads nearly identical to this military ammo, even though that ammo may not be actual “mil-spec.”

What is the best bullet for a M193?

Both the M193’s 55 grain bullet and the M855’s 62 grain bullet work well with a barrel that has a 1 in 8 twist rate. This means that the rifle’s barrel has grooves in it that make one complete turn every eight inches. A 1 in 7 twist rate is what the military uses in most AR-pattern rifles, so both rounds will shoot well in today’s guns.