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The 5.56×45mm NATO standard SS109/M855 cartridge was designed for maximum performance when fired from a 508 mm (20.0 in) long barrel, as was the original 5.56 mm M193 cartridge. Experiments with longer length barrels up to 610 mm (24.0 in) resulted in no improvement or a decrease in muzzle velocities for the SS109/M855 cartridge.
- 7.62×51Mm NATO
These have been replaced to a considerable extent in the...
- 5.8×42Mm
The 5.8×42mm / DBP87 ("Dàn (弹) Bùqiāng (步枪) Pŭtōng (普通),...
- List of 5.56×45Mm NATO Firearms
The table below gives a list of firearms that can fire the...
- 223 Remington
The .223 Remington (designated 223 Remington by SAAMI and...
- 5.45×39Mm
The 5.45×39mm cartridge is a rimless bottlenecked...
- 300 AAC Blackout
The .300 AAC Blackout (designated as the 300 BLK by the...
- FN 5.7×28Mm
The FN 5.7×28mm (designated as the 5.7×28 by the C.I.P. and...
- 7.62×51Mm NATO
- 5.56×45 Origins and AR-15 Initial Reviews
- The AR-15 Wading Through The Muck
- Questionable Results and A Breakthrough
- More Modifications to The AR-15
- Problems in Vietnam
- 5.56×45 and NATO
- Moving Towards Modernization
- 5.56×45 Modern Era
- 5.56×45 Going Forward
We are not going to follow the full genealogy of the 5.56×45 NATO back to its origins. Instead, we are going to begin this story with the .222 Remington Cartridge. The .222 was the first rimless cartridge to be produced for civilian use in the United States in January of 1950. And while there is a lot of history leading up to the design of this car...
We are going to spend a significant amount of time on this section of history for the AR-15 and .223. It is quite the story of politics, feet dragging, and ineptness that at times seems to be akin to a court drama of renaissance Kings. One of the main reasons we want to dive into a bit more detail here is to give you a better sense of the chaos tha...
With so much promise in 1961 and 1962 for the rifle, it turns in the opposite direction as 1963 rolls around. As at the end of 1962, the publishing of reports testing the AR-15 and other rifles in use or being developed for infantry continue to pour in. At the start of 63’, the Army publishes several reports on their testing of the AR-15 and M14 ...
The .223 Rem ammunition that was currently in use had some issues and was pointed out at a meeting between representatives from the US Air Force and Army. It is stressed that the Remington .223 cartridges in use suffer several deficiencies, one of which is light powder charge. It is agreed upon that the rifle and its ammunition need a standard mili...
In 1965, the now labeled M16 (more specifically, it is the XM16E1 with the forward assist bolt closure device) and 5.56 round (M193) were being deployed in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Division. Initially, the reaction from soldiers towards the rifle was excellent with the ranking officers in the region stating that the rifle is far superior to ...
Up to 1967, the AR-15 and M16 along with the 5.56mm M193 were still relatively confined to use in the US military. As we know it today, the M16 and the 5.56×45 NATO round is prevalent in a multitude of allied nations. This section, regarding dates, is going to overlap a little with the previous and forthcoming section. We still felt it was necessar...
During this period, both the rifle and the ammunition became and remain a staple in the shooting world. A lot of changes came about as well as the number of options for both the rifle and ammunition. Because of this, we would be looking at a couple of pages if we were to attempt to list everything that occurred. So, we are just going to summarize s...
There are still changes being made to both the 5.56×45 platform as well as ammunition itself, though not as dramatic of changes as we saw in the early days. What we see a lot of in this period is the continued modification and adoption of several light machine guns and carbines chambered for the 5.56×45 NATO rounds. We also see the US Navy moved to...
The 5.56×45 NATO has a rich history of innovation, combat use, congressional teeth pulling and a little bit of luck in its long tenure. The rifle platform that chambers the .222 special to the .223 Rem all the way to the multiple variations of the 5.56mm round to today’s currently used ammunition and rifles is an incredible achievement in the fir...
Feb 7, 2021 · The 55-grain bullet of the XM193 posted the fastest average speed, but only 28 fps faster than the heavier M855A1 bullet. That is a very small speed margin, less than 1%, for such an increase in bullet weight, over 10%. M855A1 was over 100 fps faster than M855 and almost reaching 3000 fps from a carbine.
May 4, 2020 · M193 vs M855. The M193 cartridge is a 55 gr lead core surrounded by a copper jacket (FMJ-BT, full metal jacket with boat tail). Assorted 5.56 Rounds (XM193, XM855, Gold Medal 69gr) 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).
- Eric Hung
Nov 29, 2021 · The U.S. Airforce adopted it as the 5.56 x 45 mm and used it in M-16 rifles. With more military specialization, slight differences began to develop between the .223 and 5.56. In the coming years, 5.56 ammunition would face literal trial by fire in Vietnam and further development based on those experiences.
5.56×45mm NATO. Handful of 5.56mm. The 5.56×45mm NATO round, pronounced " five-five-six ", is an intermediate cartridge and the main bullet type used by guns made for NATO militaries. It was first used in the Vietnam War as the main bullet used by the US military. Early in the Vietnam War, the main gun used by American soldiers was the M14.
