M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

I'd go w/ green tips for diplomacy - but if you're just stocking range rounds - M193 should be a bit cheaper. That Privi is good stuff for commie block loads.

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

Kinda depends what you want it to do. Best bet is read up and decide what you want.

Here's a link to about the best info out there on .556.

CLICK

I hope this helps.

:s1:

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

I've got the M855 sighted in for my 20" rifle.
The XM193 sighted in on my 16" carbine.
Both 1/9 twist.

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

http://goldismoney.info/forums/showp...1&postcount=22

Hope you haven't had lunch yet:puke:

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

For AR-15s, I load XM193 in the 20-inch barrel, 1:12 twist

and XM855 for the 16 inch barrel 1:9s (M4 Carbine).

The 193 bullets for fragmentation, and 855s for penetration.

Wideners did a pretty good test of the Prvi 855 stuff and found it performed very well...comparable to U.S. GI issue...in velocity, accuracy, shot-to-shot consistency.

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

its in the "Ak as a survival rifle" thread :ok:

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

I would get both. POA/POI in my rifle (before I sold it) is about the same inside of about 200m. M193 definitely has better effects against soft tissue as it will tumble easier. The tradeoff is that this easier tumbling also makes it less prone to barrier penetration than the M855. I load....I mean I used to load up every other round when I was tooling around out in the boondocks. If I could only have one round, it would be the M193. Surprisingly because of its lighter/faster properties, it has actually shown better armor penetration at close ranges (inside 100m) even against some level III plates. Bx3

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

I'd go with the 193 for fragmentation if you have a barrel that's 16" or longer.

If you have a short barrel under 16" (I don't want to know how you got it) then the 193 won't fragment reliably so just as well to go with 855 for penetration.

That said, the .223 (5.56mm) round really isn't that good a penetrator even if your using the 855. Its too light a bullet so deflection against hard things is more probable.

If you want penetration your probably better off going with the .308 (7.62mm).

Anyways, that's my angle.

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

M193 for the reasons Argentsum stated. You may as well maximize what the cartridge is good at.

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

Hivemind,

What is the rifling twist of your rifles?

Are you shooting in a match, or is the ammo for "social purposes" <300 yards?

Per the "Ammo Oracle" link above, this will drive your choice of ammo.

I also like Prvi Partizan, both the 55-grain M193 (for my 1:12" and 1:9" rifles and carbines) and the 75-grain BTHP Match ammo (for my SPR-type rifle in 1:8" twist). Very reliable and accurate.

Twist rate is..?
 

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

At CQB distances (home invasion distance) M193 has a better record of defeating certain armor plates. As taken from a reliable source:
Bx3

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

Very interesting, thanks!

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

I'm a .308/7.62x51 guy myself but sometimes light and fast is better. Since the M193 is lighter and faster (usually over 3000fps) than the M855 up close, it has some advantages in close. Out at distance you are correct that the M855 has the barrier penetration advantage. Bx3

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

I've been hanging out on AR-15.com and they like Brown Bear. Steel case, I know. So I decided to try it and bought 3 boxes locally. No problems. Then I ordered a case. I've shot 300 rounds of it without any problems. It may not work in all guns but it works in mine. $280 shipped to my front door. And I've found it even cheaper than that. Just thought I'd mention it as an alternative.

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

Spend some time over on AR-15.com. In one of the stickies they've got a thread on Brown Bear. I read most of it and no one mentioned extractor problems. Wolf is the one I won't try. They like Brown Bear a lot better than Wolf.

edit...and before someone mentions the 'laquer problem'. They call bullshtt on it.

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

ARs have a tighter chamber and I don't recommend shooting lacquered steel cases. But, suit yourself folks...

How about that extractor bite? Stripped the rim right off the stuck cases. If you want to reliably shoot steel-cased 223 ammo, get a Kalashnikov (like Saiga). :wink:

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

No, Brown Bear should run like a champ in that Bulgarian. It's designed for it. Kalashnikovs usually have more generous chamber dimensions. The above photos were rounds that got stuck and failed to extract in AR-15s.

When brass cases are fired they rapidly expand to chamber dimensions, then contract. This allows for easier extraction.

But, steel cases are not as flexible and don't contract as much, and it is necessary to cut LOOSER chambers (like in AKs) to ensure reliable extraction and prevent sticking.

BTW, many AR shooters report no problems shooting steel cased stuff.

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

90% of my "go to" AR mags are loaded with M193. I do keep a few mags loaded with M855/SS109 just in case the bad guys are shooting at me and using a car/truck for cover. I keep the M855 mags marked. A piece of gray duct tape on the front bottom with M855 AP written on it.

Doesn't hurt to be prepared for the unusual. But in general, GI mil-spec M193 is the way to go.

Gregg

Re: M855 or M193: which type of 5.56 should I buy?
 

I agree, your 'go to' ammo should not be Brown Bear but something brass cased.

Over on AR-15.com I drilled down to the actual BB thread. Here are the statistics from 301 AR shooters who actually tried it:

82.06% had no problems
13.29% had minor problems but will continue to use it
4.65% had major problems and will not use it

So I bought a few boxes to try. Before this I was shooting PMC Bronze. The PMC shell casings would land on the concrete pad the shooting bench was on. The BB not only ejected but went further off the pad into the gravel. Perhaps a slightly hotter round? So it's been 300 rounds without a problem. I shoot every week and can't afford the PMC. By the way, I wouldn't use the PMC in a shtf situation either.