U.S. Military 5.56 mm cartridges

5.56 × 45 mm NATO, designated STANAG 4172, is the standard rifle cartridge for NATO forces. It is derived from, but not entirely interchangeable with, the .223 Remington cartridge. Image File history File links pwnt File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links pwnt File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... STANAG is the NATO abbreviation for Standardization Agreement, which set up processes, procedures, terms and conditions for common military or technical procedures between the member countries of the alliance. ... A rifle is a firearm with a stock and a barrel that has a spiral groove or grooves (rifling) cut into its interior. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[1] (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... The . ...

History

From left to right: 9 mm Luger Parabellum, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 5.7x28mm, 5.56x45mm NATO, .300 Winchester Magnum, and a 2.75-inch and 3-inch 12 gauge.

The previous standard NATO round was the 7.62 × 51 mm, derived from the .300 Savage rifle cartridge and designed to replace the U.S. military's .30-06 Springfield rifle cartridge. At the time of selection, there had been criticism that the 7.62 mm round was too powerful for modern assault rifles, causing excessive recoil, and that the weight of the ammunition did not allow for enough "firepower" in modern combat. Ball and hollowpoint 9 mm Luger rounds The 9 mm Parabellum pistol cartridge (9 x 19 mm Luger, 9 x 19 mm NATO) was introduced in the late 1890s by the German weapons manufacturer Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) for their Pistole Parabellum. ... From left to right: .50 Action Express, .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 9 mm Luger Parabellum, .22 Long Rifle. ... The . ... The 5. ... From left to right: 9 mm Luger Parabellum, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 5. ... The Gauge or bore (especially in British English) of a shotgun is the diameter (caliber) of the barrel. ... NATO 7. ... . ... .30-06 Springfield cartridge specifications. ... The AK-47 is the worlds most common assault rifle. ...

The British had extensive evidence with their own experiments into an "intermediate" round and were on the point of introducing a .280 inch (7 mm) round. The FN company had also been involved. These concerns were effectively overruled by the US within NATO, and the other NATO nations accepted that standardization was more important at the time than selection of the ideal round. These concerns would prove to be valid and led to the development of the 5.56 cartridge.

During the late 1950s, ArmaLite and other U.S. firearm designers started their individual Small Caliber/High Velocity (SCHV) assault rifle experiments using the commercial .222 Remington cartridge. When it became clear that there was not enough powder capacity to meet U.S. Continental Army Command's (CONARC) velocity and penetration requirements, ArmaLite contacted Remington to create a similar cartridge with a longer case body and shorter neck. This became the .222 Remington Special. At the same time, Springfield Armory's Earle Harvey had Remington create an even longer cartridge case then known as the .224 Springfield. Springfield was forced to drop out of the CONARC competition, and thus the .224 Springfield was later released as a commercial sporting cartridge known as the .222 Remington Magnum. To prevent confusion with all of the competing .222 cartridge designations, the .222 Remington Special was renamed the .223 Remington. After playing with their own proprietary cartridge case design, the .224E1 Winchester, Winchester eventually standardized their case dimensions, but not overall loaded length, with the .222 Remington Special to create a cartridge known as the .224E2 Winchester. With the U.S. military adoption of the ArmaLite AR-15 as the M16 rifle in 1963, the .223 Remington was standardized as the 5.56 × 45 mm. However, the .223 Remington was not introduced as a commercial sporting cartridge until 1964. ArmaLite, originally the ArmaLite Division of the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation, is one of the most influential corporations in the history of 20th century small arms. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... From 1794 to 1968 the Springfield Armory was a center for the manufacture of U.S. military small arms and the site of many important technological advances. ... The AR-15 is a lightweight, air-cooled, magazine-fed, autoloading centerfire rifle. ... M16 is the U.S. Military designation for a family of rifles derived from the ArmaLite AR-15. ...

During the 1970s, NATO members signed an agreement to select a second, smaller caliber cartridge to replace the 7.62 mm NATO. Of the cartridges tendered, the 5.56 mm was successful, but not the 5.56 mm loading (M193 Ball) as used by the U.S. at that time. Instead, the Belgian FN SS109 loading was chosen for standardization. The SS109 used a heavier bullet at a lower muzzle velocity for better long-range performance, specifically to meet a requirement that the bullet be able to penetrate through one side of a steel helmet at 600m. Some believe that this requirement has made the M855 less capable of fragmentation than the M193 as discussed below. Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, more often known as Fabrique Nationale and abbreviated simply as FN, is a well-known firearm manufacturer that originated in the Belgian city of Herstal, near Liège. ...

Performance

The 5.56 × 45 mm NATO cartridge with the standard military ball bullet (NATO: SS109; U.S.: M855) will penetrate approximately 15 to 20 inches (380 to 500 mm) into soft tissue in ideal circumstances. As with all spitzer shaped projectiles it is prone to yaw in soft tissue. However, at impact velocities above roughly 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s), it will yaw and then fragment at the cannelure (the groove around the cylinder of the bullet). The fragments disperse through the flesh causing much more internal injury. The effectiveness of fragmentation seems to impart much greater damage to tissue than bullet dimensions and velocities would suggest. This fragmentation effect is highly dependent on velocity, and therefore barrel length: short-barreled rifles generate less muzzle velocity and therefore rounds lose effectiveness at much shorter ranges than longer-barreled rifles. The barrel of a gun or other firearm is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion is released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at great speed. ... A guns muzzle velocity is the speed at which the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. ...

There has been much criticism of the poor performance of the round, especially the first-round kill rate when using firearms that don't achieve the velocity to cause fragmentation. Typically, this only becomes an issue at longer ranges (over 100 meters) but this problem is compounded in shorter-barreled weapons. The 14.5-inch barrel of the U.S. military's M4 Carbine can be particularly prone to this problem. At short ranges, the round is extremely effective, and its tendency to fragment reduces the risk to bystanders when used at close range. However, if the round is moving too slowly to reliably fragment on impact, the wound size and potential to incapacitate a target is greatly reduced. Several alternate cartridges have been developed in an attempt to address the perceived shortcomings of 5.56 mm ammunition including the 6.5 Grendel and the 6.8 SPC. The M4 Carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 made by ArmaLite. ... 6. ... 6. ...

Recently, advances have been made in 5.56 mm ammunition. The US military has adopted for limited issue a 77-grain "Match" bullet, type classified as the Mk 262. The heavy, lightly constructed bullet fragments more violently at short range and also has a longer fragmentation range. Originally designed for use in the Mk 12 SPR, the ammunition has found favor with special forces units who were seeking a more effective round to fire from their M4A1 carbines. This article should appear in one or more categories. ... An Mk 12 Mod 0 SPR clone built by Mid-South Tactical Network (MSTN). ...

Another specialty round is M995, a penetrating round with a tungsten core designed for use in the M249 SAW and issued in linked belts. This round is designed exclusively for penetration, and according to Dr. Gary Roberts, an expert in terminal ballistics, it will easily pass through level III and IV body armor panels, both of which will stop conventional 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm bullets.

5.56 mm NATO versus .223 Remington

While the 5.56 mm and .223 cartridges are very similar, they are not identical. Military cases are made from thicker brass than commercial cases, which reduces the powder capacity (an important consideration for handloaders), and the NATO specification allows a higher chamber pressure. The 5.56 mm chambering, known as a NATO or mil-spec chambers, have a longer leade, which is the distance between the mouth of the cartridge and the point at which the rifling engages the bullet. The .223 chambering, known as SAAMI chamber, is allowed to have a shorter leade, and is only required to be proof tested to the lower SAAMI chamber pressure. To address these issues, various proprietary chambers exist, such as the Wylde chamber (Rock River Arms)^[1] or the Armalite chamber, which are designed to handle both 5.56 mm and .223 equally well. Handloading is the process used to create firearm cartridges by hand versus those put together en masse and sold commercially, generally in packages of 6 to 50. ... Saami or SAAMI can stand for: Sami peoples Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A proof test is a test wherein a deliberately overpressure round is fired from a firearm in order to verify that the firearm is not defective and will not explode on firing. ... ArmaLite, originally the ArmaLite Division of the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation, is one of the most influential corporations in the history of 20th century small arms. ...

Using commercial .223 cartridges in a 5.56-chambered rifle should work reliably, but generally will not be as accurate as when fired from a .223-chambered gun due to the excessive lead.^[2] Using 5.56 mil-spec cartridges (such as the M855) in a .223-chambered rifle can lead to excessive wear and stress on the rifle and even be unsafe, and the SAAMI recommends against the practice.^[3] Some commercial rifles marked as ".223 Remington" are in fact suited for 5.56 mm, such as many commercial AR-15 variants and the Ruger Mini-14, but the manufacturer should always be consulted to verify that this is acceptable before attempting it, and signs of excessive pressure (such as flattening or gas staining of the primers) should be looked for in the initial testing with 5.56 mm ammunition.^[4] Mini-14 Ranch Rifle (note folding leaf rear sight) with flush 5 round magazine The Mini-14 is a small, lightweight semi-automatic rifle manufactured by Sturm, Ruger. ...

Comparison of 5.56 mm versus 7.62 mm NATO

The NATO Ball round (U.S.: M855) can penetrate up to 3 mm of steel, while the Armor-Piercing variant (U.S.: M995) can penetrate up to 6 mm. Armor Piercing Ammuniton is used to penetrate hardened armored targets such as body armor, vehicle armor, concrete, and other defenses. ...

Use

Many nations (both NATO and non-NATO members) use the 5.56 mm NATO cartridge in their rifles. Examples include:

• Austrian Steyr AUG assault rifle
• Australian F88 Austeyr assault rifle
• Belgian FN FNC assault rifle
• British SA80
• French FAMAS
• German G36 and HK33
• Indian INSAS assault rifle
• Israeli IMI Negev, Galil assault rifle and Tavor TAR-21 bullpup assault rifle
• Japanese Type 89 Assault rifle with lesser performance Type 89 cartridge
• Russian AK-101, AK-102 and AK-108
• Singaporean SAR-21
• South African Vektor R4 and R5
• South Korean K-2 (rifle)
• Swedish Ak 5 system, derived from the Belgian FN FNC assault rifle
• Swiss SIG 550 with lesser performances than the round for which it was built: the GW Pat.90 cartridge

Examples of rifles marketed for non-military applications that can take the 5.56 cartridge include: Steyr AUG is a family of firearms, first introduced in 1977 by the Austrian company Steyr Mannlicher. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The FN FNC is an assault rifle designed by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal in the mid-1970s, based upon a failed previous attempt known as the Carabine Automatique Legere. ... L85A1 in use by C Company, 1 STAFFS, in a live firing exercise, during Operation GRANBY, 6 January 1991 As above SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) is a family of related arms that include the British Armed Forcess standard combat rifle. ... The FAMAS (Fusil dAssaut de la Manufacture dArmes de St-Etienne, Assault Rifle by St-Etienne Arms Factory) is an assault rifle in bullpup configuration designed and manufactured in France by the Saint Étienne arms factory, which is a member of the French government-owned GIAT Industries complex. ... The G36 (company designation, Bundeswehr designation Gewehr G36) is an assault rifle designed in the early 1990s and manufactured in Germany by Heckler & Koch. ... INSAS stands for Indian Small Arms System. ... The IMI Negev is a light-weight, 5. ... The Galil is one of the standard assault rifles used by the Israel Defense Forces. ... Caliber: 5. ... Steyr AUG is one of the most successful bullpup rifles Bullpup is a firearm configuration in which the action (or mechanism) and magazine are located behind the trigger. ... The AK-101 is an assault rifle of the Kalashnikova series. ... The AK-101 is an assault rifle of the Kalashnikova series. ... The AK-107 and AK-108 are variants of the AK-101 series. ... The SAR-21 is an indigenously built bullpup assault rifle from Singapore. ... The R4 is a South African assault rifle developed in 1982 for the South African Army to replace the R1, which was a variant of the FN FAL. The R4 was first issued during the early 1980s, and is partly based on the famous Israeli Galil which in turn was... The R5 assault rifle is, along with the R4, one of the primary assault rifles in use by the military of South Africa. ... The K2 is an infantry rifle of the Republic of Korea Army. ... The Ak 5 (sometimes AK5) is the Swedish version of the FN FNC assault rifle with certain modifications, mostly to better adapt the weapon to the Swedish climate. ... The SIG 550 is an assault rifle manufactured by SAN Swiss Arms (formerly SIGARMS) of Switzerland. ...

• Remington Model 7615 Police Patrol Rifle
• Remington Model 700 series bolt-action rifle
• Winchester Model 70 series bolt-action rifle
• Steyr Scout series bolt-action rifle
• Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle

// 7600 Series Overview The Remington Model 7600 is a series of pump-action, centrefire rifles and carbines that are made by Remington Arms. ... Remington 700 BDL The Model 700 series of firearms are hunting rifles manufactured by Remington Arms. ... Half opened bolt on a Winchester Model 70. ... The Winchester Model 70 was a bolt action rifle originally manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and later manufactured by U.S. Repeating Arms. ... The Steyr Scout is a modern scoped bolt-action rifle manufactured by Steyr Mannlicher and chambered for 7. ... Sturm, Ruger & Company is a Connecticut-based manufacturing company composed of three divisions: Ruger Firearms, Ruger Investment Castings, and Ruger Golf. ... The Mini-14 is a small, lightweight semi-automatic rifle manufactured by Sturm, Ruger. ... Walther P99, a semiautomatic pistol from the late 1990s A semi-automatic firearm is a gun that requires only a trigger pull for each round that is fired, unlike a single-action revolver, a pump-action firearm, a bolt-action firearm, or a lever-action firearm, which require the shooter...

See also

• Cartridge (firearms)
• GW Pat.90
• 7.62 × 51 mm NATO
• Table of pistol and rifle cartridges

This article does not cite its references or sources. ... NATO 7. ... Table of selected pistol and rifle cartridges by year. ...

Notes

Sources and external links

• The AR-15.COM Ammo-Oracle
• FAS: 5.56 mm Ammunition
• The Gun Zone: 5.56 mm FAQ
• The Gun Zone: A 5.56 mm Timeline
• I.M.I Small Arms Ammunition Division
• Nazarian`s Gun`s Recognition Guide
• Anthony G. Williams, Assault Rifles and Their Ammunition: History and Prospects, Online Article, Oct 21, 2006