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5.5645mmNATOWikipedia

5.5645mmNATO
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

The5.5645mmNATO(officialNATOnomenclature5.56
NATO)isanintermediatecartridgedevelopedintheUnited
StatesandoriginallychamberedintheM16rifle.Under
STANAG4172,itisastandardcartridgeforNATOforcesas
wellasmanynonNATOcountries.[3]Itisderivedfrom,butis
notidenticalto,the.223Remingtoncartridge.

5.5645mmNATO

Contents
1 History
2 Cartridgedimensions
3 Performance
3.1 Criticism
3.2 Improvements
3.3 Alternatives
4 5.56mmNATOversus.223Remington
4.1 Brasscase
4.2 Pressure
4.3 Chamber
5 5.56mmNATOversus7.62mmNATO
6 MilitaryCartridges
6.1 Australia
6.2 Belgium
6.3 Canada
6.4 Germany
6.5 SouthAfrica
6.6 Switzerland
6.7 UnitedKingdom
6.8 UnitedStates
6.9 SS109/M855
6.10 M855A1
6.10.1 Development
6.10.2 Deployment
6.11 Mk262
6.12 Mk318
6.13 5.6mmGewehrPatrone90
7 Seealso
8 References
9 Furtherreading
10 Externallinks

5.5645mmNATOwithmeasurement,lefttoright:
projectile,emptycase,completeroundwithprojectile
incase
Type

Rifle

Placeoforigin

UnitedStates
Servicehistory

Inservice

1963present

Usedby

NATO

Wars

SinceVietnamWar
Productionhistory
Specifications

Parentcase

.223Remington

Casetype

Rimless,bottleneck

Bulletdiameter

5.70mm(0.224in)

Neckdiameter

6.43mm(0.253in)

Shoulderdiameter

9.00mm(0.354in)

Basediameter

9.58mm(0.377in)

Rimdiameter

9.60mm(0.378in)

Rimthickness

1.14mm(0.045in)

Caselength

44.70mm(1.760in)

Overalllength

57.40mm(2.260in)

Casecapacity

1.85cm3(28.5grH2O)

Riflingtwist

178mmor229mm(1in7in
or9in,originally1in14in)

Primertype

Smallrifle

Maximum
pressure(EPVAT)

430.00MPa(62,366psi)

History

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EugeneStoner

Designer

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380.00MPa(55,114psi)
Inthe1950s,the
Maximum
7.6251mmNATO
pressure(SCATP
riflecartridge
5.56)
(physically
Ballisticperformance
interchangeablewith,
Bulletmass/type
Velocity
Energy
butnotidenticalto,
the.308Winchester
4g(62gr)SS109
940m/s
1,767J
[4]
FMJBT
(3,100ft/s)
(1,303ftlbf)
riflecartridge) was
selectedtoreplacethe 4.1g(63gr)DM11
936m/s
1,796J
.3006Springfieldas
FMJBT
(3,070ft/s)
(1,325ftlbf)
thestandardNATO
4.1g(63gr)GP90
905m/s
1,679J
riflecartridge.Atthe
(2,970ft/s)
(1,238ftlbf)
timeofselection,there FMJBT
The7.6251mmNATOand
hadbeencriticismthat
Testbarrellength:508mm(20.0in)
5.5645mmNATOcartridges
the7.6251mm
Source(s):NATOEPVATtesting,Quick LOAD,SAAMI,
comparedtoanAAbattery.
NATOwastoo
C.I.P.[1][2]
powerfulfor
lightweightmodernservicerifles,causingexcessiverecoil,and
thatasaresultitdidnotallowforsufficientautomaticrateoffirefromhandheldweaponsinmoderncombat.

TheBritishhadextensiveevidencewiththeirownexperimentationwithintermediatecartridgessince1945andwereon
thepointofadoptinga.280inch(7mm)cartridgewhentheselectionofthe7.6251mmNATOwasmade.TheFN
companyhadalsobeeninvolvedinthedevelopmentofthe.280roundincludingdevelopingaversionoftheFNFALin
.280.[5]TheconcernsaboutrecoilandeffectivenesswereeffectivelyoverruledbytheUSwithinNATO,andtheother
NATOnationsacceptedthatstandardizationwasmoreimportantatthetimethanselectionoftheidealcartridge.
However,whilethe7.6251mmNATOroundbecameNATOstandard,theUSwasalreadyengagedinresearchof
theirown,whichultimatelyledtothe5.5645mmNATOcartridge.
Duringthelate1950s,ArmaLiteandotherU.S.firearmdesignersstartedtheirindividualSmallCaliber/HighVelocity
(SCHV)rifleexperimentsusingthecommercial.222Remingtoncartridge.Whenitbecameclearthattherewasnot
enoughcasecapacitytomeetU.S.ContinentalArmyCommand's(CONARC)velocityandpenetrationrequirements,
ArmaLitecontactedRemingtontocreateasimilarcartridgewithalongercasebodyandshorterneck.Thisbecamethe
.222Special.Atthesametime,SpringfieldArmory'sEarleHarveyhadRemingtoncreateanevenlongercartridgecase
thenknownasthe.224Springfield.SpringfieldwasforcedtodropoutoftheCONARCcompetition,andthusthe
.224Springfieldwasreleasedin1958asacommercialsportingcartridgeknownasthe.222RemingtonMagnum.To
preventconfusionamongallofthecompeting.222cartridgedesignations,the.222Specialwasrenamedthe.223
Remingtonin1959.Inthespringof1962Remingtonsubmitedthespecificationsofthe.223RemingtontotheSporting
ArmsandAmmunitionManufacturers'Institute(SAAMI).WiththeU.S.militaryadoptionoftheM16assaultriflein
1963,the.223Remingtoninaslightlyderivedformwasstandardizedasthe5.5645mmNATO.Asacommercial
sportingcartridgethe.223Remingtonwasintroducedin1964.[6][7]
The5.5645mmNATOcartridge,alongwiththeM16rifle,wereinitiallyadoptedbyU.S.infantryforcesasinterim
solutionstoaddresstheweightandcontrolissuesexperiencedwiththe7.6251mmroundandM14rifle.Inthelate
1950s,theSpecialPurposeIndividualWeaponprogramsoughttocreateflechetteroundstoallowtroopstofiresabot
typeprojectilestogiveashortflighttimeandflattrajectorywithamuzzlevelocityof1,200metrespersecond
(3,900ft/s)to1,500metrespersecond(4,900ft/s).Atthosespeeds,factorslikerange,winddrift,andtarget
movementwouldbelessofaproblem.Severalmanufacturersproducedvaryingweaponsdesigns,includingtraditional
wooden,bullpup,"spaceage,"andevenmultibarreldesignswithdrummagazines.Allusedsimilarammunitionfiringa
1.8mmdiameterdartwithaplastic"puller"sabotfillingthecasemouth.Whiletheflechetteammohadexcellentarmor
penetration,thereweredoubtsabouttheirterminaleffectivenessagainstunprotectedtargets.Conventionalcased
ammunitionwasmoreaccurateandthesabotswereexpensivetoproduce.TheSPIWnevercreatedaweaponssystem
thatwascombateffective,sotheM16wasretained,andthe5.56mmroundwaskeptasthestandardU.S.infantry
riflecartridge.[5]
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Cartridge Cartridgeweight Weightofloadedmagazine Max.10kilogramammo.load

M14(1959)

7.6251mm 393gr(25.4g)

20rdmag@0.68kg

14mags@9.52kgfor280rds

M16(1962)

5.5645mm 183gr(11.8g)

20rdmag@0.3kg

33mags@9.9kgfor660rds

AK47(1949) 7.6239mm 252gr(16.3g)

30rdmag@0.92kg[8]

10mags@9.2kgfor300rds

AKM(1957) 7.6239mm 252gr(16.3g)

30rdmag@0.82kg[9]

12mags@9.8kgfor360rds

(*AK47/AKMmagazinesaremuchheavierthanM14andM16magazines)
In1977,NATOmemberssignedanagreementtoselectasecond,smaller
calibercartridgetoreplacethe7.6251mmNATOcartridge.[10]Ofthe
cartridgestendered,the5.5645mmNATOwassuccessful,butnotthe
55grM193roundusedbytheU.S.atthattime.Instead,theBelgian62gr
SS109roundwaschosenforstandardization.TheSS109usedaheavier
bulletwithasevengrainsteelcoreforbetterpenetrationagainstlightly
armoredtargets,specificallytomeetarequirementthatthebulletbeableto
penetratethroughonesideofasteelhelmetat600meters.Ithadaslightly
lowermuzzlevelocitybutbetterlongrangeperformance.Thisrequirement
madetheSS109(M855)roundlesscapableoffragmentationthantheM193
andwasconsideredmorehumane.[11]

Serviceriflecartridgescases:(Leftto
right)7.6254mmR,7.6251mm
NATO,7.6239mm,5.5645mm
NATO,5.4539mm.

The5.5645mmNATOinspiredaninternationaltendencytowardsrelatively
smallsized,lightweight,highvelocitymilitaryservicecartridgesthatproduce
relativelylowboltthrustandfreerecoilimpulse,favoringlightweightarms
designandautomaticfireaccuracy.Similarintermediatecartridgeswere
developedandintroducedbytheSovietUnionin1974(5.4539mm)andbythePeople'sRepublicofChinain1987
(5.842mm).[5][12]

Cartridgedimensions
The5.5645mmNATOhas1.85ml(28.5grainsH2O)cartridgecasecapacity.

5.5645mmNATOmaximumNATOcartridgedimensions.Allsizesinmillimeters(mm).[13][14]

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Americanswoulddefinetheshoulderangleatalpha/2=23degrees.Thecommonriflingtwistrateforthiscartridgeis
178mm(1in7in)or229mm(1in9in),6grooves,lands=5.56mm,grooves=5.69mm,landwidth=
1.88mmandtheprimertypeissmallrifle.
AccordingtotheofficialNATOproofingguidelinesthe5.5645mmNATOcasecanhandleupto430MPa
(62,366psi)piezoservicepressure.InNATOregulatedorganizationseveryriflecartridgecombohastobeproofedat
125%ofthismaximumpressuretocertifyforserviceissue.ThisisequaltotheC.I.P.maximumpressureguidelinefor
the.223Remingtoncartridge,whichisthe5.5645mmNATOparentcartridge.

Performance
The5.5645mmNATOSS109/M855cartridge(NATO:SS109U.S.:
M855)withstandard62gr.leadcorebulletswithsteelpenetratorwill
penetrateapproximately38to51cm(15to20in)intosofttissueinideal
circumstances.Aswithallspitzershapedprojectilesitispronetoyawinsoft
tissue.However,atimpactvelocitiesaboveroughly762m/s(2,500ft/s),it
mayyawandthenfragmentatthecannelure(thecrimpinggroovearoundthe
cylinderofthebullet).[15]Thesefragmentscandispersethroughfleshand
bone,inflictingadditionalinternalinjuries.[16]
Fragmentation,ifandwhenitoccurs,impartsmuchgreaterdamagetohuman
tissuethanbulletdimensionsandvelocitieswouldsuggest.Thisfragmentation
effectishighlydependentonvelocity,andthereforebarrellength:short
barreledcarbinesgeneratelessmuzzlevelocityandthereforelosewounding

5.56mmNATOshownalongside
othercartridges

effectivenessatmuchshorterrangesthanlongerbarreledrifles.[17]
Proponentsofthehydrostaticshocktheorycontendthattherapidtransferof
energyalsoresultsinwoundingeffectsbeyondthetissuedirectlycrushedand
tornbythebulletandfragments.[18][19]Theseremotewoundingeffectsare
knownashydrostaticshock.[20]
SS109/M855NATOballcanpenetrateupto3mm(0.12in)ofsteelat600
meters.[21]AccordingtoNammo,aFinnishNorwegianammunition
producer,the5.5645mmNATOM995armourpiercingcartridgecan
penetrateupto12mm(0.47in)ofRHAsteelat100meters.[22]

5.5645mmNATOcartridgesina
STANAGmagazine.

TheUSArmy'sBallisticResearchLaboratorymeasuredaballisticcoefficient
(G7BC)of0.151andformfactor(G7i)of1.172fortheSS109/M855ball
projectile.[23]
TheSwedishmilitaryhasmeasuredthebulletvelocitiesofSS109/M855militarycartridgesat4m(13.1ft)fromthe
muzzlefiredfromdifferingbarrellengths:[24]

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Barrellength

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SS109/M855V4 bulletvelocity V4 velocityloss

210mm(8.3in) 723m/s(2,372ft/s)

41m/s(135ft/s)

240mm(9.4in) 764m/s(2,507ft/s)

32m/s(105ft/s)

270mm(10.6in) 796m/s(2,612ft/s)

29m/s(95ft/s)

300mm(11.8in) 825m/s(2,707ft/s)

18m/s(59ft/s)

330mm(13.0in) 843m/s(2,766ft/s)

23m/s(75ft/s)

360mm(14.2in) 866m/s(2,841ft/s)

12m/s(39ft/s)

390mm(15.4in) 878m/s(2,881ft/s)

14m/s(46ft/s)

420mm(16.5in) 892m/s(2,927ft/s)

14m/s(46ft/s)

450mm(17.7in) 906m/s(2,972ft/s)

9m/s(30ft/s)

480mm(18.9in) 915m/s(3,002ft/s)

7m/s(23ft/s)

508mm(20.0in) 922m/s(3,025ft/s)

Criticism
Therehasbeenmuchdebateoftheallegedlypoorperformanceofthebulletontarget,especiallythefirstshotkillrate
whenthemuzzlevelocityofthefirearmsusedandthedownrangebulletdecelerationdonotachievetheminimally
requiredterminalvelocityofover750m/s(2,500ft/s)atthetargettocauseassevereofwounding.Manycomplaints
werereportedduringtheGulfWar,Somalia,andintheconflictsinIraqandAfghanistan.Thiscanbeattributedtothe
changeinbarrellength,asthiscartridgewasdesignedtoachievemaximumperformanceina20inch(51cm)barrel.
The14.5inch(37cm)barreloftheU.S.military'sM4carbinegeneratesconsiderablylessmuzzlevelocitythanthe
longer20inch(51cm)barrelfoundontheM16rifle,andterminalperformancecanbeaparticularproblemwiththe
M4.
The5.5645mmNATOstandardSS109/M855cartridgewasdesignedformaximumperformancewhenfiredfroma
508mm(20.0in)longbarrel,aswastheoriginal5.56mmM193cartridge.Experimentswithlongerlengthbarrelsup
to610mm(24.0in)resultedinnoimprovementoradecreaseinmuzzlevelocitiesfortheSS109/M855cartridge.
Shorterbarrelsproduceagreaterflashandnoisesignature,andtheadditionofasuppressortoashortbarreledAR
familyriflecanmakeitunreliable,asthereducedtimeforthepropellanttoburninthebarrelandhighermuzzlepressure
levelsatthesuppressorentrancecancausefastercyclingandfeedingissues.Unlessthegasportcanberegulatedor
adjustedforhigherpressures,suppressorsforshortbarreled5.5645mmNATOfirearmsmustbelargerandheavier
thanmodelsforstandardlengthriflestofunctionreliably.SS109/M855cartridgesfiredfrombarrelsunderabout
254mm(10.0in)inlengthdonothaveenoughmuzzlevelocityenergytocauseextremedamagethatoccursonlyat
terminalvelocitiesofover750m/s(2,500ft/s)onimpact,reducingthewoundingcapacity.[25][26]
Combatoperationsthepastfewmonthshaveagainhighlightedterminalperformancedeficiencieswith
5.5645mm62gr.M855FMJ.Theseproblemshaveprimarilybeenmanifestedasinadequate
incapacitationofenemyforcesdespitethembeinghitmultipletimesbyM855bullets.Thesefailures
appeartobeassociatedwiththebulletsexitingthebodyoftheenemysoldierwithoutyawingand
fragmenting.Thisfragmentationdoesnotoccurbecausethedesignconformstointernationalpeacetreaties
suchastheHagueconvention,whichoutlawstheuseofammunitionthatisdesignedtoexpandinthe
body.Theammunitionisdesignedto"yaw"meaningitmovessidetosideonimpact,causingmore
damage,butitdoesnotalwaysdoso,suchaswhenitisfiredfromashorterbarrel.Withnormal
ammunitionwithsoftlead,hollow,orballistictipstherewillbesignificantexpansionofthebulletonimpact
thatsignificantlyimprovesitswoundingcapacity.Somebulletscanexpandasmuchastwicetheirsize,but
theM855ballammunitionwillonlyexpandafewhundredthsofaninchnotenoughtoeffectits

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performance.Thislackofexpansiondoeshoweverhelpwithpenetrationoflightcoversuchaswalls,
sincetherounddoesnotexpanditdoesnotexperienceasmuchdragandcanpassthroughmorewood,
thinmetal,andotherobjectsthanmostcivilianammowouldbelikelytodo.
AlthoughallSS109/M855typesmustbe62gr.FMJbulletsconstructedwithasteelpenetratorinthe
nose,thecomposition,thickness,andrelativeweightsofthejackets,penetrators,andcoresarequite
variable,asarethetypesandpositionofthecannelures.Becauseofthesignificantdifferencesin
constructionbetweenbulletswithintheSS109/M855category,terminalperformanceisquitevariable
withdifferencesnotedinyaw,fragmentation,andpenetrationdepths.LukeHaag'spapersintheAFTE
Journal(33(1):1128,Winter2001)alsodescribesthisproblem.
[27]
If5.56mmbulletsfailtoupset(yaw,fragment,or
deform)withintissue,theresultsareless
significantwoundsthatmaynotcauseadequate
bloodlossordamagetoimmediatelystopthe
target'sattackoradvances.Thisistrueforall
5.5645mmbullets,includingbothmilitaryFMJ
andOTM(opentipmatch)andcivilianJHP/JSP
designsusedinlawenforcement.Asexpected,
withdecreasedwoundingeffects,rapid
incapacitationisunlikely:enemysoldiersmay
continuetoposeathreattofriendlyforcesand
violentsuspectscanremainadangertolaw
enforcementpersonnelandthepublic.
Thisfailureof5.5645mmNATObulletstoyaw
canbecausedbyreducedimpactvelocitiesas
whenfiredfromshortbarreledweaponsorwhen
therangetothetargetincreases.Failuretoyaw
andfragmentcanalsooccurwhenthebulletspass
throughonlyminimaltissue,suchasalimborthe
chestofathin,smallstaturedindividual,asthe
bulletmayexitthebodybeforeithasachanceto
yawandfragment.Twootheryawissues:Angle
ofAttack(AOA)variationsbetweendifferent
projectiles,evenwithinthesamelotofammo,as
wellasFleetYawvariationsbetweendifferent
rifles,wereelucidatedin2006bytheJoint
ServiceWoundBallisticIntegratedProductTeam
(JSWBIPT),whichincludedexpertsfromthe
militarylawenforcementusercommunity,trauma
surgeons,aeroballisticians,weaponandmunitions
engineers,andotherscientificspecialists.These
yawissuesweremostnoticeableatcloseranges
andweremoreprevalentwithcertaincalibersand
bulletstylesthemostsusceptiblebeing
5.5645mmNATOFMJammunitionlike
SS109/M855andM193.

Woundprofilesinballisticgelatin
Note:imagesarenottosamescale

M16M1935.5645mm

M16A2SS109/M8555.5645mmNATO

Dr.MartinFackler[28]

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Despitecomplaintsthatthe5.5645mmNATOroundlacksstoppingpower,otherscontendthatanimalstudiesofthe
woundingeffectsofthe5.5645mmNATOroundversusthe7.6239mmhavefoundthatthe5.5645mmNATO
roundismoredamaging,duetothepostimpactbehaviorofthe5.56mmprojectileresultingingreatercavitationofsoft
tissues.[29]TheUSArmycontendedin2003thatthelackofcloserangelethalityofthe5.5645mmNATOwasmore
amatterofperceptionthanfact.Withcontrolledpairsandgoodshotplacementtotheheadandchest,thetargetwas
usuallydefeatedwithoutissue.Themajorityoffailuresweretheresultofhittingthetargetinnonvitalareassuchas
extremities.However,aminorityoffailuresoccurredinspiteofmultiplehitstothechest.[30]
Somehavecontendedthatshotplacementisthemostimportantparameterindeterminingthelethalityofabullet.
Difficultywiththe5.5645mmNATOatrangehasbeenattributedtotraining[31]SwedishISAFunitsreliedon.50
BMGheavymachinegunsforlongrangeshootingduetoresiliencetofactorssuchasrangeandwinddrift.
Underperformanceisthusattributedtoerrorsinrangeandwindestimation,targetlead,firingposition,andstressunder
fire,factorsthatcanberesolvedthroughtraining.[24][32]

Improvements
Advanceshavebeenmadein5.56mmammunition.TheU.S.militaryhadadoptedforlimitedissuea77grain(5.0g)
"Match"bullet,typeclassifiedastheMk262.Theheavy,lightlyconstructedbullet,fragmentsmoreviolentlyatshort
rangeandalsohasalongerfragmentationrange.[33]OriginallydesignedforuseintheMk12SPR,theammunitionhas
foundfavorwithspecialforces[34]unitswhowereseekingamoreeffectivecartridgetofirefromtheirM4A1carbines.
Commerciallyavailableloadingsusingtheseheavier(andlonger)bulletscanbeprohibitivelyexpensiveandcostmuch
morethanmilitarysurplusammunition.Additionally,theseheavyforcaliberloadingssacrificesomepenetrativeability
comparedtotheM855round(whichhasasteelpenetratortip).Performanceof5.5645mmmilitaryammunitioncan
generallybecategorizedasalmostentirelydependentuponvelocityinordertowoundeffectively.HeavyOTMbullets
enhancesofttissuewoundingabilityattheexpenseofhardtarget/barrierpenetration.
U.S.SpecialForceshadsoughttocreatearoundthathadincreasedpoweroutofcarbineM4barrelsandcompact
SCARLbarrels,whileincreasinghardtargetperformance.DevelopmentaleffortsledtothecreationoftheMk318.
Thebulletusesanopentipdesigntoinflictdamageonsofttissue,andhasabrassreartopenetratehardtargets.The
tipandleadcorefragmentsconsistentlyevenwhenusingshortbarrels,whiletherearmovesthroughoncethefront
impacts.[35]IthasmoreconsistentperformancebecauseitisnotyawdependentliketheM855thenosefragments
uponimpactandsolidrearpenetratorcontinuestomoverelativelystraight.ThismakestheMk318effectiveagainst
personnelwithorwithoutbodyarmor.Theroundalsoincreasesaccuracy,from35minuteofangle(MOA)withthe
M855fromanM4A1barrelto1.71MOAat300yardsand1.67MOAat600yardsfroma14in(360mm)SCAR
Lbarrel.[36]
Forgeneralissue,theU.S.ArmyadoptedtheM855A1roundin2010toreplacetheM855.Theprimaryreasonwas
pressuretousenonleadbullets.Theleadslugisreplacedbyacopperalloysluginareversedrawnjacket,witha
hardenedsteelpenetratorextendingbeyondthejacket,reducingleadcontaminationtotheenvironment.TheM855A1
offersseveralimprovementsotherthanbeingleadfree.Itisslightlymoreaccurate,hasbetterconsistencyofeffectin
regardstowoundingability,andhasanincreasedpenetratingcapability.Theroundcanbetterpenetratesteel,brick,
concrete,andmasonrywalls,aswellasbodyarmorandsheetmetal.Itpenetrates38in(9.5mm)ofmildsteelat350
meters,whichtheM855canonlydoat160meters.Thepropellantburnsfaster,whichdecreasesthemuzzleflashand
givesahighermuzzlevelocity,animportantfeaturewhenfiredfromashortbarreledM4carbine.ThoughtheM855A1
ismoreexpensivetoproduce,itsperformanceisconsideredtocompensate.Onepossibledangeristhatitgenerates
muchgreaterpressureinthechamberwhenfired,decreasingservicelifeofparts,andincreasingtheriskofcatastrophic
failureoftheweapon,thoughthishasyettooccur.[37][38]
TheU.S.MarinesadoptedtheMk318inearly2010duetodelayswiththeM855A1.Thiswasatemporarymeasure
untiltheM855A1wasavailableforthem,whichoccurredinmid2010whentheArmybegantoreceivetherounds.
BoththeMk318andM855A1weighthesameandhavesimilarperformance,andbothhavebetterperformancethan
theM855againstalltargets.SOCOMspentlessmoneydevelopingtheMk318anditismarginallybetterthanthe
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M855A1insomesituations,butcostsmoreperround.TheArmyspentmoredevelopingtheM855A1whichperforms
aswellornearlyaswellastheMk318,butischeaperperroundandhastheadvantageofbeingleadfree.While
SOCOMconstantlylooksforbetterequipment,theArmyandMarineshavefarmoretroopstosupplyandbuymore
ammunitionthanSOCOM.[39]

Alternatives
Ifthe5.56mmbulletismovingtooslowlytoreliablyyaw,expand,orfragmentonimpact,thewoundsizeandpotential
toincapacitateapersonisgreatlyreduced.Therehavebeennumerousattemptstocreateanintermediatecartridgethat
addressesthecomplaintsof5.56NATO'slackofstoppingpoweralongwithlackofcontrollabilityseeninriflesfiring
7.62NATOinfullauto.Somealternativecartridgeslikethe.270caliber6.8mmRemingtonSPC(6.843mm)focused
onsuperiorshortrangeperformancebysacrificinglongdistanceperformanceduetotherelativelyshortengagement
distancestypicallyobservedinurbanwarfare.Others,likethe6.5mmGrendel(6.539mm),areattemptsatengineering
anallpurposecartridgethatcouldreplaceboththe5.56and7.62NATOrounds.The300AACBlackout
(7.6235mm)roundwasdesignedtohavethepowerofthe7.6239mmforuseinanM4platformusingstandardM4
magazines,andtoeasilyinterchangebetweensubsonicammunitionforsuppressedfiringandsupersonicrounds.All
thesecartridgeshavecertainadvantagesoverthe5.5645mmNATO,buttheyhavetheirownindividualtradeoffsto
includelowermuzzlevelocityandlessrange.Additionally,whenusingaroundnotbasedonthecaseofthe5.56there
canbedecreasedmagazinecapacity,anddifferentinternalparts.Noneofthesecartridgeshavegainedanysignificant
tractionbeyondsportshootingcommunities.
Bylate2004,the6.8mmRemingtonSPCwasinlimitedusewithU.S.SpecialOperators.[40]However,itwasnot
adoptedforwidespreaduseduetoresistancefromofficialsonchangingcalibers.[41]In2007,boththeU.S.SOCOM
andtheU.S.MarineCorpsdecidednottofieldweaponschamberedin6.843mmduetologisticalandcostissues.[42]
AnunnamedLWRCrepresentativesaidinJanuary2014thattheUSmilitaryisonceagaintakingalookatthe6.8
SPCIIafterallthecommercialdevelopmentinthelast10years.[43]

5.56mmNATOversus.223Remington
The5.56mmNATOand.223Remingtoncartridgesandchamberingsaresimilarbutnotidentical.[44]Whilethe
cartridgesareidenticalotherthanpowderload,thechamberleade,i.e.theareawheretheriflingbegins,iscuttoa
sharperangleonsome.223commercialchambers.Becauseofthis,acartridgeloadedtogenerate5.56mmpressures
ina5.56mmchambermaydeveloppressuresthatexceedSAAMIlimitswhenfiredfromashortleade.223Remington
chamber.

Brasscase
Thedimensionalspecificationsof5.56NATOand.223commercialbrasscasesareidentical.Thecasestendtohave
similarcasecapacitywhenmeasured,withvariationschieflyduetobrand,not5.56vs.223designation.Theresultof
thisisthatthereisnosuchthingas"5.56brass"or".223brass",thedifferencesinthecartridgeslieinpressureratings
andinchamberleadelength,notintheshapeorthicknessofthebrass.[45][46]
InJuly2012,theArmysolicitedarequestforvendorstosupplyalternativecartridgecasestoreducetheweightofan
M855A15.56mmroundbyatleast10percent,aswellasforthe7.62NATOand.50BMGrounds.Thecartridge
casesmustmaintainallperformancerequirementswhenfullyassembled,beabletobeusedbytheLakeCityArmy
AmmunitionPlant,mustbemanufacturedinquantitiestotalingapproximately45millionperyear.Polymercased
ammunitionisexpectedasalikelylightweightcasetechnology.[47]Ahybridpolymer/metalversionofaconventional
cartridgecasewouldbethickerthanregularcasesandreducetheamountofspaceforthepropellant,[48]although
certainpolymerscouldbethermodynamicallymoreefficientandnotloseenergytothecaseorchamberwhenfired.[49]

Pressure
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C.I.P.definesthemaximumserviceandprooftestpressuresofthe.223Remingtoncartridgeequaltothe5.56mm
NATO,at430MPa(62,366psi).ThisdiffersfromtheSAAMImaximumpressurespecificationfor.223Remingtonof
380MPa(55,114psi),duetoCIPtestprotocolsmeasuringpressureusingadrilledcase,ratherthananintactcase
withaconformalpiston,alongwithotherdifferences.[50]NATOusesNATOEPVATpressuretestprotocolsfortheir
smallarmsammunitionspecifications.
Becauseofthesedifferencesinmethodology,theCIPpressureof430MPa(62,366psi)isthesameasaSAAMI
pressureof380MPa(55,114psi),whichisreflectedinUSMilitaryspecificationsfor5.56mmNATO,whichcallfora
meanmaximumpressureof55,000PSI(whenmeasuredusingaprotocolsimilartoSAAMI).[51]
Thesepressuresaregeneratedandmeasuredusingachambercutto5.56NATOspecifications,includingthelonger
leade.Firing5.56mmNATOfromachamberwithashorter.223Remingtonleadecangeneratepressuresinexcessof
SAAMImaximums.

Chamber
The5.56mmNATOchambering,knownasaNATOormilspecchamber,hasalongerleade,whichisthedistance
betweenthemouthofthecartridgeandthepointatwhichtheriflingengagesthebullet.The.223Remington
chambering,knownasSAAMIchamber,isallowedtohaveashorterleade,andisonlyrequiredtobeprooftestedto
thelowerSAAMIchamberpressure.Toaddresstheseissues,variousproprietarychambersexist,suchastheWylde
chamber(RockRiverArms)[52]ortheArmaLitechamber,whicharedesignedtohandleboth5.5645mmNATOand
.223Remingtonequallywell.Theleadeofthe.223RemingtonminimumC.I.P.chamberalsodifferfromthe5.56mm
NATOchamberspecification.Thecasingsandchambers.223remand5.56x45mmarevirtuallythesamedimensions,
butduetothefactthat.223remaredesignedtohandlemuchlowerpressuresthanthe5.56x45theroundsarenot
completelyinterchangeable.Firinga5.56x45mmroundoutofariflechamberedin.223remcouldbeInjuriousorfatal
totheuseraswellasthegun,however.223remammunitioncanbefiredsafelyfromalmostanyriflechamberedin
5.56x45astheNATOspecriflescanhandlemuchmorechamberpressuresthanthe.223remiscapableofproducing.
Usingcommercial.223Remingtoncartridgesina5.56mmNATOchamberedrifleshouldworkreliably,butuntil
recently,itwasbelievedthiswaslessaccuratethanwhenfiredfroma.223Remingtonchamberedgunduetothelonger
leade.[53]Althoughthatmayhavebeentrueintheearly1960swhenthetworoundsweredeveloped,recenttestinghas
shownthatwithtoday'sammunition,rifleschamberedin5.56mmcanalsofire.223ammunitioneverybitasaccurately
asrifleschamberedin.223Remington,andthe5.56mmchamberhastheadditionaladvantageofbeingabletosafely
firebothcalibers.[54]Using5.56mmNATOmilspeccartridges(suchastheM855)ina.223Remingtonchambered
riflecanleadtoexcessivewearandstressontherifleandevenbeunsafe,andSAAMIrecommendsagainstthe
practice.[55][56]Somecommercialriflesmarkedas".223Remington"areinfactsuitedfor5.56mmNATO,suchas
manycommercialAR15variantsandtheRugerMini14(marked".223cal",excepttheMini14"Target"model,
whichonlyfires.223),butthemanufacturershouldalwaysbeconsultedtoverifythatthisisacceptablebefore
attemptingit,andsignsofexcessivepressure(suchasflatteningorgasstainingoftheprimers)shouldbelookedforin
theinitialtestingwith5.56mmNATOammunition.[57]
Itshouldalsobenotedthattheupperreceiver(towhichthebarrelwithitschamberareattached)andthelower
receiverareentirelyseparatepartsinAR15stylerifles.Ifthelowerreceiverhaseither.223or5.56stampedonit,it
doesnotguaranteetheupperassemblyisratedforthesamecaliber,becausetheupperandthelowerreceiverinthe
sameriflecan,andfrequentlydo,comefromdifferentmanufacturersparticularlywithriflessoldtociviliansorsecond
handriflesthathavebeenrepairedwithspareparts.Sinceallpartsareinterchangeable,youMUSTtakegreatcaution
tocheckformarkingsof5.56x45mmonthebarrelbeforeattemptingtofire5.56x45ammooutofit.
Inmorepracticalterms,asof2010mostAR15partssuppliersengineertheircompleteupperassemblies(nottobe
confusedwithstrippedupperswherethebarrelisnotincluded)tosupportbothcalibersinordertosatisfymarket
demandandpreventanypotentialproblems.

5.56mmNATOversus7.62mmNATO
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Comparisonof7.62mmNATO,
5.56mmNATOand9mmParabellum.

Cartridge

Model Cartridgesize Cartridgeweight Bulletweight

Velocity

Energy

5.56mmNATO M855[58] 5.5645mm

12.31g(190gr)

4.02g(62gr) 922m/s(3,025ft/s)[58] 1,709J[59]

7.62mmNATO M80[60] 7.6251mm

25.40g(392gr)

9.33g(144gr) 838m/s(2,749ft/s)[60] 3,275J

Benefitsofthe5.56NATOclaimedoverthe7.62NATOincludeequallethality,halfthemassandvolume,reduced
recoilandsignature,betterpenetrationofmetalplates,flattertrajectoryandshortertimeofflightoutto700meters,
weaponschamberedforitarelighterandbetterhitprobability.Hitprobabilityreferstotheabilityofasoldierto
concentrateonfiringinspiteoftheirweapon'srecoilandnoise,whichisnoticeablydifferentbetweenthetwo
cartridges.The7.62NATOhastwicetheimpactenergyofthe5.56NATO,preferableifatargetisprotectedbyhigher
levelarmor,especiallyat"medium"range.Ifnot,bothroundsnormallypenetratesatisfactorilythroughenemiesupto
600meters,approximately.A5.56NATOroundfiredfroma20in(510mm)barrelhasaflattertrajectorythana7.62
NATOroundfiredfromabarrelofequallength,whilethe5.56NATOfiredfroma14.5in(370mm)barrelhasthe
sametrajectoryasthe7.62NATOfroma20inbarrel,aswellasthesametimeofflight.A7.62NATOroundreaches
50percentofitsvelocitywithin80mm(3.1in)ofthebarrelwhenfired,sodecreasingthebarrellengthforclose
quarterscombatresultsinincreasedmuzzlepressureandgreaternoiseandmuzzleflash.[24][32]

MilitaryCartridges
Australia
Cartridge,Ball,F1:5.5645mmFNSS109equivalentproducedby
ThalesAustralia,formerlyAustralianDefenceIndustries(ADI).
Cartridge,Ball,F1A1[Greentip]:5.5645mmwithoptimized
projectilehavingamodifiedboattaillengthandmeplatdiameter,
redesignedcasethickness,newprimercupdesign,andAR2210V01
propellant.[61][62]
Cartridge,Blank,F3[Crimpedtip]:5.5645mmBlankcartridge
producedbyThalesAustralia,formerlyAustralianDefenceIndustries
(ADI).

Belgium

ImagesofU.S.5.5645mmNATO
ammunition

Cartridge,Ball,SS109:5.5645mm61grain[3.95g][63]Semi
ArmorPiercingcartridgew/.steelpenetratorproducedbyFabriqueNationale.Adoptedin1979astheNATO
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standard.[64]

Canada
Cartridge,Ball,C77:5.5645mmFNSS109equivalentusedintheC7,C8andC9typeweapons.Madeby
GeneralDynamicsCanada.
Cartridge,Blank,C79[Crimpedtip]:5.5645mmblankcartridgeusedintheC7,C8andC9typeweapons.
AlsomadebyGeneralDynamicsCanada.

Germany
Cartridge,Ball,DM11[Greentip]:5.5645mm4.1gdualcoreballcartridgew/steelcore,producedby
RUAGAmmotec.
Cartridge,Tracer,DM21[Orangetip]:5.5645mmtracercomplimenttoDM11,alsoproducedbyRUAG
Ammotec.

SouthAfrica
Cartridge,5.5645mm,Ball,M1A3(SouthAfrica):56grainFMJBallroundbasedontheM193cartridge.
ItwasusedwiththeR4assaultrifle.

Switzerland
5,6mmGwPat90:The63grain5.5645mmGewehrpatrone90/5,6mmGP90("5.6mmRifleCartridge
90")istheSwissArmy'sstandard5.56mmBallround.ItisoptimizedforusewiththeSturmgewehr90service
rifle,bothwhichwereadoptedin1987.OriginallythecartridgehadacupronickeljacketedbulletandBerdan
primer,butitnowhasatombacjacketedbulletandleadfreeBoxerprimer.Since1997mostcomponentsofthe
roundaremadeinSwitzerland.

UnitedKingdom
Cartridge,Ball,L2A1:5.5645mmM193equivalentproducedbyRadwayGreen.[65]
Round,Ball,L2A2:5.5645mmFNSS109equivalentproducedbyRadwayGreen.
Round,Tracer,L1A1[Redtip]:5.5645mmtracercomplimenttoL2A1,producedbyRadwayGreen.
Round,Tracer,L1A2[Redtip]:5.5645mmtracercomplimenttoL2A2,producedbyRadwayGreen.
Round,Blank,L1A1&L1A2[crimpedtip]:5.5645mmblanktraininground,producedbyRadwayGreen.
Round,Drill,L1A1[chromedbody]:5.5645mminerttraininground,producedbyRadwayGreen.

UnitedStates
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Ball,M193:5.5645mm55grain[3.56g]ballcartridge.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Grenade,M195[CrimpedtipwithRedlacquerseal]:5.5645mmhigh
pressuregrenadelaunchingblank.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Tracer,M196[RedorOrangetip]:5.5645mm54grain[3.43g]tracer
cartridge.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,HighPressureTest(HPT),M197[stannicstainedornickelplatedcase]:
HighpressureTestingcartridgeusedwhenproofingweaponsduringmanufacture,test,orrepair.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Dummy,M199[Noprimer,Flutedcase]:5.5645mminertcartridgewith
flutedindentationsinthecase.Usedforloadingandunloadingdrillsduringbasictraining.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Blank,M200[CrimpedtipwithVioletlacquerseal]:5.5645mmtraining
blankcartridge.
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Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Ball,M202:5.5645mm58grain
FNSSX822cartridge.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Dummy,M232[Noprimer,Black
anodizedcaseandbullet]:5.5645mminertcartridge.Usedfor
testingriflemechanisms.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Ball,XM287:5.5645mm68grain
ballcartridgeproducedbyIndustriesValcartier,Inc.AnImproved
versionwasalsoproduceddesignatedXM779.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Tracer,XM288:5.5645mm68
M855andM856cartridgesinan
graintracercartridgeproducedbyIndustriesValcartier,Inc.An
ammunitionbeltusingM27
ImprovedversionwasalsoproduceddesignatedXM780.
disintegratinglinks.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Grenade,M755[Crimpedtipwith
Yellowlacquerseal]:5.5645mmgrenadelaunchingblank
specificallyforthe64mmM234launcher.Theoriginalwhitelacquersealwasdiscontinuedduetoexcessivebore
fouling.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Ball,XM777:5.5645mmballcartridge.Anattempttocreatea55grain
SS109styleSemiArmorPiercingroundthatweighedthesameastheM193andcouldusethesameUS
standard1in12inchrifling.Itreplacedthe6x45mmSAWroundasthebaselinecartridgefortheSquad
AutomaticWeapontrialsinthelate1970sandearly1980s.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Tracer,XM778:5.5645mmtracercartridgematedwiththeXM777Semi
ArmorPiercingcartridge.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Ball,M855[Greentip]:5.5645mm62grainFNSS109equivalentball
cartridgewithasteelpenetratortipoveraleadcoreinapartialcopperjacket(thesteeltipsticksoutofthefront
ofthebulletandisuncoveredbythejacket).
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Ball,M855LeadFree[Greentip]:62grainbulletwithasteelpenetratortip
overatungstencompositecoreinapartialcopperjacket.Primarilyusedduringtrainingincountrieswithstrict
leaddisposallaws.[66]
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Ball,M855A1EnhancedPerformanceRound[unpaintedsteelpenetrator
tip]:62grainbulletw/a19grainsteelpenetratortipoveracopperalloycoreinapartialcopperjacket.[67]
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Tracer,M856[Orangetip]:5.5645mm63.7grainFNL110tracercartridge.
Providesredvisiblelightandlacksasteelpenetrator.[66]
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Tracer,M856A1[Redtip]:5.5645mm56grainLeadFreeslug(LF)Tracer
withsimilarballisticperformancetotheM855A1andimprovedtracetorangeconsistency.[68]
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Plastic,Practice,M862[Brassprimer,AluminumcaseandBlueplastic
projectile]:ShortRangeTrainingAmmo(SRTA)hasasmallerchargethanstandardball,reducingitsaimed
rangeto250meters,andfiresaplasticbullet.TheM2trainingboltmustbeusedintheM16Rifle/M4Carbine
whenusingSRTAfortheweapontocycleproperlyduetoitslowerpower.Itisusedduringtrainingonshooting
rangesnearbuiltuporpopulatedareas.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,ArmorPiercing,M995[Blacktip]:5.5645mm52grainAPcartridgewitha
tungstencore.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Tracer,XM996[Crimsontip]:Socalled"DimTracer"withreducedeffect
primarilyforusewithnightvisiondevices.
Cartridge,Caliber5.64mm,Ball,MLU26/P(NationalStockNumber:13059685892):Munition,Live,
Unit#26/Personneluse.EarlyUSAFdesignationfora55grain5.5645mmFMJballcartridgeproducedby
RemingtonUnionMetallicCartridgeCompany(headstampRA63orREMUMC63)in1963.Itwastheir
designationforthecommercial55grain.223RemingtonM.C.("MetallicCased",orFullMetalJacketed)
cartridge,whichtheAirForceinitiallydesignated"5.64mm"ratherthan5.56mm.Theorderconsistedof8.5
millionroundsandwasprocuredfortesting,trainingandunconventionalwarfareusewiththeXM16rifle.The
cartridgescamepackedunclippedinwhite20roundcommercialammunitionboxes.
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,Frangible,MK255Mod0[WhiteTip]:5.5645mm62grainReduced
RicochetLimitedPenetration(RRLP)roundwithcopper/polymercompositecorefortrainingandoperational
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use.[69]
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mm,SpecialBall,LongRange,Mk262Mod0/1:5.5645mm77grainOpen
TippedMatch/HollowPointBoatTailcartridge.Mod0featuresSierraMatchkingbullet,whileMod1features
eitherNoslerorSierrabullet.
Cartridge,5.5645mm,semijacketedFrangible,MK311Mod0:ReducedRicochetLimited
Penetration(R2LP)round,50grainfrangiblebulletintendedfortraining.ProducedbyWesternCartridge
Company(headstamp:WCC).
Cartridge,Caliber5.56mmBall,Enhanced5.56mmCarbine,MK318MOD0:5.5645mm62grain
OpenTippedMatchBoatTailcartridge.Optimizedforusewith14inchbarreledweaponsliketheM4A1
CarbineandMK16SCARanddesignedtopenetratelightbarrierslikewindshieldsorcardoorswithnolossof
accuracyordamage.[70][71]NowdesignatedasCaliber5.56mmBall,Carbine,Barrier.

SS109/M855
In1970,NATOdecidedtostandardizeasecondriflecaliber.Testswereconductedfrom1977to1980usingU.S.
XM1775.56mm,BelgianSS1095.56mm,British4.8549mm,andGerman4.733mmcaseless.Noweaponcould
beagreedupon,asmanywereprototypes,buttheSS109wasfoundtobethebestroundandstandardizedon
October28,1980.TheSS109wasdevelopedinthe1970sfortheFNFNCrifleandtheFNMinimimachinegun.To
increasetherangeoftheMinimi,theroundwascreatedtopenetrate3.5mmofsteelat600meters.TheSS109hada
steeltipandleadrearandwasnotrequiredtopenetratebodyarmor.Barrelsrequiredatleasta1:9inrifletwist,but
neededa1:7inrifletwisttofiretracerammunition.[24][32][36]TheU.S.designatedtheSS109cartridgetheM855and
firstuseditintheM16A2rifle.The62grainroundwasheavierthantheprevious55grainM193.WhiletheM855had
betterarmorpenetratingability,itislesslikelytofragmentafterhittingasofttarget.Thislessenskineticenergytransfer
tothetargetandreduceswoundingcapability.[72]TheM855isyawdependent,meaningitdependsontheangleupon
whichithitsthetarget.Ifatagoodangle,theroundturnsasitenterssofttissue,breakingapartandtransferringits
energytowhatithits.Ifimpactingatabadangle,itcouldpassthroughandfailtotransferitsfullenergy.[38]TheSS109
wasmadetopiercesteelhelmetsatlongrangefromtheMinimi,notimproveterminalperformanceonsofttissuefrom
riflesorcarbines.[28]InIraq,troopsthatengagedinsurgentsatlessthan150yardsfoundthatM855roundsdidnot
provideenoughstoppingpower.Inadditiontonotcausinglethaleffectswithtwoormorerounds,theydidnot
effectivelypenetratevehiclewindshields,evenwithmanyroundsfiredatextremelycloserange.[73]InAfghanistan,
troopsfoundthatM855roundsalsosufferedatlongranges.Although5.56mmrifleshaveaneffectiverangeof450
600meters,theM855bullet'sperformancefallsoffsharplybeyond300meters.Therangesareevenshorterforshort
barreledcarbines.Halfofsmallarmsattackswerelaunchedfrom300900meterranges.[74]AnM855firedfroman
M4Carbinehasseverelydegradedperformancebeyond150meters.[28]
ThemaximumeffectivepointtargetrangeofanM4carbinewithM855roundsis500m(547yd),withamaximum
effectiveareatargetrangeof600m(656yd).Thesemarkthegreatestdistancestheroundscanbeexpectedto
accuratelyhitthetarget,nottherangesthattheyhaveterminaleffectivenessagainstthem.BecausetheM855isyaw
dependentitrequiresinstabilityinflighttodeformuponhittingthetarget.Itisthemoststableinflightbetween150
350m(164383yd),potentiallylesseningitseffectivenessifitstrikesanenemybetweenthosedistances.Inadditionto
this,testshaveshownthat5.56mmbulletsfragmentmostreliablywhentravelingfasterthan2,500ft/s(760m/s).From
fulllength20in(508mm)rifleandmachinegunbarrels,roundsexhibitvelocitiesabove2,500ft/s(760m/s)outto
200m(219yd).AnM855firedfromashorterbarreledM4carbineexhibitsabulletvelocityof2,522ft/s(769m/s)at
150m(164yd)range.Evenifitimpactsatoptimumspeeds,70percentof5.56mmbulletswillnotbegintoyawuntil
4.7in(120mm)oftissuepenetration.15percentmorebegintoyawafterthatdistance,soupto85percentofrounds
thathitdonotstarttofragmentuntilnearly5inofpenetration.Againstsmallstaturedorthincombatants,theM855has
littlechanceofyawingbeforepassingthroughcleanlyandleavingawoundcavitynobiggerthanthebulletitself.The
factorsofimpactangleandvelocity,instabilitydistance,andpenetrationbeforeyawreducetheround'spredictable
effectivenessconsiderablyincombatsituations.[75]

M855A1
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Development
Inmid2005,ameetingwasheldattheLakeCityArmyAmmunitionPlantas
partofPhaseIIoftheU.S.Army'sGreenAmmunitionreplacementprogram
andattendedbyrepresentativesfromseveralmilitarysectorsand
contractors.Theobjectivewastocreateanenvironmentallyfriendlysmall
armstrainingroundaftertheArmyhadbeenrequired,inpartbystronger
stateregulations,toremoveleadfromtheirbulletstoreducelead
accumulationatstatesidetrainingranges.Initially,PhaseIeffortscreatedthe
M855A1EnhancedPerformance
M855"greentip"5.56mmroundthatreplacedtheleadcorewithonemade
Roundanditsenvironmentally
oftungsten,butitwasfoundthattheroundwouldbecomeunstableinflight
friendlyprojectile.
andflysidewaysthroughatargetfurthermore,researchwassuggestingthat
tungstenwasnotenvironmentallybetterthanlead.PhaseIIeffortsfocusedon
creatinganalternativeroundthatdidnotcontaineithermetal.AstheIraqWarwashappeningatthesametime,
participantsdecidedtousetheopportunitytoredirecttheireffortsfromjustmakinga"green"trainingroundtocreating
anentirelynewgeneralpurposerifleroundtoaddresscomplaintsencounteredinthefield.[76]
ComplaintshadsurfacedaboutthepoorlethalityofstandardM855roundsagainstsofttargets,althoughwhilesome
unitsclaimedtheyhadvirtuallynoeffectotherssaidtheywerehavingnoproblems.Theproblemwas"yawsensitivity,"
whereroundsexperiencingswinginflighthavevaryingeffectswhentheyhitatargetbasedonthedegreeofyaw,
resultinginunpredictablelethalityeffects.Themakeupanddesignofthebulletaffectedaccuracy.Thecopperjacketis
formedfirstatthepoint,thenasteelpenetratorisinsertedintothejacketandtheprojectileiscrimpedshut.Errorinthe
penetratorplacementcanchangeflightperformanceandaffectdispersion,andtherearwarddrawnjacketcancreate
anunevenboattailleadingtounevenairflowandmoreaffecteddispersion.Italsowasnotoptimizedforuseinshort
barreledrifles.TheM855wasoriginallymadetoburnandacceleratefromthe20in(510mm)barreloftheM249
SAWthenitwasrepurposedtotheM16A2forammunitioncompatibility.WhenfiredfromashortbarreledM4,
lowermuzzlevelocityledtodecreasedterminaleffectiveness,andunburnedpropellantfiredfromtheendofthebarrel
createdabrightermuzzleflashandcausedmorecombustiondebristobepushedbackinthegastube,dirtyingthe
weapon.[76]
Alternative5.56mmroundsinusewereconsidered,liketheMk262opentippedmatchcartridge.TheMk262was
moreaccurateandhadbettersofttargetperformance,andbothArmyandMarineunitswereusinglargequantitiesin
Iraqdeploymentsfordesignatedmarksmanrifles.However,theMk262wasnotadequateasageneralpurposeround
andcostfourtimesmorethantheM855,soitcouldnotbeproducedatthevolumesrequiredfor5.56mmammunition
(upto1billionroundsannually).Itwasalsofoundthatperformancesufferedwhenfiredfromstandardbarrels,so
matchgradebarrelswouldbeneededforoptimumperformance.TheM995armorpiercingroundhadhighaccuracy
andtargetpenetration,butwaseighttimesmoreexpensivethantheM855.Commercialalternativeswerefoundtohave
thesameyawsensitivityissuesastheM855.[76]
Anumberofobjectivesweredesiredforthenewround,includingmorelethal,oratleastmoreconsistent,softtarget
effectsandlessshotdispersion.Itmustnotbespecializedforanyonetasktohavegeneralpurposeperformance,andif
improvementinanyonearearesultedthatwouldbeconsideredasecondarybenefit.Astheserviceswerepurchasing
largenumbersofoptics,itcouldnotrequireadifferentreticlepattern,butrezeroingsightswouldbeacceptable.
Optimizationforshortbarreledrifleswasneeded,astheArmyandSpecialForces'mainweaponwastheM4carbine
aflashsuppressedpropellantwasalsorequired.Optimizingtheroundtoperformwithinthepressurelimitsforshort
barrelswouldcauseperformancelossinlongerbarrels(causingcomplaintsfromtheMarineCorps),butanalysis
showedthatashortbarreloptimizedroundwouldhavelessperformancelossfiredfromalongbarrelthanviceversa.
Theroundalsohadtobecostcompetitiveandmeetenvironmentalstandards.[76]
TheinitialM855A1designbegantestinginlate2007.Itsalloycorehadnotoxicmetalsandcouldbecheaply
produced.Materialsandproductionmethods,likeareversedrawnjacketforacleanboattail,ledtoyawinsensitivity,
improvedsofttargetperformance,andconsistentdispersion.Thesteelpenetratorwasretainedand,throughgreater
velocityandbettercompositionandplacement,substantiallyimprovedhardtargetperformance.Itmetshortbarrel
optimization,ballisticsimilarity,andproducibilityrequirementsitcostslightlymorethantheM855,butfarlessthanthe
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Mk262.Productionproveouttestingwouldtaketime,asoveramillionroundshadtobetestfiredtoensureinstances
offailurewouldnotoccuratthe1billionroundsperyearscale.Asinformationbegantobemadepublic,theoriginal
programobjectivetocreatea"greenround"ledtoconfusionandcriticismthattheArmywasfocusingmoreon
environmentalsafetythanonperformance.Justastestingwasbeingcompletedandthefirstproductionlotswerebeing
preparedin2009,theroundswerefoundtofailathightemperatures.Thiscausedaoneyeardelaytoreplacethebullet
core,whichsolvedthetemperatureproblemandalsoimprovedcostandproducibility.[76]
Deployment
OnJune24,2010,theUnitedStatesArmyannounceditbeganshippingitsnew5.56mmcartridge,theM855A1
EnhancedPerformanceRound(EPR),toactivecombatzones.Duringtesting,theM855A1performedbetterthan
M807.6251mmNATOballammunitionagainstcertaintypesoftargets(particularlyhardenedsteel),blurringthe
performancedifferencesthatpreviouslyseparatedthetwocartridges.TheUSArmyPicatinnyArsenalstatedthatthe
newM855A1offersimprovedhardtargetcapability,moreconsistentperformanceatalldistances,enhanced
dependability,improvedaccuracy,reducedmuzzleflash,andhighervelocitycomparedtotheM855round.Further,the
ArmystatedthenewM855A1ammunitionistailoredforuseinM4carbines,butshouldalsogiveenhanced
performanceinM16riflesandM249lightmachineguns.Thenew62grain(4g)projectileorbulletusedinthe
M855A1roundhasacoppercorewitha19grain(1.2g)steel"stackedcone"penetratingtip.TheM855A1cartridge
issometimesreferredtoas"greenammo"becauseitfiresaleadfreeprojectile.[67][68][77][78][79][80]Itisnotnecessarily
morelethalthantheM855,butperformsmoreconsistentlyeverytimeithitsasofttargetandretainsitsperformanceat
longerdistances.TheEPRcanpenetratea38in(9.5mm)thicksteelbarrierfromanM4at350metersandfroman
M16at400meters.Ballisticsforbothroundsaresimilaranddon'trequireweaponstoberezeroed,butiftheyarethe
EPRcanbeslightlymoreaccurate.ThesteeltippenetratoroftheM855A1isnoticeablyseparatedfromthejacketof
thebulletandcanspin,butthisispartofthedesignanddoesnotaffectperformance.TheM855A1costsonly5cents
moreperroundthantheM855.[81]TheM855A1bullethasa18in(3.2mm)greaterlengththantheM855.[82]
Becausesteelandcopperarelessdensethanlead,thebulletislengthenedinsidethecasetoachievethesameweightas
itspredecessor.[5]Thelongerbulletandreversedrawnjacketmakeitmorestableandaccurateinflight.Itssteeltipis
exposedfromthejacketandbronzedforcorrosionresistance.ThetipisserratedandlargerthantheM855'ssteeltip.
TheM855A1'sbulletcomposition,betteraerodynamics,andhigherproofpressuresgiveitanextendedeffectiverange
forpenetrationandterminalperformance.[83]Whileeffectivenessatdifferentrangesisincreased,theM855A1doesnot
increasetheeffectiverangesatwhichweaponsareexpectedtohittheirtargets.TheEnhancedPerformanceRoundwas
madetonearlymatchthetrajectoryoftheM855toaidintrainingconsistencytheSS109/M855ballisticcoefficient
(G7BC)of0.151wasimprovedto0.152fortheM855A1[84]buttherangestogetdesiredeffectsaregreatly
extended.[85]
TheM855A1wasputonholdinAugust2009duetotheexperimentalbismuthtinalloycoreexhibitingundependable
ballisticsathightemperatures.TheUSArmyhassincereplacedthebismuthtinalloycorewithoneofsolidcopper
eliminatingtheheatissue.TheUnitedStatesMarineCorpspurchased1.8millionroundsin2010,withplanstoadopt
theroundtoreplacetheinterimMK318SOSTroundsusedinAfghanistanwhentheM855A1projectwas
delayed.[86]
OnamediadayatAberdeenProvingGroundonMay4,2011,reportsweregivenabouttheM855A1'sperformance
inthefieldsinceitwasissued11monthsearlier.Oneprimaryadvantagegivenbytheroundisitsconsistent
performanceagainstsofttargets.WhiletheolderM855wasyawdependant,whichmeansitseffectivenessdependson
itsyawanglewhenithitsatarget,theM855A1deliversthesameeffectivenessinasofttargetnomatteritsyawangle.
ThenewSMP842propellantintheroundburnsquickerintheshorterM4carbinebarrel,ensuringlessmuzzleflash
andgreatermuzzlevelocity.TheM855A1wasabletopenetrate38inch(9.5mm)ofsteelplateat300meters.The
roundevenpenetratedconcretemasonryunits,similartocinderblocks,at75metersfromanM16andat50meters
fromanM4,whichtheM855couldnotdoatthoseranges.Itsaccuracyismaintainedandsometimesincreased,asit
wasabletoshoota2inchgroupat600meters.February2011wasthefirsttimetheM855A1wasusedmorethan
theM855,andapproximately30millionM855A1roundshavebeenfieldedfromJune2010toMay2011.[87][88]
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TheM855A1wasputtothetestatthe2012NationalRifleAssociation'sNationalHighPowerRifleChampionshipat
CampPerry,OhioinAugust2012.TheshooterfortheArmywasRobHarbison,acontractorsupportingsmallcaliber
ammunitioncapabilitydevelopmentatFortBenningGeorgia.ThiswasaspecialeventfortheProjectManagerfor
ManeuverAmmunitionSystemsandtheArmy'sManeuverCenterofExcellenceasitwasanopportunitytoshowcase
thecapabilitiesoftheEnhancedPerformanceRound.WithanM16loadedwithM855A1ammo,Harbisonfireda
perfect200pointsintheCoastGuardTrophyMatch,whichis20shotsfiredfromthesittingpositionat200yards,
finishing17thoutof365competitors.Healsoscoredaperfect100onthefinalstringoftenshotsduringtheAirForce
CupTrophyMatch,firedat600yardsfromtheproneposition,whichis10shotsinarowwithinthe12inch,10point
ringat600yardswithcombatammunition.HarbisonwashappywiththeperformanceoftheEPR,withhisscores
showingthattheArmy'snewestgeneralpurposeroundisaccurateenoughtogotoetotoeinthecompetitionwiththe
bestammothatcanbeboughtorhandloaded.Harbisonevensaid,"Idon'tthinkIcouldhavescoredanyhigherifI
wasusingmatchgradecompetitionammunition."[89]ItshouldbenotedthattheM855A1wasnotfiredfrom1:7in
rifledbarrelsusedinstandardArmyrifles,butspecialArmyMarksmanshipUnit(AMU)matchgrade1:8inrifled
barrels,whichproducemoreaccurateresultswhenfiring62grainrounds.[82]
FromfieldinginJune2010toSeptember2012,AlliantTechsystemsdeliveredover350millionM855A1Enhanced
PerformanceRounds.[90]
Sinceitsintroduction,theM855A1hasbeencriticizedforitspropellantcausingincreasedfoulingofthegunbarrel.
PostcombatsurveyshavereportednoissueswiththeEPRincombat.Aseriesoftestsfoundnosignificantdifference
infoulingbetweentheoldM855andtheM855A1.However,manufacturershavereported"severedegradation"to
barrelsoftheirriflesusingtheM855A1intests.[91]TheArmyattributespressureandwearissueswiththeM855A1to
problemswiththeprimer,whichtheyclaimtohaveaddressedwithanewlydesignedprimer.[92]Itusesamodifiedfour
prongedprimeranvilformorereliablepowderignition,[83]withastabcrimpratherthanacircumferentialcrimpto
betterwithstandthenewloadshigherchamberpressure,[82]increasedfrom55,000psi(379.2MPa)to62,000psi
(427.5MPa).[48]DuringArmycarbinetesting,theroundcaused"acceleratedboltwear"fromhigherchamberpressure
andincreasedboretemperatures.SpecialOperatortestingsawcracksappearonlockinglugsandboltsatcampin
holesonaverageat6,000rounds,butsometimesasfewas3,000roundsduringintenseautomaticfiring.Firingseveral
thousandroundswithsuchhighchamberpressurescanleadtodegradedaccuracyovertimeaspartswearoutthese
effectscanbemitigatedthrougharoundcountertokeeptrackofpartservicelife.Weaponswithbarrellengthsshorter
thantheM4firingtheM855A1alsoexperience50percenthigherpressuresthanafulllengthM16riflebarrel,which
cancauseporterosionthatcanboosttheautomaticfirerate,increasingthelikelihoodofjams.[82]
FromJune2010toJune2013,issuingoftheM855A1EnhancedPerformanceRoundremoved1,994metrictonsof
leadfromthewastestream.2.1grams(32gr)ofleadareeliminatedfromeachM855A1projectile.[93]

Mk262
TheMk262isamatchqualityroundmanufacturedbyBlackHillsAmmunitionmadeoriginallyfortheSpecialPurpose
Rifle(SPR).Itusesa77grain(5.0g)SierraMatchKingbulletthatismoreeffectiveatlongerrangesthanthestandard
issueM855round.
In1999,SOCOMrequestedBlackHillsAmmunitiontodevelopammunitionfortheMk12SPRthatSOCOMwas
designing.Fortherifletobeaccurateoutto600yards,BlackHills"militarized"acartridgethatusedtheSierra77grain
OTM(OpenTipMatch)projectileitswitchedfroma.223Remingtonto5.56mmcase,increasedpressureloading,
crimpedandsealedtheprimer,andaddedaflashretardanttothepowder.TheMk262Mod0wasadoptedin2002.
Issuescameupindevelopmentincludingreliabilityproblemsindifferenttemperaturesandwhentheweapongotdirty,
andcyclingissuesincoldweatherduetotheslightlyshorterbarreloftheSPRcomparedtothefulllengthM16A2
barrel.Theproblemswereaddressedwithaslowerburningpowderwithadifferentpressureforuseinthebarrel,
creatingtheMk262Mod1in2003.Duringtheproductimprovementstage,thenewpropellantwasfoundtobemore
sensitivetoheatinweaponchambersduringrapidfirings,resultinginincreasedpressuresandfailuretoextract.This
wasaddressedwithanotherpowderblendwithhigherheattoleranceandimprovedbrass.Alsoduringthestage,Black
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Hillswantedthebullettobegivenacannelure,whichhadbeenpreviouslyrejectedforfearitwouldaffectaccuracy.It
waseventuallyaddedforeffectivecrimpingtoensurethattheprojectilewouldnotmovebackintothecaseandcausea
malfunctionduringautoloadfeeding.Althoughthetemperaturesensitivepowderandnewbulletchangedspecifications,
thedesignationremainedastheMod1.[94]
AccordingtoUSDoDsources,theMk262roundiscapableofmakingkillsat700meters.Ballisticstestsfoundthat
theroundcaused"consistentinitialyawinsofttissue"between3and4inatrangesfrom15feetto300meters.
ApparentlyitissuperiortothestandardM855roundwhenfiredfromanM4orM16rifle,increasingaccuracyfrom3
5minutesofangleto2minuteofangle.Itpossessessuperiorstoppingpower,andcanallowforengagementstobe
extendedtoupto700meterswhenfiredfroman18inchbarrel.Itappearsthatthisroundcandrasticallyimprovethe
performanceofanyAR15platformweaponchamberedto.223/5.56mm.Superioraccuracy,woundingcapacity,
stoppingpowerandrangehavemadethisthepreferredroundofmanyspecialforcesoperators,andhighlydesirableas
areplacementfortheolder,Belgiandesigned5.5645mmSS109/M855NATOround.Inoneengagement,atwo
manspecialforcesteamreported75killswith77rounds.[95][96]TheMk262hasahigherballisticcoefficientthanthe
M855of(G7)0.181,meaningitloseslessvelocityatlongrange.[84]

Mk318
FollowingearlyengagementsinAfghanistanandIraq,U.S.SpecialOperationsForcesreportedthatM855ammunition
usedinM4A1rifleswasineffective.In2005,thePentagonissuedaformalrequesttotheammunitionindustryfor
enhancedammunition.TheonlybusinessthatrespondedwastheFederalCartridgeCompany,ownedbyAlliant
Techsystems.WorkingwiththeNavalSurfaceWarfareCenterCraneDivision,theteamcreatedperformance
objectivesforthenewammo:increasedconsistencyfromshottoshotregardlessoftemperaturechanges,accuracyout
ofanM4A1betterthan2minuteofangle(2inchesat100yards,3.9inchesat300yards),increasedstoppingpower
afterpassingthroughintermediatebarrierslikewallsandcarwindshields,increasedperformanceanddecreased
muzzleflashoutofshorterbarrelFNSCARrifles,andcostsclosetotheM855.Thefirstprototypesweredeliveredto
thegovernmentinAugust2007.Increasedvelocityanddecreasedmuzzleflashwereaccomplishedbythetypeof
powderused.ThedesignofthebulletwascalledtheOpenTipMatchRearPenetrator(OTMRP).Thefrontofitisan
opentipbackedupbyaleadcore,whiletherearhalfissolidbrass.Whenthebullethitsahardbarrier,thefronthalfof
thebulletsmooshesagainstthebarrier,breakingitsothepenetratinghalfofthebulletcangothroughandhitthetarget.
Withtheleadsectionpenetratingthetargetandthebrasssectionfollowing,itwasreferredtoasa"barrierblind"
bullet.[35][97]
OfficiallydesignatedtheMk318Mod0"Cartridge,Caliber5.56mmBall,Carbine,Barrier",andcalledSOST
(SpecialOperationsScienceandTechnology)ammunition,the62grainbulletfragmentsconsistently,evenoutofa
10.5inbarrel.Theleadportionfragmentsinthefirstfewinchesofsofttissue,thenthesolidcopperrearpenetrates18
inoftissue(shownthoughballisticgelatin)whiletumbling.Outofa14inbarrel,theMk318hasamuzzlevelocityof
2,925fps.[35][97]
InFebruary2010,theU.S.MarineCorpsadoptedtheMk318forusebyinfantry.Tobefieldedbyanentirebranchof
themilitary,theroundisclassifiedashavingan"opentip"bullet,similartotheM118LR7.62NATOround.TheSOST
bulletusesareversedrawnformingprocess.Thebaseofthebulletismadefirst,theleadcoreisplacedontopofit,
andthenthejacketingispulleduparoundtheleadcorefrombottomtotip.Conventional,andcheaper,bulletsare
madewiththemethodofthejacketdrawnfromthenosetoanexposedleadbase.Thereversedrawntechniqueleaves
anopentipasabyproductofthemanufacturingprocess,andisnotspecificallydesignedforexpansionortoaffect
terminalballistics.ThePentagonlegallyclearedtheroundsforMarineuseinlateJanuary.TheMarinesfieldedthe
Mk318graduallyandinsmallnumbers.Initialstudiesshowedthatinsurgentshitbyitsufferedlargerexitwounds,
althoughinformationwaslimited.SOSTroundswereusedalongsideM855roundsinsituationswheretheSOSTwould
bemoreeffective.[35][97][98]InJuly2010,theMarinespurchased1.8millionM855A1EnhancedPerformanceRounds,
inadditiontomillionsofMk318roundsinservice,aspartofitsefforttoreplaceitsM855ammo.[99]AsofMay2015,
MarinecombatunitsstilldeploywithamixtureofbothSOSTandM855rounds.[100]

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Astheissueofenvironmentallyfriendlyammogrew,theMarineslookedtoseeiftheMk318'sleadcouldbereplaced
whilestillmeetingspecifications.Theyfoundthatbyreplacingtheleadwithcopperandslightlystretchingthejacket
aroundtocrimpthenoseevenmore,thebullet'sballisticcoefficientincreased.ToavoidvisualconfusionwiththeMk
262round,thebulletwasentirelynickelplatedforasilvercolortheenhancedsilvercoloredcopperjacketed,open
tipmatch,62grainprojectilewasnamedtheMk318Mod1.TheMarineCorpswillmakeadecisionaswhetherto
fieldtheMk318Mod1orM855A1asitsstandardrifleround.[101]

5.6mmGewehrPatrone90
The5.6mmGewehrPatrone90orGP90(5.6mmRifleCartridge90),is
thestandardroundusedbytheSwissmilitaryinitsrifle,theSIGSG550.
ThecartridgeisalsoknownastheCart5,6mm90F(French>Cartouche
pourFusil/Italian>CartucciaperFucile)totheFrenchandItalian
speakingSwissmilitiamen.TheSwissrefertotheroundasthe5.6mmGw
Pat90,althoughitisinterchangeablewiththe5.5645mmNATOand.223
Remingtonround.TheGwPat90roundfiringa4.1g(63gr)FMJbulletis
optimizedforusein5.56mm(.223in)caliberbarrelswitha254mm(1:10
in)twistrate.
TheGwPat90wasdesignedfortheSIGSG550whenitcameinto
productionin1987,replacingtheSIGSG510.Previousexperienceofa
changeinstandardriflehadprovedthatchangingthedistanceoffireforthe
trainingrangeswasmoreexpensivethanthedesignofanewammunitionthis
promptedthedesignofacartridgenominallycapableat300meters.The
cartridgewasalsodesignedtoreducepollutionbycontrollinglead

SwissArmy50roundGwPat90
ammunitionbox.

emissions.[102]Thebulletwasoriginallycladwithanickelalloyjacket,
however,thiswasfoundtocauseexcessivebarrelwear,soin1998the
nickeljacketswerereplacedwithtombacjackets.Inaddition,in1999a
copperplugwasaddedtothebaseofthebullettoaddressenvironmental
concerns.[102]
Theammunitioniscurrently(2009)producedbyRUAGAmmotec,a
subsidiaryoftheRUAGgroup.[103]Theammunitionismanufacturedinthree
variations:thestandardFMJround,thetracerround,andablankround.

SwissArmyGwLspPat90tracer
rounds.

TheFMJcartridgehasaCopperZincalloycaseandusesadoublebasepropellant.Thebulletisa4.1g(63gr)
tombacjacketedFMJprojectilewithaG1ballisticcoefficientof0.331(ICAO)/0.337(ArmyMetro).Theprojectile
containsapproximately95%Pb,2%Sb,3%Cu,andwasdesignedforterminalballisticinstability.Therequired
accuracyforGwPat90ammunitionoutoffactorytestbarrelsis63mm(0.72MOA)for10rounds(100%radius
measurementmethod)outto300m.TheGwPat90cartridgedimensionsareinaccordancewiththecivilianC.I.P.
standardsforthe.223RemingtonC.I.P.chambering.[104]
TheGwPat90isusedbothintheSwissmilitaryandinsportshooting.Theveryhighlevelofindividualtraininginthe
Swissmilitia(everysinglesoldierbearingaweaponhastoshootforqualificationonceayearseeGunpoliticsin
Switzerland)andtheoveralluseoftheGwPat90bythemanySwisscitizenswhoshootincompetitionsandfor
amusementhasresultedinsignificantinputonitsusage.Over1billioncartridgeshadbeenproducedasof2005.

Seealso
5.4539mm
5.842mm
7.6239mm
5mmcaliber
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Express(weaponry)
NATOEPVATtesting
Tableofhandgunandriflecartridges
Listofriflecartridges

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.56%C3%9745mm_NATO

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Furtherreading
StanChrist,"5.56mmNATOAlternatives",SpecialWeaponsMagazine,SemiAnnual#502007,pp.5259.

Externallinks
"brochureon5.56mmF1ballammunitiontoNATOSTANAG4172"
(PDF) .ADIThales.Archivedfromtheoriginal(PDF) on20080721.
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