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Subject: The truth about the 5.56mm round
TriggaFingaz    1/24/2004 1:51:19 PM
To all infantrymen and gunusers out there , tell me this: is the 5.56x45mm round an effective round or is it so weak that you need more than one shot to drop a man? Some books say that it is absolutely lethal, able to stop one's heart owing to sheer velocity. Other accounts claim that enemy soldiers hit with this round continue charging. Some books claim it will tumble and dig multiple wound channels in the body, detractors claim it drills straight though people but yet has poor anti-material penetration. Which is more accurate? Please specify whether you used M193 or M855 'green tips'.
 
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wagner95696    RE:The truth about the 5.56mm round   5/17/2004 3:19:29 PM
If everyone had adopted .22 rimfires way back then and then continued to use them for the next 40+ years, without replacement, how could they have been considered inadequate? In the beginning the 5.56 was never considered to be a 'general purpose' cartridge. The US kept the 7.62 M-60 'general purpose' machine gun. It is a light assault rifle/LMG round suitable for use against personnel. It is unsuited for long range use materiel, vehicles, etc. but those targets should be addressed by heavier mechanized crew served weapons, not personal infantry weapons.
 
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wagner95696    RE:The truth about the 5.56mm round   5/17/2004 3:23:56 PM
It is also about penetration. A round that produces a large volume from a shallow superficial wound will be less effective than a round that produces a wound of equal volume but which penetrates deeply in order to reach vital organs. The more vital arteries are usually buried deeper than the less vital veins which tend to be shallow and superficial. Likewise the spinal column, assuming most hits are frontal.
 
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Usea50    RE:The truth about the 5.56mm round   5/19/2004 1:48:52 AM
These work and 1 shot will drop someone depending on where they are hit. Many people have survived multiple hits and many have died form one. It really depends on the application. 77 grain (many prefer Nosler) 2750 + velocity 18.5"+ barrel for medium to long range soft targets. M855 for AP applications. Light Ballistic tip 3300fps+ or as fast as you can get them comming out of the barrel for CQB on soft targets. The faster they become unstable the better.
 
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Horsesoldier    RE:Couple of points   5/21/2004 4:11:31 PM
>>One: "Black Hawk Down" I believe that Delta Sgt. Howe was using a special armor-piercing bullet, a hardened dart if you will (black tip, right?) These would obviously penetrate through.<< Not sure. I was under the impression that BHD discussed SS109/M855 green tip, but it may have been the black tip AP round.
 
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interrested 2    RE:The truth about the 5.56mm round   5/21/2004 4:48:48 PM
Two questions 1. Are there DU/WHR 5.56 rounds available? 2.How long are the actual bullets used in the 5.56 mm rifles? So without the casing.
 
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Horsesoldier    RE:The truth about the 5.56mm round   5/23/2004 11:14:41 AM
>>1. Are there DU/WHR 5.56 rounds available?<< Depleted uranium? No.
 
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wagner95696    RE:The truth about the 5.56mm round   5/23/2004 8:42:59 PM
They are .898 inches in length.
 
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wagner95696    RE:The truth about the 5.56mm round   5/23/2004 8:48:30 PM
Don't need a DU bullet. Until now, we have not faced any combatants [infantry] wearing body armor that a conventional steel core bullet can't penetrate. if you hit them in the right place. What some people fail to take into account is that unless the central nervous system is destroyed with a brain/spine shot it can easily take 5-10 seconds for the subject to die from blood loss. The same thing applied during WW2 when we were using the .30-06. Some people have unrealistic expectations based on watching too many 'B' movies.
 
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Ehran    RE:The truth about the 5.56mm round   5/24/2004 7:33:54 PM
would the relevant measure of time be how long it takes them to stop shooting back? once the guy is out of the fight it wouldn't really seem important how long he actually took to expire if ever he did.
 
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towgunner1960    RE:The truth about the 5.56mm round   5/24/2004 11:29:16 PM
I've heard of incidents where someone was fatally wounded and was still able to fight up to the moment of death. Happens all the time in law enforcement...
 
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