Poll: 223-5.56NATO-- What are you thoughts?

[hermannr]

When I went into the US Army I first qualified with the M14. Did ok (expert) but never liked the M14. Way to heavy. Then they came out with the M16. Qualified expert with it too, but much easier to shoot, a lot lighter, less recoil. so, when I got back from Vietman, I spent some time as a range master on one of the ranges at Ft Benning. That was in that transistional phase, some were using M14s, some were using M16s. My observation was, about twice as many solders were able to qualify SS or Expert with the M16 as did with the M14. There are a lot of other advantages, like more ammo with less weight, but just more troops qualifing higher, is enough for me.

I am talking your every day basic training grunt, not the marksmanship team OK... IMHO the M16 and the 5.56 round do their job very well. Some of the better shots with more experience handling weapons may do better with a 7.62, but they will be few and far between, then I would prefer a 6.5mm round to a 7.62 any day...personally.

 

[mjbskwim]

I think you posted this a few months back.And having read that again ,I understand why the military uses the round

 

[duran21]

I would grab the 5.56NATO before 7.62x39. part of it is that i am in the army and am use to the 5.56, but it is also a good round.

 

[Lunatic Carcass]

It was the cartridge that made compromises where they could be made and had ballistics that made those compromises permissable in order to carry out it's essential function when it was adopted by the US Military. New, mission specific cartridges have come out recently that have better ballistics for destroying living tissue, but compromise some other aspect of wartime logistics in doing so.

 

[mpmarty]

If it comes down to a choice of 5.56 or throwing rocks it will depend on the range and how many rocks I've got collected.

 

[The Courier]

The complicated systems of most 5.56 rifles is the only draw back i see. i'd rather have a light round that has less drop, AR15's are nice but the gas system needs to be piston driven.

 

[oldbrass]

The 5.56 was designed as a man stopper and it works wonderfully,after 20 years served in the U.S. Army I can attest to that.
The Civilian .223 and the .556 Nato are not identical, do not fire A2 military ammo in your old A1 version,the pressures are to high. Also the NATO is a FMJ and does not expand like a civilian .223 hunting cartridge...I will say shot placement far outways any difference between the 2.

 

[duran21]

way i look at it, if i get an AR-15, it will be rated to fire 5.56NATO because then i can use both.

I was sold on the 5.56 when the Drill SGT put 3 rounds in a pumpkin... the inside was turned to soup!

 

[mjbskwim]

way i look at it, if i get an AR-15, it will be rated to fire 5.56NATO because then i can use both.

I was sold on the 5.56 when the Drill SGT put 3 rounds in a pumpkin... the inside was turned to soup!

I think filling the squash with water will have a lot better effect.

All I know is I have one last batch of brass in the tumbler and about 1200+ pills to fill the 1200 brass I have just tumbled for the last week and a half.
Guess I need to get busy on setting up the new reloader.

 

[Kevatc]

I think filling the squash with water will have a lot better effect.

All I know is I have one last batch of brass in the tumbler and about 1200+ pills to fill the 1200 brass I have just tumbled for the last week and a half.
Guess I need to get busy on setting up the new reloader.

Why did you tumble it for a week and half? After I resize them I just tumble overnight and they are shiny like new.

 

[mjbskwim]

Why did you tumble it for a week and half? After I resize them I just tumble overnight and they are shiny like new.

Hahahahaha
I can't type now hahaha

My tumbler won't hold 1000 brass so I did it about 100 at a time.Changed brass every 12 hours

Now that was funny.