5.56 TRACER How do you load?

[JackFrost]

I recently started purchasing bulk boxes of 5.56 tracer and was all excited to start stuffing it into Pmags! So I got about 20 mags loaded and realized, HEY dummy you have no idea what the heck you are doing!! Obviously I am not trying to imitate a mini gun or "other" type of weapon that fires at a high rate of speed but from what little I do know tracers are loaded between every 2-3 rounds of "standard ammo.

My question is, how do you guys load it, if at all? Do you stagger them between M855? Do you load a full mag of tracers and call it good? Or do you even see a practical use for tracer in 5.56 since most tracers rounds are used to "walk" your rounds onto your target correct? Or for night ops so you can see what the bullet trajectory is? Obviously the rate of fire for a non class 3 weapon or civii available AR is significantly less. I have probably 800 rounds of tracer and I would think that there is a very practical purpose for them at some point!! SHTF etc etc........ Your "non confrontational" opinion is appreciated!!!!!

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[Nwcid]

In belt fed loadings tracers are every 5th round. I have often heard it said that in Vietnam many guys would load 2 tracers near the bottom of the mag so they would know when they were almost out of ammo.

Just be very aware that tracers can and will start fires. If you start a fire with one you will be liable for the damages. Many public ranges will not allow them.

I have a bunch and they are fun. Generally just get used for celebrating New Years.......

 

[JackFrost]

In belt fed loadings tracers are every 5th round. I have often heard it said that in Vietnam many guys would load 2 tracers near the bottom of the mag so they would know when they were almost out of ammo.

Just be very aware that tracers can and will start fires. If you start a fire with one you will be liable for the damages. Many public ranges will not allow them.

I have a bunch and they are fun. Generally just get used for celebrating New Years.......

I have no plans to use them other than a survival or "desperate" situation. They are not cheap and IMHO will become non existent in the very near future. But thank you for the warning. That would suck to start a fire on a range or on public land because you were being careless and not paying attention!

 

[iusmc2002]

We loaded them every other one in the lead mag, with 4-5 straight at the bottom of the lead. Subsequent mags got one every 3-4 rounds. Depending on how many we had on hand.

 

[AMProducts]

Just to reiterate... tracers start fires, in a flooded rock quarry in the midst of a torrential rainstorm.

That said, there are some advantages and disadvantages to tracer ammunition, a key disadvantage is they work both ways, if you load them just as the last few rounds in your mag, now you and everyone else know it, or should at least get that idea after a mag or two exchanged. Also, if you are in a situation where you need accurate repeatable shots, tracers typically do not perform as accurately as standard ball ammo. I have regularly seen them go corkscrewing through the air.

My suggestion is to use them strictly where you need to take advantage of the actual effect of tracers: starting fires, or directing fire, or drawing fire.