5.56x45 Nato not an "effective" round?

[imarangemaster]

I am continually amazed t the number of supposed experts and armchair warriors that snub their nose at the 5.56 as not being a good choice for a serious combat weapon.

How many hundreds of thousands of enemy combatants are moldering in their graves since its introduction in combat in Colt's Model 601 AR-15 in 1961. In my LEO career I have seen what an M193 FMJ round can do to human beings. what it does to flesh (at sufficient velocity- over 2600 fps) is amazing. It is especially effective from the 20" barrel that it was designed for, up to 250 yards. Even in a 16" barrel, mustering 3100 to 3150 fps, it is effective to 200 yards. Personally I don't care for the 14.5" barrels, as the effective range really starts to drop.

No, it is not a 7.62x51 (.308), nor is it a sniper rifle. Its intended use is to make live enemy combatants dead or maimed ones. How many combat or self defense engagements (short of the mountains of Afghanistan) occur at distances of 200 yards????? Maybe if you live in Wyoming or Montana and are expecting hoards of Cuban paratroopers to "drop in" a self defense scenario of 100 yards is unlikely.

[chrisf]

I wouldnt want to get shot with it. However from what military folks that i know say to me, I believe them. Alot of them dont like the round.

[imarangemaster]

There is no comparison between the M193 from a 20" barrel and the M855 from a 14.5" barrel. Just doesn't have what it takes to do the long ranges of the wide open spaces of Afghanistan. The 14.5" does OK with the 77 grain OTM Mk 262 Mod 1.

[myk]

I wouldnt want to get shot with it. However from what military folks that i know say to me, I believe them. Alot of them dont like the round.

Yeah, similar people have told me the same about the 5.56 and the 9mm in their Beretta, also...

[imarangemaster]

I'll go along with not liking the 9mm with FMJ!

[Speedpower]

Yeah, similar people have told me the same about the 5.56 and the 9mm in their Beretta, also...

maybe the military folks that told you about how weak the 5.56 and 9mm are not hitting their intended target.

[Springfield45]

It's true. The 50 BMG is the only way to go. If you don't have that anything else will do in a pinch.

[MrPlink]

Its like anything else. It has its pros and cons

[myk]

maybe the military folks that told you about how weak the 5.56 and 9mm are not hitting their intended target.

Lol, maybe. Body armor is fantastic these days but as far as I know a head shot or something to that effect by something like a NERF gun can kill, so who knows. Personally, I wish I had the time in the service to know for myself.

So what's the deal with the "6" numbered calibers? I think I heard someone saying that the US military is considering switching to those in the future?

[artoaster]

Yes, but have you seen the 5.56 NATO's terminal ballistic effects on a zombie?

[peter95]

There are obviously more effective rounds out there, but I wouldn't want to get shot by a 5.56 round regardless.

[kcjr1125]

Yes, but have you seen the 5.56 NATO's terminal ballistic effects on a zombie?

This

[k1dude]

If there weren't weight, size, and cost penalties, our troops would all be fighting with 20mm Vulcan gats.

Of course larger, heavier, and hotter rounds are more effective. But how effective is it to decrease the number of rounds you carry into battle due to weight? It's all a balancing act - you're trying to maximize efficiencies. You want the most effective round for the size and weight as possible. The 5.56 is about as close as you can come for all-around use. Through the history of modern warfare, the side that puts the most lead into the air usually wins. More 5.56x45 is better than less 7.62x39 for the same weight. Our troops would still be running around with .30-06's and .45's if that wasn't the case.

There's always room for improvement though. Unfortunately the wheels of government bureacracies churn slowly - if ever. A case could be made that our troops should be running around with 6.5 Grendel rifle rounds and .357 Sig pistol rounds for the utmost efficiency. But it will likely never happen due to the overwhelming cost of changing over.

[Oneaudiopro]

Hmmm

They actually came up with a little known fix for this problem. They invented this weapon that if the bullet didn't kill you, the muzzle blast would.

[Josh3239]

I wouldnt want to get shot with it. However from what military folks that i know say to me, I believe them. Alot of them dont like the round.

Less all the stories and pictures, my most experienced military friend is a former 2nd Ranger Battalion NCO with 4 tours, when he tells me the 5.56mm f****s people up I believe. Though the pictures of the wounds it creates that come from the Middle East all the way to Mexico does speak for itself.