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4/23/2007 8:39:31 AM EDT
Why is it I see no discussion of frangible ammo in 5.56/.223?  Nothing in the Oracle, or in any search I can utilize.

What's the hive say?  Good/Bad/Indifferent?

Particularly I'm looking at the frangible ammo offered by ammoman.com.  Certainly not the cheapest out there, but seems like a great home defense load...
4/23/2007 8:41:14 AM EDT
[#1]
Frangible is good for one thing only - reducing ricochets associated with traditional bullets. They will not perform well in a SHTF situation.
4/23/2007 10:51:07 AM EDT
[#2]
Zhukov,

please explain why they won't perform in the SHTF situation?
4/23/2007 11:07:48 AM EDT
[#3]
They don't expand, acting like FMJ.

What makes you think these make good performers?
4/23/2007 11:12:44 AM EDT
[#4]

Quoted:
Zhukov,

please explain why they won't perform in the SHTF situation?


Because they are frangible.
4/23/2007 11:16:36 AM EDT
[#5]
Comment from http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca after testing with ballistic gelatin:


Formed by compressing powdered metals and binders in a die and then "sintering" (holding at high temperature), these lead free bullets are designed for close range training on steel targets. These types of bullets are intended to break apart in to extremely small fragments (dust) upon striking a hard target, and our experience training on steel is that they do exactly that. We have also tested them on gyprock, typical construction gyprock, and gelatin and can say with a large degree of confidence that none of these media are hard enough to cause bullet fragmentation. Quite to the contrary of public opinion, in typical target media these bullets behave more like Full Metal Jacket bullets.
4/23/2007 11:21:19 AM EDT
[#6]

Quoted:
please explain why they won't perform in the SHTF situation?


The frangibles that ammoman sells are top quality.  I would certainly not want to get shot by one.  But I wouldn't use it for defensive purposes.

I have shot them into water jugs, and the fragments barely penetrate the backside of the gallon.  They will go thru 2X4s and plywood easily without fragmenting.  They will nearly penetrate 1/4" mild steel that a pistol round will splatter off of.

If you shot someone with a frangible, I'd suspect that it would deliver a nasty, but shallow wound.

4/23/2007 1:21:28 PM EDT
[#7]

Quoted:
Why is it I see no discussion of frangible ammo in 5.56/.223?  Nothing in the Oracle, or in any search I can utilize.

What's the hive say?  Good/Bad/Indifferent?

Particularly I'm looking at the frangible ammo offered by ammoman.com.  Certainly not the cheapest out there, but seems like a great home defense load...


When I went to a LEO expo a while back I talked to the rep from the company. The main advantage is training with steel plates at point blank range. Most things around the house are not hard enough to cause disintegration. Except for this type of training I'd stick to a good hollow point.
4/24/2007 6:45:31 AM EDT
[#8]
Well there you go.  I learned something today.  I think many folks believe frangible bullets to be safe to fire in a home without worrying about the backstop.  In other words they expand and disinegrate when they hit the dry wall.  So, to me it is interesting that these maintain their integrity and will penetrate wood and gyprock but disintegrate when they hit hard steel.

I never really thought they were good performers.  Actually I never really thought much about them until reading this thread.
4/24/2007 11:10:09 AM EDT
[#9]

Quoted:
Well there you go.  I learned something today.  I think many folks believe frangible bullets to be safe to fire in a home without worrying about the backstop.  In other words they expand and disinegrate when they hit the dry wall.  So, to me it is interesting that these maintain their integrity and will penetrate wood and gyprock but disintegrate when they hit hard steel.

I never really thought they were good performers.  Actually I never really thought much about them until reading this thread.


For future reference, I would HIGHLY doubt that frangible ammunition would disintegrate upon striking drywall. The only reason I say I would HIGHLY doubt instead of "it will not" is that I haven't tried it.

Sheetrock won't stop anything.
5/14/2007 7:53:16 PM EDT
[#10]
because this is the only rifle ammo that is allowed at my indoor range.
5/15/2007 3:29:55 AM EDT
[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
please explain why they won't perform in the SHTF situation?


The frangibles that ammoman sells are top quality.  I would certainly not want to get shot by one.  But I wouldn't use it for defensive purposes.

I have shot them into water jugs, and the fragments barely penetrate the backside of the gallon.  They will go thru 2X4s and plywood easily without fragmenting.  They will nearly penetrate 1/4" mild steel that a pistol round will splatter off of.

If you shot someone with a frangible, I'd suspect that it would deliver a nasty, but shallow wound.




Lets do some tradeing

I would like to try a box or 20rds

m193
M855
BH 75

5/15/2007 5:14:45 AM EDT
[#12]
I bought some & tried it a few months ago.  The accuracy was OK to 25 yards, but opened up a lot @ 50 yds, but at 100yds it would literally be all over a 4'x8' backstop.  I stapled up clean paper all over the backstop to find out what was going on.
Tried it in a couple of other ARs & it did the same.
I traded it off to an ammo vendor @ a gun show for some .308 SA.
5/15/2007 5:28:44 AM EDT
[#13]
I've never tested this stuff for accuracy since that's not really what it's for.

Maybe I'll give it a try this weekend.  I only have access to one barrel that has a 1/7 twist though...   and it's an 11.5 incher.
5/15/2007 8:27:54 AM EDT
[#14]
The bullets in the frangible ammo that ammoman is selling are long enough that they probably will stabilize best in a 1-in-7" twist barrel...
5/15/2007 8:57:58 AM EDT
[#15]

Quoted:
The bullets in the frangible ammo that ammoman is selling are long enough that they probably will stabilize best in a 1-in-7" twist barrel...


Exactly.  They're about as long as M856.
5/15/2007 10:20:42 AM EDT
[#16]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The bullets in the frangible ammo that ammoman is selling are long enough that they probably will stabilize best in a 1-in-7" twist barrel...


Exactly.  They're about as long as M856.


Markm  I read some place that ammo or some like it had alot of pressure
Have you had any FLAT primmers

I might have to give Eric a call
5/15/2007 10:22:30 AM EDT
[#17]

Quoted:
I bought some & tried it a few months ago.  The accuracy was OK to 25 yards, but opened up a lot @ 50 yds, but at 100yds it would literally be all over a 4'x8' backstop.  I stapled up clean paper all over the backstop to find out what was going on.
Tried it in a couple of other ARs & it did the same.
I traded it off to an ammo vendor @ a gun show for some .308 SA.


Long bullet since no lead
5/15/2007 10:24:47 AM EDT
[#18]
I bought a case from ammoman a while back. Shoots just fine from my 1/8 armlite. I have found 1 flat primer, but no other obvious signs of overpressure. I still have a few bando's if you want to try some FMJ.
5/15/2007 10:38:27 AM EDT
[#19]

Quoted:

Markm  I read some place that ammo or some like it had alot of pressure
Have you had any FLAT primmers



They're all FLAT as PANCAKES.  I've never had any blown primers though.
5/15/2007 11:55:16 AM EDT
[#20]

Quoted:
They don't expand, acting like FMJ.

What makes you think these make good performers?
cuz ammoman says so
5/17/2007 7:33:18 PM EDT
[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
please explain why they won't perform in the SHTF situation?


The frangibles that ammoman sells are top quality.  I would certainly not want to get shot by one.  But I wouldn't use it for defensive purposes.

I have shot them into water jugs, and the fragments barely penetrate the backside of the gallon.  They will go thru 2X4s and plywood easily without fragmenting.  They will nearly penetrate 1/4" mild steel that a pistol round will splatter off of.

If you shot someone with a frangible, I'd suspect that it would deliver a nasty, but shallow wound.




Lets do some tradeing

I would like to try a box or 20rds

m193
M855
BH 75



Hey FMJ i have some if you want to trade.
5/18/2007 3:19:00 AM EDT
[#22]
I thought ERICS ammo came in t box only  plus ammo CAN

I only want a box
5/18/2007 11:16:17 AM EDT
[#23]
Yeah, it came in the green ammo can with with white boxes inside. I broke it down like i do with all my ammo and put it on stripper and in bandoliers.  I might have 1 box i left aside just for collecting.
5/18/2007 11:21:52 AM EDT
[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
They don't expand, acting like FMJ.

What makes you think these make good performers?
cuz ammoman says so




GEN-YOU-WINE Vietnam bringback!
5/18/2007 1:41:14 PM EDT
[#25]
We've used fangible ammo in the Air Force in both the 5.56mm and 9mm loadings.  I refuse to shoot that crap!  When I went to cop school, a fellow TDY student had a squib load 9mm frangible on the range.  When I went to CATM school, I had an M-4 blow up on me firing 5.56mm frangible.  One of our units here at Hurlburt Field had a couple M-4s blow up firing frangible when they were down South that I had to take apart to find out what went wrong.  Another CATM instructor I have in my squadron was working at Pope AFB and he relates similar stories of squib loads and over-pressure loads in a lot of the frangible ammo they've fired as well.  Federal is our manufactuer for frangible ammo and while I think the DODIC for the 9mm frangible is AA36, I know the DODIC for the 5.56mm frangible is AA40.  In either case, I'm not shooting that stuff through any of my weapons!
5/18/2007 1:45:10 PM EDT
[#26]

Quoted:
We've used fangible ammo in the Air Force in both the 5.56mm and 9mm loadings..............In either case, I'm not shooting that stuff through any of my weapons!


Ditto! That's what we used to qualify with before the deployment. Now i know training weapons are normally beat to hell. But holy cow. These suckers were majorly fooked up. Frangible is useless to me.
5/18/2007 5:46:26 PM EDT
[#27]
I've shot maybe 5K of the ammoman frang. I like it 'cause its leadfree and I'm in a bind on avoiding lead. Good news is its available. Bad news is accuracy beyond 50yds is awful. At 50yds. get a good 3in group and then one tumbles and its a foot away.
If you want to shoot steel at 25 great stuff. otherwise not very useful.
Also its hot...
j
5/20/2007 11:25:45 AM EDT
[#28]

Quoted:
We've used fangible ammo in the Air Force in both the 5.56mm and 9mm loadings.  I refuse to shoot that crap!  When I went to cop school, a fellow TDY student had a squib load 9mm frangible on the range.  When I went to CATM school, I had an M-4 blow up on me firing 5.56mm frangible.  One of our units here at Hurlburt Field had a couple M-4s blow up firing frangible when they were down South that I had to take apart to find out what went wrong.  Another CATM instructor I have in my squadron was working at Pope AFB and he relates similar stories of squib loads and over-pressure loads in a lot of the frangible ammo they've fired as well.  Federal is our manufactuer for frangible ammo and while I think the DODIC for the 9mm frangible is AA36, I know the DODIC for the 5.56mm frangible is AA40.  In either case, I'm not shooting that stuff through any of my weapons!


Wow!  I've heard these reports before.  I wonder if the ammo is the same 5.56 that ammoman sells...

I've shot plenty of it with no issues of any kind.  Next shoot I plan to test for accuracy for the hell of it.  I forgot to do that this weekend.
5/20/2007 11:55:49 AM EDT
[#29]

Quoted:

Wow!  I've heard these reports before.  I wonder if the ammo is the same 5.56 that ammoman sells...


Stuff i used wasn't. looked the same, different packaging and headstamps.
6/3/2007 5:16:44 AM EDT
[#30]

Quoted:
I bought some & tried it a few months ago.  The accuracy was OK to 25 yards, but opened up a lot @ 50 yds, but at 100yds it would literally be all over a 4'x8' backstop.  I stapled up clean paper all over the backstop to find out what was going on.
Tried it in a couple of other ARs & it did the same.
I traded it off to an ammo vendor @ a gun show for some .308 SA.


Well..  I finally remembered to bring some out and do an accuracy check.  At approximately 100 yards, out of a borrowed 11.5" - 1/7 carbean (since I don't run any 1/7 barrels, I had to use a buddy's gun)  I shot a 3 round group.  I only shot 3 cuz this ammo is a little expensive to replace, and I don't want to waste is shooting at distance.



I only wish I could get this kind of accuracy with M193 from a carbean sight radius.
6/8/2007 11:24:37 AM EDT
[#31]
Thanks for the test results. If I ever get back to my outdoor range  , I will try a 200yd and 300yd test. Probably won't be for a while.
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