Difference between .223 ammo

[tjefferson]

Is there a big difference between M193, XM193, and Federal, Winchester, insert other brand here, 55gr FMJ ammo?

[chalmitch]

I prefer the 50grain BTHP for use out to 200 yards on G'hogs or 100yards on paper. The Remington bulk pack works well for practice but I prefer the Federal American Eagle for hogs.

Best regards,
chalmitch

[LittleRedToyota]

Is there a big difference between M193, XM193, and Federal, Winchester, insert other brand here, 55gr FMJ ammo?

you have several different questions mixed up in there:

1. Federal and Winchester are brands. I've never used winchester, but my ARs like Federal just fine. the top of the line, imho, is black hills, but it ain't cheap.

2. 55gr FMJ is a type of bullet...it is a Full Metal Jacket bullet that weighs 55 grains. both federal and winchester (and a bunch of other manufacturers) make ammo loaded with 55gr FMJ bullets. not all 55gr FMJ bullets are the same, however.

3. M193 is the US military spec for ammo that is loaded with a certain type of 55gr FMJ bullet...a "boat tail" bullet (so, often this bullet is refered to as 55gr FMJBT). M193 ammo must meet other US military specs as well regarding muzzle velocity, etc. M193 used to be the standard round used by the military, but is has been replaced with the 62gr M855 as the standard round.

4. XM193 is, i believe, just federal's version of M193.

5. you should also learn about the difference between 5.56x45 and .223 calibers. they are nearly identical, but not quite. ARs chambered for 5.56 can also shoot .223. however, it is not safe to shoot 5.56 ammo (like M193) out of ARs chambered for .223.

you could spend hours on google learning about all this. unfortunately, i don't know of one resource that lays it all out there nicely...maybe someone else does and will post it.

[tjefferson]

[QUOTE=LittleRedToyota;288916]you have several different questions mixed up in there:


QUOTE]

I apologize. What I was trying to ask is what is the difference between M193 and just any manufacturer’s brand of FMJ? Not really details of differences in manufacturing techniques or specs, but is there something “special” about M193 that generic FMJ doesn’t have?

[LittleRedToyota]

what is the difference between M193 and just any manufacturer’s brand of FMJ? Not really details of differences in manufacturing techniques or specs, but is there something “special” about M193 that generic FMJ doesn’t have?

well, there isn't really anything "special" about it except that M193 conforms the US military (not NATO as i had erroneously posted above) spec for M193 while other 55gr FMJ loadings may or may not conform to it. (this spec says to use a 55gr FMJ boat tail bullet and also specifies muzzle velocity and accuracy requirements).

does it matter if your ammo comforms to M193 specs? prolly not. boat tail bullets are more stable than flat base bullets. but you can get boat tail bullets in non-M193 loadings as well.

if it goes bang in your AR (or whatever you are shooting it out of) and hits the target with enough accuracy to satisfy you, then that's all that really matters.

as i said above, if price were not an issue, i would choose black hills 55gr FMJ loads. (they don't call it M193...i'm not sure if it meets the spec or not). but i have also run a lot of federal through my ARs without any problems as well. a lot of people use wolf (which is dirt cheap) without any problems.

i have read that some people have had issues with winchester white box being underpowered and, thus, causing short stroking in their ARs. however, i have no experience with WWB, and i always take such reports with a grain of salt (like has the person cleaned their buffer tube...ever).

i have read the same things about about remington UMC 55gr FMJ, but i bought a bunch recently anyway as i have had nothing but good luck with remington UMC 9mm, and i'm pretty confident their .223 ammo will work just fine as well.

i guess it all comes down to what you want to do. if you are looking for the most accurate ammo you can find, you prolly should not even be looking at 55gr. you should prolly be looking at some heavier sierra match kings or something like that (assuming your barrel twist rate is fast enough to stabilize it).

otherwise, i would say just buy a box of something and see how it works. if you want, you could research whether or not the bullet is a boat tail design and what the muzzle velocity is and compare that to the M193 spec (which i'm sure is out there on the internet somewhere).

good luck!

[WellArmedLiberal]

XM193 = federal lake city 5.56 fmjbt 55gr ...the benchmark round...big flash and bang...beautiful lake city brass for reloading

M193 = various brands, e.g. prvi patizan fmj 55 gr

Q3131= winchester usa, fmj 55 gr...annealed neck

M855 = 5.56 fmj steel core 62gr...not usable at some ranges

XM855PD = lake city 5.56 fmj steel core, 62gr...green tips...again not useable at some ranges

M856 = tracer

Wolf = Various former East Bloc imports, e.g. Bosnia, Serbia, Russia...steel case...some finicky highend rifles don't like it...

Bellot & Sellier, PMC & Prvi Partizan are all good practice rounds.

Personally, I'm using Wolf for practice, but have XM855PD and Federal Tactical 64gr SP for SHTF.

Hope some of that was useful!

[Guns4Fun]

If you want mil spec ammo, go with the x/m193. The difference is that it is a full power load. Ammo like federal american eagle is .223 not 5.56 and it moves a little slower. From the limited research i have done, the faster moving 5.56 fragments better than the .223.

For a shtf situation, i'd us the x/m193. For plinking, it doesn't matter. If you are using it to shoot hogs etc, there are better choices out there.

[glockguy68]

ok,my question is,does anyone saw the .223 ammo with polymer shells?,I bought like a 100 rounds of it but haven't fire them yet,a 30 rounder orlite loaded with them,compare to a steel one loaded with brass they're almost half the weight,the boxes are like yellow and the brand is PCA spectrum,polymer cased high pressure ammo 55gr PSP PC22355P,does anybody shot it yet?,at least they are very light,I have a Colt Match Target Lightweight ,223 carbine and in a tactical configuration,and with orlites with polymer ammo feels like a feather,but I got to test the ammo,did someone test it already?......

[Emptymag]

ok,my question is,does anyone saw the .223 ammo with polymer shells?,I bought like a 100 rounds of it but haven't fire them yet,a 30 rounder orlite loaded with them,compare to a steel one loaded with brass they're almost half the weight,the boxes are like yellow and the brand is PCA spectrum,polymer cased high pressure ammo 55gr PSP PC22355P,does anybody shot it yet?,at least they are very light,I have a Colt Match Target Lightweight ,223 carbine and in a tactical configuration,and with orlites with polymer ammo feels like a feather,but I got to test the ammo,did someone test it already?......

GUNRUNNERS OF PA had some at one of our group shoots many months ago.
It would not work in his AR pistol.(Carbon 15?)

He figured it would go well with the lightweight pistol... it wouldn't cycle, or something. Nothing but trouble.
I don't know if he tried it in any other rifles or not, but I've heard negative reports from other sources as well.

[tjefferson]

Thanks littleredtoyota. I appreciate the info. I have been using UMC and Winchester USA for paper punching and I didn't know if 193 was something "special" I should get if the SHTF. From the info I have read, I dont believe I can fire M193 in my Mini-14, but I do plan on buying an AR style (in 5.56)in the near future, so the info is all helpful. Thanks.