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« Yet another legal challenge | Main | Seal Team Six rifles »

Military testing new 5.56 projectile

Posted by David Hardy · 12 May 2011 09:37 AM

Story here. The new projectile replaces the lead core with copper. (Heckuva situation when soldiers training for kill or be killed are expected to be environmentally conscious in the process).

I'm a bit skeptical, in that the article doesn't give any ballistics data. With a longer bullet, but needing to keep the same overall cartridge length, there will be less room for powder. A smaller charge and a faster burn would suggest that muzzle energy will fall.

· shooting

7 Comments | Leave a comment

Mike | May 12, 2011 10:09 AM | Reply

More information at the firearmblog.com. Apparently it originally used a tin-bismuth core instead of a solid copper core.


In this
post on accuratehooter.com blog, there is some information about the wunder powder in the comments.


Both this and the Mk318mod0 round seem to push the 5.56 case to the limits, far beyond what we reloaders would consider prudent. Then again, the military isn't interested in reloading :-)


Having seen what a solid copper Barnes TSX can do, I have no doubt this cartridge would be devastating.

SPQR | May 12, 2011 10:36 AM | Reply

I thought they already had a non-lead (tungsten?) ammunition issued?

Phillip | May 12, 2011 2:22 PM | Reply

I believe the ammuition industry has already worked out most of the bugs with the copper ammo (e.g. Barnes), so I expect the 5.56 rounds will work well.

If I understand it correctly, the lead free is primarily for training, as the millions of rounds sent into the ground at some military ranges have leached into groundwater over time (it requires a specific chemistry in the ground, and doesn't appear to happen everywhere). However, given the penetration and punch of the copper ammo, it seems like it would be a good combat round as well.

The tungsten turned out to be a carcinogen that actually leached into groundwater even faster than lead. They bagged that program PDQ.

SPQR | May 12, 2011 5:41 PM | Reply

Phillip, I thought it a stupid idea myself born of the Fed's paranoia about lead but did not realize it had been cancelled.

Letalis Maximus, Esq. | May 12, 2011 7:27 PM | Reply

Barnes all copper bullets ROCK.

Jim D. | May 12, 2011 9:02 PM | Reply

Expensive as Hell. Takes all the fun out of varmint hunting here in CA Condor country.

Rich | May 13, 2011 5:26 AM | Reply

Wasn't it just a few years ago they were compalining about the shortage of copper which was affecting the production of brass. I remember the price of wire and copper pipe went through the roof. So now they want copper bullets?

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