If you own a 9mm handgun for personal protection, you probably want to know exactly, beyond any doubt, what ammunition will works best if you have to use it. Truly superb stuff, effective out to almost 1000 yards with astounding grouping capability.We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. There is also a much improved 5.56 round for long-range use fielded by the Navy called the MK 262, made by Black Hills using a 70 grain Sierra Match King bullet.
military 5.56mm round is NOT the M855, but the M855 A1 which has a lead-free bullet with penetrator. While the VQI ammo is no doubt good stuff, it probably does not have the extensive manufacturing quality control used by military ammunition manufacturers.īy the way, the latest current U. It would need to have the circle-cross NATO identifier headstamp ONLY were it being procured for actual military use. It can be sold as STANAG-compliant if it meets the basic STANAG requirements. I was at the range several weeks ago with some guys who were shooting the VQI 7.62X51mm round, and it seemed to be satisfactory. On the other hand, the M193 round can be used in any 5.56mm gun. The old 1:12" and 1:14" M16 barrels from the pre-Vietnam and Vietnam-era M16 rifles will not adequately stabilize the 62 grain M855 bullet, as it is too long. The longer and heavier bullet (SS 109) of the M855 round requires a tighter rifling twist (1:9" minimum) to ensure bullet stability. It was given a green tip to distinguish it from the M193 round which had no tip marking. Developed primarily for the FN Minimi (AKA M249 SAW), the M855 round uses a 62 grain bullet with steel penetrator, which later became standard for all 5.56 mm U. It was loaded with a 55 grain FMJ lead-core bullet. The original 5.56 X45mm ammunition for the M16 was called the M193. Never used to even consider keeping that much ammo on hand, but times have changed. Between the Lake City I bought before it went through the roof and the ZQI my 5.56 stash is close to 4,000 rounds. Still buying it semi-regularly and have filled several of the Plano plastic 30 cal ammo boxes. The price is now back to $9.97 and still available here. I bought all in stock from the 3 local stores, thinking it was going to be discontinued. A couple of months ago they marked it down further, to $7.95 a box. I started buying the ZQI every couple of weeks whenever at WalMart. (which may be why it can't have the NATO stamp?) The ZQI powder has a slight ammonia smell when fired and the primers/projectiles do not appear to be sealed. Neither are spectacularly accurate, but shoot minute of milkjug easily. I couldn't differentiate the ZQI from the Lake City M855. I am a casual shooter, don't compete or do training courses where 500 rounds a day are spent. I read somewhere it had to do with some early US-issued rifle barrels having different twist rates than current production, and our allies all adopted the 5.56 round years later when the twist rate was "standardized" American production will always have green tips, Non-USA production, usually doesn't. (10 boxes)Ī lot of NATO 5.56 steel penetrator ammo is made world wide. When Wally World dropped the price on the 30 round boxes of ZQI 5.56x45 ammo to $9.97, I bought a small amount to try. Despite being steel-core, it does not have a painted tip, and the only way you can tell is to put a magnet to it and see.
It also does not have any markings other than "MKE and a 2-number date code". I just think if they were approved, then the head stamp would show the cross +circle like my Lake City penetrators do. This is my opinion and I could be wrong, certainly. Everything I've seen in researching this with my limited resources says this ammo works and shoots great. IT DOES NOT, however, bear a NATO cross & circle head stamp signifying it has been tested and accepted by NATO.Īll this said, I have no doubt they tested it to the MOA and velocity requirements of the particular STANAG, but I see no evidence whatsoever by what they produce as product or by packaging that shows it is a true NATO round. The box DOES say "This high quality ammunition is made to NATO Specifications and Lot tested to assure less than one minute of angle at 100 meters." I was especially curious about the Markings (NATO STANAG 4172) which is supposed to represent a 5.56mmX45mm cartridge with an SS109 penetrator (steel core) plug (or a US designation for SS109 being M855). I ran into this at WM and did some checking.
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