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Posted On: 3/9/2021
By: Juan Quintero
A: Hello Juan! The M855 does have a tendency to break in half owing to the nature of its core, which is comprised of two separate pieces (lead and steel). The M193 does indeed fragment at close range as well. Here's a good illustration of its terminal ballistics over various impact velocities: 80percentarms.com/product_images/uploaded_images/test1.1.gif
Basically, I prefer to recommend specialized self-defense 5.56 for home defense – something with a soft point or polymer tip expanding bullet. However, it would be ridiculous to suggest that neither the M855 or M193 is inappropriate for self-defense, as they are both combat cartridges used by the U.S. Armed Forces. Plus the 5.56 is so powerful (with a muzzle energy that is about 4X the minimum recommended for self-defense) that it kind of compensates for any faults in its terminal ballistics.
Please let me know if I didn't cover anything you'd like to know!
Posted On: 3/8/2021
By: Peter Watts
A: Thanks for reaching out Peter! You ask an interesting question. I generally don't recommend FMJ ammo for self-defense because it can't expand inside of soft tissue. Terminal expansion gouges a wider wound channel, transfers more energy outward instead of just forward, and helps prevent overpenetration from injuring innocent bystanders.
That said, this is the same kind of 5.56 ammo the U.S. Army issues for field use with the M16A1 rifle. The Army honors a moratorium on expanding bullets for humanitarian reasons, but you don't have to do the same as far as home defense is concerned. Heck, cops use expanding bullets too. But this ammo would absolutely neutralize a human-sized threat, no question about it. The minumum recommended energy for self-defense is about 220 to 300 ft lbs; this ammo's guaranteed to do at least triple that at close range. Basically, even without terminal expansion the 5.56 is going to neutralize a threat really fast. It's that powerful!
And since the ammo market's a little dry at the moment, you're better off getting some sort of ammo rather than wait for the premium specialized home defense ammo with polymer tip or soft point bullets to reemerge. I've got FMJ ammo in my own home defense rifle as I type this. I'd advise getting some ammo like this (or preferrably the IMI M855 we have in stock, because that type of bullet can split in half during penetration to deliver multiple wound channels) and considering yourself prepared to defend your homestead.
Posted On: 2/11/2021
By: harry cuda
A: Thanks for reaching out Harry! Muzzle velocities do fluctuate depending on the barrel, and even on the individual cartridge, but I can confidently estimate this ammo should give your 16" barrel a muzzle velocity between 2,850 and 3,100 fps.
Posted On: 1/23/2021
By: Beth M Dryden
A: Thank you for reaching out Beth! 5.56x45 is just the fuller name of the cartridge. You may see it referred to as 5.56x45mm NATO, 5.56x45mm, 5.56x45 NATO, 5.56 NATO, or just 5.56, but they're all the same exact thing. And just so you're sure, a rifle chambered for 5.56x45 can also fire 223 Rem (aka 223).
