The report states that the gas exhausted from the rifles contained high levels of copper and zinc which account for all the symptoms suffered by the riflemen. A few, quite comical, short term solutions have been recommended. These include only shooting outside, slower rate of fire and spacing the shooters out more when at the range!Because those are always choices that you can get when engaged in a real fire fight. Guns and Ammo takes a critical look at the M855A1;
[T]he reason it shoots flatter is because they’ve juiced the round up so that it will fly at 3,100 fps. This would be a great achievement except for the fact that they did it by increasing the chamber pressure from 55,000 psi to 63,000 psi. That’s a number closely approaching proof-load pressures.
[...]
This means that not only are parts going to wear out at a much higher rate (which is already is an issue with the M4), but if, God forbid, there is any bullet set-back, the number of M4s reportedly going “high order” (i.e., blowing up) should increase exponentially.
[...]
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the new round cuts barrel life by almost 50 percent…
"But it's GREEN!" Etc. ad Bullshit.
Much like the Navy paying about 5x the price of oil fuels for 'biofuel'. At a time when their budgets are in the toilet.
Except this stands the distinct possibility of getting troops killed(as if that mattered to this administration and the politicians in uniform).
223 Rem has a 55k psi max. 5.56x45 has always had a 63k psi max.
ReplyDeleteSolid copper over steel doesn't compress very good compared to the old lead core M855. Of course this will be a decrease in barrel life. From about 15,000 to 7,500 maybe. That means nothing to SOCOM and very little to the regular army, where even 500 rounds a year would be pushing it for the average Infantryman.
The M4 is a 3 minute weapon. The throat gauge will get swallowed long before the accuracy goes to crap from a shot out barrel. Once the throat gauge says it is time to rebarrel, it is time to rebarrel.
Screw the environment, I'm just happy to have a round that isn't yaw dependent for lethality.