Details
Looking for 5.56x45 M855 ammunition? Don’t let the “XM855F” printed on this ammo’s packaging lead you astray. “X” means it’s meant for sale to the commercial market instead of destined for the U.S. Armed Forces, and “F” just indicates the way it’s packaged. This is the real deal, courtesy of Federal Premium!
This cartridge’s 62 grain projectile is an FMJBT: full metal jacket to ensure smooth feeding into a semi-auto’s waiting chamber, boat tail to produce a flatter trajectory downrange. What really makes the M855 round’s bullet special is what’s beneath the tip of its jacket: a seven-grain solid steel “penetrator” core. Its steel component is why the M855 projectile is able to reliably penetrate sheet metal hundreds of yards downrange, and we’re sure you can appreciate why our military appreciates that kind of performance. Under optimal conditions the M855 projectile also has a good chance of breaking in two as it penetrates its target.
If you just want to fire this American-made ammo at the range, we’re right behind you. As you may already have surmised, the M855 bullet will attract a magnet. Not all commercial ranges allow “magnetic” bullets, so plan ahead. The M855 bullet will also probably damage a steel target, and its very best accuracy can only be realized with a 1:9” or 1:8” barrel twist. But so long as you’re not sharpshooting over long ranges, a different rate of twist will serve you well!
This is new production, noncorrosive, Boxer-primed, reloadable and brass-cased ammo. Military grade brass cases such as this ammo’s are heat treated for greater suppleness and better functionality, but they aren’t given a cosmetic polish afterward. It will not affect performance, so don’t worry that this ammo’s new cases a little less pretty than usual!
This cartridge’s 62 grain projectile is an FMJBT: full metal jacket to ensure smooth feeding into a semi-auto’s waiting chamber, boat tail to produce a flatter trajectory downrange. What really makes the M855 round’s bullet special is what’s beneath the tip of its jacket: a seven-grain solid steel “penetrator” core. Its steel component is why the M855 projectile is able to reliably penetrate sheet metal hundreds of yards downrange, and we’re sure you can appreciate why our military appreciates that kind of performance. Under optimal conditions the M855 projectile also has a good chance of breaking in two as it penetrates its target.
If you just want to fire this American-made ammo at the range, we’re right behind you. As you may already have surmised, the M855 bullet will attract a magnet. Not all commercial ranges allow “magnetic” bullets, so plan ahead. The M855 bullet will also probably damage a steel target, and its very best accuracy can only be realized with a 1:9” or 1:8” barrel twist. But so long as you’re not sharpshooting over long ranges, a different rate of twist will serve you well!
This is new production, noncorrosive, Boxer-primed, reloadable and brass-cased ammo. Military grade brass cases such as this ammo’s are heat treated for greater suppleness and better functionality, but they aren’t given a cosmetic polish afterward. It will not affect performance, so don’t worry that this ammo’s new cases a little less pretty than usual!
Product Question and Answer
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Q: What is the speed of this round? 3200fps or higher?
Posted On: 2/9/2012 By: Danny
A: Federal states that this XM855 ammo should have a muzzle velocity of 3100fps from a 20" M16 or AR-15. From a 16" AR-15, you can expect velocities of approximately 2950fps. If you want 5.56 ammo with a muzzle velocity of 3200fps or higher, you should check out Federal XM193.
Q: Besides the packaging, what is the main difference between "American Eagle" made by Federal, and ammo packaged in a "Federal" box? This of course comparing the 5.56 in 62 gr. for each, do I get better quality with one over the other?
Posted On: 10/19/2011 By: Jack
A: Often, the ammunition inside is exactly the same. American Eagle ammunition is oriented towards sales to non-government/nonmilitary people, while the ammunition packaged in brown boxes labeled Federal is sometimes meant for sale to government agencies or military units. However, both ammunition types are generally made to the same exact standards and could be considered the same level of quality. Sometimes, contract overruns mean that both types of ammunition are readily available on the market.
Q: Is this ammo on stripper clips or loose? The description does not state which one it is.
Thanks,
Mike
Posted On: 9/28/2011 By: Mike
A: As stated in the description, this ammo comes in 20 round boxes. The full case has 25 boxes of 20 rounds each for a total of 500 rounds.
Q: I live in CA and was wondering if the Steel Core Ammo is legal here.
Posted On: 9/28/2011 By: Brandon
A: Technically, this is not steel core ammo. It has a hardened steel penetrator in the forward portion of the projectile, and is legal for sale in California.
Q: What is the difference between a steel core and a copper core?
Posted On: 9/28/2011 By: Anonymous
A: Most ammo has a lead core with a copper jacket. This is an economical way of producing bullets that also offer good performance for a wide variety of situations. Steel core, or steel penetrator like this M855, ammo is meant to defeat armored targets at various distances, but is not as cheap to produce except on a massive scale. Solid copper ammo is meant for hunting or other situations where lead in projectiles is either not wanted or not allowed by law.
Q: These look the same as the ones I used in the military. Are they the exact same rounds?
Posted On: 9/27/2011 By: John
A: They are essentially the same, and this is about as close as you can get to genuine Lake City M855 ammo without reenlisting.