Does the military use M855A1?

The M855A1, a 5.56 mm Ball ammunition, is an enhanced performance round for today’s combat and training environments. The Army plans to replace its entire inventory of M855 rounds with the M855A1 round.

What is the M855A1 made of?

The M855A1 (right) is manufactured from a copper jacket, steel arrow head core with a copper plug. The M855A1 projectile fit the Army requirement for a “green” projectile that does not have any lead. This creates a much more expensive projectile.

Is M855A1 tungsten?

The M855A1 cartridge is actually the Army’s fourth version of a lead-free 5.56 mm projectile, capping a 15-year effort that quite likely consumed $100 million. That projectile employed a high-density composition of powdered tungsten, a polymer binder and a metallic or synthetic fiber within a gilding metal jacket.

Who manufactures the M855A1?

ATK has begun full rate production on the U.S. Army’s new M855A1 5.56mm Enhanced Performance Round (EPR) [See “New U.S. Army 5.56 Rounds Head to Afghanistan,” – June 30, 2010].

Is M855A1 green tip?

The U.S. Army replaced its green-tipped 5.56×45 mm NATO, M855 standard ball cartridge in June 2010 with the lead-free, or “green,” M855A1 cartridge. The cartridge’s tip is bronze-colored, which is actually an anti-corrosive coating on its hardened steel penetrator.

What is the difference between the M855 and M855A1?

The M855 (left) consists of a copper jacket, steel penetrator core and lead plug. The M855A1 (right) is manufactured from a copper jacket, steel arrow head core with a copper plug. The M855A1 projectile fit the Army requirement for a “green” projectile that does not have any lead. This creates a much more expensive projectile.

How effective is the M855A1 at penetrating hard steel?

Clearly the M855A1 is superior in hard steel penetration going approximately half way through the armor plate. To that right is the M995 Armor Piercing round which completely penetrated the steel.

What are the parts of a M855A1 projectile?

Looking at the cross sections you are able to see that both projectiles are made up of three components. The M855 (left) consists of a copper jacket, steel penetrator core and lead plug. The M855A1 (right) is manufactured from a copper jacket, steel arrow head core with a copper plug.

Is the M855A1 really superior to The M995 armor piercing?

Bottom left is the M855A1. Clearly the M855A1 is superior in hard steel penetration going approximately half way through the armor plate. To that right is the M995 Armor Piercing round which completely penetrated the steel. The Army claims that the M855A1 round is superior in terminal performance. They claim that the M855A1 is not yaw dependent.