Posts Tagged ‘5.56 NATO’

Surplus Up Your Stash

Everyone should have a well-stocked room for shelter in place operations. While there are the obvious things that everybody needs for their shelter, there are also a few other things you may not have thought about.

Entrenching Tool

Entrenching Tool

What Ever You Do, Don't Call it a Shovel

This thing has so many uses, it’s ridiculous. The obvious use for this handy little device, besides digging of course, is to use it as a weapon. The operator can throw it like a tomahawk, swing it like a club, or use it as a defensive baton. There are entire websites devoted to the art of E-Tool fighting; I wonder how long it takes to get a black belt in Tae Kwon Tool? Aside from fighting, you can use these things as foldable toilets. Guys used to do that when I was in the service. I’m a bit too heavy for that to work, but some guys used them with decent success. An E-Tool makes a great poker for a campfire as well. It is the best way to keep from singing your eyebrows off when you are camping. After you stock up the flames, you can also use it as a camp stool, just tilt the business end 90 degrees, tighten it down, put the handle on the ground and have a seat. It isn’t as comfortable as the living room recliner, but it’s better than sitting on the frozen ground. If you don’t have one of these E-Tools in your SHTF pack, you sir, are unprepared.

NATO Gas Mask Filter

NATO Filter

Drilling a Hole Through These So You Can Smoke in Your Mask is Not Recommended

Have a gas mask? Me too, actually I have several. I spent seven years as a chemical weapons troop in the Air Force, so I know a thing or two about these things. The problem with after market mil-surp masks, isn’t usually the mask itself, it’s the filter. If you don’t have a good filter on your mask, consider yourself hosed. These filters have expiration dates, and once you open the can, the clock ticks a lot faster. Your best bet, if you want to truly stay ready for that chemical, biological, or radiological attack, is to have a fresh filter on your mask ready to go, and change it out regularly. It’s a good idea to have several of these canisters on hand too. Some chemical weapons have canister-breaking properties, in that once contaminated by the agent; you have to throw the filter away almost immediately. Now I know not everybody has access to high-end NBC detection equipment, so you won’t always know what is out there. As a civilian however, you will want to change out your filter regularly no matter what is creeping around in the air.

Military Style Heavy Cot

Military Style Cot

Just Remember These Things Are Meant For One

Having a comfortable place to sleep is something that most people overlook in their SHTF cache. If you are on the move, you may not be able to find a soft warm bed, and nothing is worse than sleeping on the cold ground outside. These cots are the same ones our troops use in the military and they work great. They give your back enough support and keep you off that awful ground. I have slept many nights on cots identical to this one, and I have no complaints. They fold up into a compact enough roll so you can tie them to your backpack, or just throw it in the back of the truck. The rugged material these cots are made of makes these things last a lifetime as well. I’m pretty sure the ones from my old unit were purchased during Vietnam. Now that’s long lasting durability folks!

Testing Finnish gas mask at CTD

Gas Masks Could Save Your Life

Even though chemical weapons have not been used on a large-scale since World War I, the threat still remains of a terrorist assault on our soil using weapon-grade chemical agents. Should some extremist group decide to attack us, be ready to defend yourself with a gas mask.

Alternate Caliber ARs

The .223/5.56 NATO cartridge has proven itself on and off the battlefield for decades. Enemy troops have an almost supernatural fear and respect for the AR platform and the deadly ammunition it fires their way. While the .223 may be one of the best multipurpose cartridges out there, it isn’t the best cartridge for absolutely everything. For this reason, AR manufacturers developed their firearms in a wide array of cartridges both larger and smaller than the widely available .223.

6.8mm SPC

Daniel Defense DDV6.8 Mid Length

Daniel Defense DDV6.8 Mid Length

Designers developed the 6.8mm SPC cartridge to address the deficiencies of the terminal performance of the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge currently in service with the U.S. Armed Forces. The cartridge was the result of the Enhanced Rifle Cartridge program. Participating in the program were U.S. Special Operations soldiers, as well as armorers and other technicians from the United States Army Marksmanship Unit. The development of this cartridge is unusual and interesting in that it was designed by actual shooters in the armed forces, instead of by industry professionals. The goal was to create a cartridge that would bridge the gap between 5.56mm and 7.62x51mm NATO. Daniel Defense built this beauty with a 16-inch cold hammer forged chrome lined heavy barrel with a 1:11-inch right hand twist. The magazine still holds 30 rounds despite the larger caliber. Putting that sweet 6.8 round downrange with this puppy would be more than entertaining!

.243 Remington

ArmaLite AR-10A4

ArmaLite AR-10A4

Sometimes I look at guns and wonder why manufacturers created them to begin with. I admit to thinking the same thing when I saw this one for the first time. What possible advantage could a .243 AR-15 give you over another alternate caliber like the .308? Well, actually, I don’t really know. The .243 is a necked down .308, so you have a very fast and accurate projectile. I suppose recoil would be significantly less than a .308, and the .243 is larger than a .223. It seems to be a decent intermediate cartridge for varmint hunting. Many relatives of mine kill deer with a .243 on a regular basis, so the killing power of the round is not in question. It is probably the smallest round that I would hunt deer with. I’ve heard of many people shooting whitetail with a .223, but I wouldn’t recommend it. For hog hunting down here in Texas, it actually seems pretty useful. Hammering down .243 rounds all night long while ridding my property of those awful critters would be more than exciting. The reduced recoil, compiled with the increased killing power, makes the .243 an interesting choice for an AR cartridge.

.308 Win/7.62 NATO

DPMS Oracle Semi Auto Rifle .308 Win/7.62 NATO

DPMS Oracle Semi Auto Rifle .308 Win/7.62 NATO

If you haven’t fired a .308 out of an AR type rifle, I suggest you try it. It kicks a bit, but that cartridge flies downrange with almost magic accuracy and reliability. The biggest downside to most .308 ARs is magazine capacity. Most of these guns come with a 20 round mag, versus the 30 rounds you get with a .223. A properly configured .308 can hunt most things in North America, while giving you unparalleled performance. There is a reason why most police and military snipers choose the .308 for their sniper rifles. Since its inception in 1952, the .308 Winchester has become the most popular short-action, big-game hunting cartridge worldwide. You can feel confident that thing will bring down almost anything you may encounter on the ranch. I’d like to meet Eugene Stoner, the inventor of the AR platform, and the first guy who had the idea to chamber a AR in .308, and shake his hand. While not ideal for combat due to the decreased ammunition capacity, it is still a hard-hitting, very accurate rifle that is absolutely perfect for varmints, hogs, deer, or any other game you can think of.

.22 Long Rifle

S&W M&P15-22 Standard Semi-Automatic Rifle


Practice, practice, practice. That is the key to being an amazing shooter. Shooting a semi-automatic rifle can be an expensive hobby however. Box after box of .223 ammunition can add up, and fast. What is the best way to save money at the range? Easy, shoot .22 LR instead of .223! The M&P15 rifle line has expanded to include the new M&P15-22. Chambered in .22LR, Smith & Wesson built the M&P15-22 rifle with high strength polymer upper and lower receivers. This creates a reduced weight rifle that retains the looks and operating features of the standard M&P rifle. The new M&P15-22 is a dedicated M&P15-format rifle designed and built as a true .22 LR semi-auto from the ground up, with all the standard operating features and accessory specifications of a modern-version centerfire M&P15 rifle. Don’t have anything but cheap lead ammo? This gun doesn’t care. The magazine and receiver will eat any .22 LR ammunition you can throw at it. This is the best choice for shooting all day long, while still being affordable.

9mm Luger

CMMG M4LE9 Semi Auto Rifle 9mm Luger

CMMG M4LE9 Semi Auto Rifle 9mm Luger

What’s that? You want to fire 32 rounds of 9mm out of an AR style rifle? Yea, we can do that. Ammunition for 9mm is relatively inexpensive, while still being an excellent defensive round. Suppression lovers are a fan on this configuration, as well as SBR owners. In my opinion, my favorite thing about these carbines is that I can take one to the indoor pistol range on a rainy day. Recoil on most of these guns in negligible, and tight groups at 50 yards is easy to pull off. Just remember not to tick off your range officer with rapid-firing this little guy. As far as a defensive set up, this makes sense to me. Who would ever want to take in 32 rounds of 9mm hollow point? That would make one big mess. It’s like carrying two Glocks, but with better accuracy and no need to change mags. A proven defensive round out of a proven defensive platform, I’m in!

One Gun To Rule Them All—Team AR-15

Mike's AR-15

CTD Mike's customized AR-15 carbine

If you had to choose one gun to fill every role that you need a firearm to fill, what would you choose? This question came up at the office the other day and quite a few of us immediately responded with “AR-15 of course.” The others don’t get to explain their reasons for being on Team AR-15, but I do; that’s why my job is awesome. Take a quality 5.56 NATO caliber, 16-inch AR-15 carbine with a red dot and a flashlight, and that gun will be ready for (almost) anything.

Hornady .223 V-Max

A wide variety of quality .223 Remington ammo makes the AR-15 a lethal hunter

Caliber 5.56: Sure you can buy AR-15s in different calibers, but 5.56 is by far the most common and the least expensive choice, and it does get the job done. Per dollar spent I can buy a whole lot more 5.56 than .300 Blackout or 6.8 SPC or whatever whiz-bang caliber they will come up with next week. This means I can train with the gun more often, making me a better shooter. If I own the coolest .458 SOCOM setup you’ve ever seen but I’ve only put 50 rounds through it in the past six months, I’m not as good a shooter as I should be, and I’m not going to be very effective no matter how good the gun is. But what about its terminal effectiveness? What about all those stories about Somalis getting shot and then getting back up in Mogadishu? The truth is, 5.56 has a good track record of stopping power when the velocity of the round is high enough and shot placement is good. The citizens of Iraq and Afghanistan (both friend and foe) view the M4 carbine with almost superstitious respect. One returning soldier said that they think our troops are equipped with “magic death rays”, partially because our guys actually hit their targets and Taliban/insurgent medical capabilities are so poor. Back here in the states, they knocked the 5.56 round for many years as being too small to hunt with, but that’s simply not true. A friend of mine in Missouri has been taking deer every year for over a decade with an old 16-inch Colt A2, and he says new hunting ammo choices available for the past few years make the round more deadly than ever before.

Parts is parts: If I could only have one gun to depend on, I would want to be able to get quality, standardized replacement parts easily and cheaply from a variety of sources. I would also want a high degree of certainty that those replacement parts wouldn’t be needed for a long, long time. A quality AR-15 with a chrome lined barrel gets me both of those things. Everyone likes to talk about how robust the AK-47 is (and yes, it’s an excellent gun), but the AR-15’s design is also very easy on its parts. I like to keep an extractor and extractor spring on hand but honestly I’ve never worn those pieces out, I’m doing it “just in case.” AR-15 parts will last an incredibly long time, especially if you actually bother to maintain them. Here come the AK-47 fans again—what about the legendary reliability of the AK in dirty environments with no cleaning at all? Well, if I suddenly found myself transported to a West African jungle firefight with a muddy weapon, ok, I might opt for an AK, but weapon selection would be pretty low on my list of worries at that point! Fortunately I live in the USA, where we have plenty of gun oil to go around and no shortage of shop rags and paper towels either. Our experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have proven that the AR-15 will run with good reliability even in awful conditions, especially if it is well oiled.

Marine In Iraq

This man is not yelling "Bring me an AK."Trust me on this.

But how does it shoot: I’ve covered caliber, parts availability, and reliability, but those things can be said of a few other guns as well, (the Ruger Mini-14 comes to mind). What sets the AR-15 apart is how it shoots. Even the standard single stage trigger is crisp with a relatively short travel and light pull. You can upgrade the trigger to “amazing” if you want to sacrifice some parts commonality, but a good quality standard one is fine by me. The AR-15’s safety is located in the perfect position to be easily moved both “on” and “off” by the shooter’s thumb or trigger finger. It is the fastest, most intuitive safety on any rifle, and that’s why so many newer designs are now copying it. Correct specification magazines will drop free from the magazine well without having to be pulled out, and the AR-15’s bolt hold open feature and straight-insert magazine design makes reloading faster than any other rifle design. In carbine form, the AR-15 doesn’t weigh much, and a collapsible stock makes the rifle short and compact. A weight of around ten pounds is pretty standard, with a few accessories added. An AR-15 carbine with a 16-inch barrel is a handy, light rifle that can be carried around for hours and then brought into action very quickly. The in-line stock design means that felt recoil is minimal, especially in 5.56 NATO chambering. The last aspect of “how it shoots” is accuracy, and again the AR-15 really shines. Sure, there are heavy-barrel “target” or “varmint hunting” variants built to squeeze maximum accuracy out of the design, but even a standard chrome-lined carbine barrel should hold a group of no more than two inches at 100 yards with quality ammunition. I’ve seen good shooters with hand-loaded ammo and quality scopes hit man-sized targets at 600 yards using good quality 16-inch barrels (if you’re reading this, hi Don!).

The AR-15 is enjoyable and rewarding to shoot. Ammo and parts for it are affordable and easy to get. It has a proven track record with military forces using it in conditions I hope I never find myself in. It is a proven choice for recreational target shooting, self-defense, hunting, competition, and defeating tyrannical governments around the world. It is my heartfelt endorsement for One Gun To Rule Them All.


SCAR Afghanistan

A short-barreled SCAR-L equips one of America's finest, somewhere in Afghanistan

The United States Special Operations Command is using a new 5.56 NATO cartridge, and now the Marine Corps is trying it out as well. Some folks refer to it as the SOST round, others call it the OTMRP round, the phrase “barrier blind ammo” has been tossed around the internet, and the official Navy designation is Mk 318 Mod 0. No matter what name you use, it seems that everyone except the US Army wants to load their rifles with it.

In response to the 9/11 attacks, our country went to war in Afghanistan in the fall of 2001. It didn’t take long for the troops to complain that the 1980s era 62 grain M855 ammo used in their M4A1 rifles was ineffective. In 2002 a big report detailing these problems was written up by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana and sent to the Pentagon. In 2003, America opened a second front in Iraq, and more information began coming in. The new war stories, combined with additional scientific testing, began to weigh on the Pentagon, and in 2005 they issued a formal request to the ammunition industry for “enhanced” ammunition. Intimidated by the complicated military procurement process, nearly every ammo maker in the country turned away. The Federal Cartridge Company was the only business to respond to the government’s request.

The Navwar/Crane and Federal/ATK bunch worked together quickly. This “Special Operations Science and Technology” team knew what they wanted and how to get it. Performance objectives for the new ammo were as follows:

  •  Increased consistency from shot to shot, and from one lot of ammo to another, regardless of temperature changes.
  • Accuracy in an M4A1 rifle always better than 2 minute of angle (2 inches at 100 yards, 3.9 inches at 300 yards).
  • Increase stopping power after passing through “intermediate barriers” like walls and car windshields.
  • Increased performance out of short-barreled carbines such as the FN SCAR, while at the same time decreasing muzzle flash.
  • Keep the cost as close to the old M855 as possible.

It was a tall order, but the first prototype batch of ammo was delivered to the government in August 2007. Increased velocity and decreased muzzle flash were accomplished by tweaking the type of powder used, but the real magic was found in the bullet design. The bullet was named the Open Tip Match Rear Penetrator. The front of it is a hollow point backed up by a lead core, but the lead core only goes about halfway down the length of the bullet; the rear half is solid brass. When the OTMRP bullet hits a hard barrier, such as the windscreen of a car being driven by a suicide bomber, the front half of the bullet smooshes (that’s a technical term) against the barrier, breaking it so the “penetrator” half of the bullet can fly through and hit the target beyond. This “barrier blind” bullet acts like two bullets in one, the second brass bullet flying exactly through the hole made by the first lead bullet.

SOST Round

This cutaway drawing shows the "reverse drawn" open-tip design of the OTMRP bullet. Photo by Federal Cartridge

Special Forces often use modern hollowpoint ammunition forbidden to the rest of the military. They do this by classifying themselves on paper as “counter-terrorist” forces which can follow law enforcement guidelines rather than military law. To be fielded by an entire branch of the military, the new round could not be classified as a hollowpoint by the Pentagon. Federal Cartridge helpfully pointed out to Pentagon lawyers that the SOST bullet uses a new “reverse drawn” forming process. The base of the bullet is made first, the lead core is placed on top of it, and then the jacketing is pulled up around the lead core from bottom to top. They said the bullet isn’t a hollowpoint, it’s an “open tip”, and the reason why the tip is open is just a byproduct of the manufacturing process, and has nothing to do with the terminal ballistics of the bullet’s stopping power in soft tissue. The lawyers bought the explanation, and with a wink wink here and a nudge nudge there, officially classified the new round as “Mk 318 Mod 0″, legal for the military to use according to the laws of warfare. In completely unrelated news *cough*, the round is said to be devastating against bad guys. The front half of the bullet fragments very consistently, creating what has been described as a “snowstorm” of lead in the first few inches of soft tissue. The solid copper rear of the bullet then penetrates around 18” of ballistic gelatin while tumbling. Ouch. The SOST bullets peform this way even with the reduced velocity of a 10.5″ chopped barrel. No wonder the Marines decided to buy “a couple million” rounds of the ammo to try out as part of a 10.4 million round ammo purchase in September 2010.

The only branch of the military not to show any interest in the new round at all is the US Army, which is instead deploying its new M855A1 “Enhanced Performance Round,” also known as the lead-free or “environmentally friendly” round. The Marines also bought 1.8 million rounds of this ammo as part of the same September 2010 order mentioned above. The M855A1 is a solid copper bullet topped with a 19 grain “stacked cone” alloy steel penetrator tip. The Army touts the fact that the M855A1 can penetrate 3/8-inch thick steel at 400 meters and also has “barrier blind” properties. Some observers say that the Army is dead set on buying ammo from the development program it paid for, and won’t buy ammo developed by the Navy no matter how good it might be. Others say that with budget cuts coming soon, the Army is anxious to advertise itself to influential Congress members as the most environmentally friendly branch of the armed forces. Perhaps the Army’s testing has convinced them that M855A1 really is a better round—all we know for now is that they aren’t interested in Mk318 Mod 0.

Interested in trying the SOST round? You can! BVAC makes a round which they advertise as being “Made in the USA to the same specifications as Mk 318 Mod 0”, and Federal has released a civilian version as well under the not-catchy-at-all name AB49. Because an executive order by President Bill Clinton banned the sale of “surplus” American made military ammo, Federal advertises AB49 as “loaded similar to Mk 318 Mod 0.” But lets not kid ourselves the way the government does. In all likelihood there is only one assembly line producing this ammunition for Federal Cartridge. When the assembly line is finished making its allotment of ammo for the government’s order each week, it runs for awhile longer making some extra for public sale. The official government NSN number for the ammo is “FC-10C801-013.” That number is stamped on each cardboard box of Federal AB49. Hint, hint, civilians.

Lake City on Sale!

5.56 NATO Lake City M855 Ammo

5.56 NATO Lake City M855 Ammo

5.56 NATO Lake City M855 Ammo

This is the same ammo issued to our troops. They come pre-loaded on stripper clips for your convenience. Lake City M855 ammunition is some of the best 5.56x45mm (.223 Remington) ammo you can get. It has a 62-grain SS109 Penetrator green-tipped bullet, MIL-SPEC annealed case shoulder, and it is NATO-marked. You get 30 rounds.

Like it? Want it? Buy it! Item: AMM-249









Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family

Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family

Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family

The Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness is a 430-page practical guide to helping you and your family prepare for a real-life disaster event. It has tons of photos and illustrations in an easy to read format. The author, Arthur T. Bradley, is a well-researched Ph.D. NASA engineer who wants to share his knowledge with others. The new second edition of the handbook includes new information on our current economical crisis and information on firearms for personal protection. Bradley states, “The truth is most of us already have plenty of stuff. Rather, it’s our know-how that is seriously lacking.” So arm yourself with the knowledge and survive the next disaster.

Like it? Want it? Buy it! Item: BOOK-160








SureFire 60 Round High Capacity Magazine

SureFire 60 Round High Capacity Magazine

SureFire 60 Round High Capacity Magazine

Don’t be sticker shocked! Can you place value on your life? I would think that 60 rounds should be enough to save your life, your family’s life, your buddy’s life, and the dog. Not only are these mags handy in a defense situation, 3-Gun competitors can shave time off by not having to reload as much during a match.

The 60-round SureFire high-capacity magazine will still fit in a double MOLLE mag pouch. It is compatible with all M16 and AR-15 .223 Remington rifles.

Like it? Want it? Buy it! Item: MAG-097







HK 91 Cetme Pistol Grips Pack of Three

HK 91 Cetme Pistol Grips Pack of Three

HK 91 Cetme Pistol Grips Pack of Three

Since I shocked you with the expensive item, I thought I would offer this three-pack of HK 91 Cetme pistol grips for less than a buck. This is one of the best deals on our Web site. These used, military surplus grips fit Cetme and H&K rifles.

Like it? Want it? Buy it! Item: MGR-305


Ammo Stash

Sig 1911 TacOps and BVAC .45 ACP

A few days ago, Tam (if you’re not reading her blog, you should be) put together a list of the various calibers she keeps on hand to shoot through the various guns in her collection. It’s a pretty extensive list, as it should be for a collector of obscure firearms. My own list is a little more mundane, but it also fits my collection of guns which are all primarily uses for competition and heavy shooting. That means that instead of a lot of different calibers, I have a lot of rounds of just a few calibers. On hand right now are the following calibers: