Re: Low Tech Scenarios

You are using the wrong terminology because the NATO designation just
means it is a standard size for all NATOP weapons, like 9mm NATO ball or
7.62mm NATO ball. If any of you guys are in the military (don't know
about Aussies though) just look on the side of any ammo can when you goi
to the range. I did negelect to mention that there is a AP round for the
5.56mm that we use in the SAW. This is probably the round that you are
talking about. It has a black colored tip.

John Skelly wrote:

> There are two types of rounds.  The ball round refers to a copper
> jacket
> with a lead core.  The NATO (I may be using wrong terminology, it's
> what
> we called it) round has a copper jacket with steel penetrator at the
> front of the round with a lead tail.	I don't know the exact ratio of
> lead to steel.  From outside appearances it would look the same
> (copper).
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Los [SMTP:los@cris.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 1998 6:37 PM
> > To:   FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
> > Subject:	  Re: Low Tech Scenarios
> >
> >
> >
> > John Skelly wrote:
> >
> > > They used ball in Somalia.  That could have a lot to do with the
> > lack of
> > > man stopping.  The NATO round, from what I've read and been
> taught,
> > is a
> > > much better round having a steel/lead core.
> >
> > There's some confusion here. The term "Nato" is used with ball. If
> you
> > look
> > on the side of any military ammo can you will see it says  5.56mm
> NATO
> > ball
> > or 7.62mm NATO ball.) It's not a seperate type of round. There only
> is
> > 5.56mm ball. Which is a jacketed round. (Yes there is also tracer).
> > The
> > green tipped that someone referred to has the same bullet. The only
> > difference is that it is for use with the M16A2 and M4 carbine as
> > opposed to
> > the M16A1. Different grain load out.
> >
> > As far as problems with stopping power with the 5.56mm: I never
> heard
> > or saw
> > a problem with stopping power. In fact the 5.56mm due to it's
> velocity
> > and
> > tumbling creates a special type of horrific wound. Saw one guy shot
> in
> > the
> > ass who had it come out the front of his throat. Yeesh. I was not on
>
> > the
> > Somalia op but have many friends & colleagues that were. Didn't hear
>
> > of a
> > single instance where a 5.56mm round failed to rip apart one of them
>
> > skinny
> > bastards. And who fires only one round?
> >
> > The only problem you get into with 5.56mm is in it's use with SAW.
> > It's a
> > little light for a MG round when you are firing at vehicles. At
> longer
> > ranges it doesn't have the penetration of 7.62mm Heck even at short
> > range
> > 100-200m you can punch holes in a BMP with an M60 or MaG58 (well
> > depending
> > on where you hit it also) that you can't do with a SAW.