5.56 × 45 mm NATO

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5.56 × 45 mm NATO
Cartridge (ammunition) caliber 5.56 × 45 mm NATO (Cartridge cal .223 Remington)
general information
caliber 5.56 × 45 mm NATO
(.223 Remington )
Sleeve shape Bottle neck
sleeve , rimless with pull-out groove
Dimensions
Sleeve shoulder ⌀ 9.00 mm
Sleeve neck ⌀ 6.43 mm
Floor ⌀ .224 inch / 5.69 mm
Cartridge bottom ⌀ 9.60 mm
Sleeve length 44.70 mm
Cartridge length 57.40 mm
Weights
Bullet weight 3.56-3.95
(civil from 2.60 to 5.80) g
Powder weight 1.62 g
total weight 11.20 g
Technical specifications
Speed ​​v 0 Max. approx. 1,200 m / s
Bullet energy E 0 approx. 1,800 yrs
Lists on the subject

The 5.56 × 45 mm cartridge is a medium cartridge with a small projectile. It was the first cartridge of its kind to be introduced into the military on a large scale. The advantage of this type of ammunition lies primarily in the reduced recoil, in the trajectory stretched by the higher speed and in the lower weight and smaller dimensions, which enables the soldier to carry more ammunition with him. The 5.56 × 45 mm NATO cartridge has been a NATO standard since 1980 ( STANAG 4172) and is fired with most current western assault rifles .

Depending on the subject, the 5.56 × 45 mm cartridge is also known as the .223 Remington . This mostly happens in the civilian sports and hunting sector, where the two terms are interchangeable depending on the country. In historical terms, .223 Remington is often used to designate the early stage of the cartridge before it was introduced by the US Army . The designations are also often used synonymously for the bullet shape, with .223 Remington referring to the M193 bullet and 5.56 × 45 mm to the SS-109.

development

5.56 × 45mm NATO ammunition with projectile , cartridge case and complete cartridge
3D model
3D model
Dimensions of the 5.56 × 45 mm NATO cartridge, dimensions in mm (illustration not to scale)

After the Second World War, the military needed new light weapons, including the M1 Carbine carbine or the Thompson submachine gun , whose .30 Carbine and .45 ACP ammunition only proved to be particularly effective at close range. So the development of new weapons - for example based on the principle of the German assault rifle 44 , whose name became a synonym for the new generation of weapons - went hand in hand with the development of new ammunition. The requirements for this were typically lower weight, sufficiently stretched trajectory for an effective range of around 300 m, controllable bursts of fire and lower production costs. The medium assault rifle caliber 7.92 × 33 mm was created in Germany during the war and influenced post-war developments around the world. While a similar caliber ( 7.62 × 39 mm ) was created on the Soviet side in 1943 , various test cartridges similar to the later 5.56 mm caliber were already being made in Europe.

Starting in 1957, the 5.6 × 43 mm ( .222 Remington ) cartridge was used as the starting cartridge for further development . The rimless bottle neck sleeve has been lengthened and the powder compartment enlarged. New propellants and projectiles were also used.

The demand for a lighter cartridge and also for lighter weapons was due not least to logistics. Starting with the manufacturer, through ammunition depots, stage depots, up to the three-day equipment of the soldier, the weight of the ammunition puts a strain on logistical performance. The 5.56 × 45 mm caliber cartridge weighs less than half of the standard .30 caliber cartridges. Due to the increasing use of semi-automatic and automatic weapons in the battlefield, ammunition consumption increased in relation to the previously common multi-loading rifles (rifles and carbines) with 5-round loading strips and magazine boxes . By halving the cartridge weight, soldiers could now carry more ammunition with them or travel with lighter luggage - depending on the task and mission.

The demand for a higher performance of the ammunition related primarily to the smaller weapons of the US Army , the M1 Carbine and the Thompson submachine gun. The cal .30 carbine cartridge used in the M1 Carbine came from a development for handguns and the Thompson cal .45-ACP cartridge was the standard cartridge for the US Army handgun, the M1911 A1 Government, both of which had several 100 meters away were unsuitable due to lack of precision and did not have a good barricade breaking effect in close combat. The lighter bullets of the 5.56 × 45 mm cartridge have a flatter trajectory than the long cartridges with about 7.5 to 7.92 mm caliber, which were standard for long weapon calibers until then. Another advantage of lighter ammunition (lower bullet weights and lower load) is the lower impulse and thus recoil , which in particular makes it easier to control the weapon when firing bursts. Due to the low projectile mass, the ammunition has less energy than projectiles from classic long cartridges such as the 7.92 × 57 mm caliber.

The production costs were mostly only slightly reduced by the continued use of brass for the cartridge cases. Other ammunition products now rely on steel alloys for the cartridge cases. This was later put into perspective, as the processes for producing brass became cheaper and there were new recycling processes.

NATO standardization measures, however, first led to the adoption of the rifle cartridge caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO (.308 Win.) As the new standard caliber , which is still partially used today in the standard armament of armies and especially in medium machine guns ( M240 , M60 , MG3 ) Is used.

In the USA, however, it was quickly recognized that this new cartridge was not yet the ideal solution either. One experimented there in the SALVO projects with multiple bullets and cartridges in caliber .22. The aim was to be able to fire more projectiles that could achieve the highest possible speed with a low mass.

Cartridges of caliber 5,56 x 45 mm NATO in a M16 - Magazine

While the Armalite Division of Fairchild Engine & Airplane Co. developed the AR-15 in the new caliber as the successor to the AR10 assault rifle (caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO), the Sierra Bullet Co. developed the ammunition. Ammunition and weapon (then built as the M16 by Colt) were finally adopted by the US armed forces from 1962 and became standard equipment from 1969. In the following years, weapons for this caliber were also manufactured in Europe. The first weapon of this type was the FN CAL .

The cartridge is available in various versions. It was introduced by the US Army as the M193 with a 3.56 g bullet and later supplemented with the M196 tracer ammunition. In Belgium, the SS 109 cartridge with a 3.95 g bullet was developed for a modified length of the barrel. Use in the Bundeswehr can be seen from the list of Bundeswehr ammunition.

The cartridge became the model for the 5.56 × 45 mm NATO caliber , the new standard caliber in NATO armies since the early 1980s. It is used in most of the current assault rifles ( Colt M4 , Heckler & Koch G36 , Steyr AUG , FAMAS , AK-101 ). The Swiss Army uses the Gw Pat 90 orderly cartridge for the SIG 550. However, since the Gw Pat 90 cartridge is largely compatible with the 5.56 × 45 mm NATO cartridge, this cartridge is also used primarily for export weapons. Some machine guns (such as the M249 or the MG4 ) and a few (mostly police) sniper rifles fire this caliber. Due to logistical problems and to improve the range, a further developed ammunition from the manufacturer IMI was tested in Israel at the beginning of 2018.

Difference 5.56 mm and .223

Depending on the subject, the two names 5.56 × 45 mm and .223 Remington are either synonymous or denote cartridges with different properties.

In historical terms, .223 Remington is often used to describe the stage of the cartridge from its development from the .222 Remington cartridge to its official introduction by the US Army . Since from this point on, the designation of .223 Remington was metric to 5.56 × 45 mm M193 and some changes were made. Above all, these facilitated the mass production of the cartridge.

Cartridges
.222 Remington,
.223 Remington and
5.56 × 45 mm NATO

In the civil sector, especially in the USA , the cartridge was offered as the .223 Remington. This was a version optimized for precision and reloadability . However, this had some improvements to the military variant M193. When the 5.56 × 45 mm NATO with an SS-109 bullet appeared in 1980, its changes were only partially adopted by the civilian sector in the USA. For this reason, the American SAAMI treats the 5.56 × 45 mm NATO and .223 Remington cartridges as different. Among other things, the SAAMI specifies a different wall thickness of the cartridge case and a stronger propellant charge . The sleeve shoulder also has a different slope.

For this reason, in some areas the two terms are used for the two different types of floors. The designation .223 Remington is often used to refer to the M193 cartridge and 5.56 × 45 mm to the SS-109 cartridge. This distinction is quite practical, since the respective floors require a different twist length . 1:12 for M193 and 1: 7 for SS-109.

Since it is not the SAAMI but the international CIP that is decisive in the civil sector in Germany , there is often no difference between 5.56 × 45 mm and .223 Remington. This is because the CIP has a high tolerance range that covers the distinction between the two specifications of the SAAMI for 5.56 × 45mm and .223 Remington. Due to the standardization of the CIP and the shelling by the fire department , there is no danger when using 5.56 × 45 mm ammunition in weapons set up for .223 Remington and vice versa, but there may be deviations in the bolt distance and thus reduced precision and reduced Functional reliability come.

Another difference is the wound effect. When the .223 Remington (5.64 mm) cartridge from AR-15 Model 01 with a 14 inch twist pitch was fired, it had an extreme wound effect. However, when arctic tests showed that the 14 inch incline was not able to stabilize the tracer ammunition, it was decided to reduce the twist incline to 12 inches. This reduced the wound effect. This step was justified by the fact that a higher hit probability had priority. However, the remaining wound effect was still very good. This is due to the fact that the extremely fast projectile is braked abruptly on impact and thus begins to tumble in the target. In models where a lower projectile speed was achieved due to the shorter barrel, this effect was not observed. The MAC-V-SoG found that their XM177E1 (CAR-15) did not have this wound effect. When NATO considered standardizing the 5.56mm, it wanted to reduce the lethality of the 5.56mm M192 for humanistic reasons. With the SS-109, FN Herstal created a heavy projectile that only reached 850 m / s. In order to be able to stabilize the slower, heavy projectile, the FN recommended a twist pitch of 12 inches. However, this slope ensured an extremely fast rotation of the projectiles, comparable to the .223 Remington (5.64 mm), fired from an AR-15 Model 01 with a 14 inch slope. The SS-109 was adopted by NATO and standardized as the 5.56 × 45mm NATO. In later tests it is found that the SS-109 had an unusual wound effect; Investigations concluded that this was primarily due to the partial dismantling of the jacket. Due to the high rotation, the bullet loses parts of its shell when it hits the target due to centrifugal forces.

Hunting use

In addition to the .222 Rem, the .223 Rem is a cartridge approved for roe deer within the scope of the German Federal Hunting Act. In the ASPI it is below the stopping power of a .357 Magnum at short distances .

criticism

In the late 1960s, there were complaints against the Geneva Convention against the ammunition used in the M16 rifle introduced by the US Army at the time. The main arguments were the supposedly absolute lethal effect through bullet fragmentation, bullet instabilities inside the body or the so-called tissue shock caused by high-speed bullets with a muzzle velocity of more than 800 m / s . In fact, it was later proven in independent studies that the ammunition's full-jacketed projectiles can roll over at greater distances in the target and can break and splinter in the process. This increases the wound ballistic effect and increases the likelihood of serious or fatal injuries.

See also

The German army calibers 7.92 × 57 mm, 7.62 × 51 mm NATO and 5.56 × 45 mm NATO in comparison

literature

  • Frank C. Barnes: Cartridges of the World. A Complete and Illustrated Reference for Over 1500 Cartridges. 10th edition, Krause Publications, Iola WI 2006, ISBN 0-89689-297-2 .
  • Beat Kneubuehl: Bullets. Volume 2: Ballistics, effectiveness, measurement technology. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-7276-7145-9 .
  • Reload. Publisher: Dynamit Nobel

Web links

Commons : 5.56 × 45 mm NATO  album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Reloading Guide. Edition 14. (No longer available online.) P. 15 ff , archived from the original on April 17, 2018 ; accessed on May 26, 2018 (English).
  2. ↑ for 3.6 g bullet weight
  3. ↑ Günter Wollert, Reiner Lidschun, Wilfried Copenhagen: Rifle Arms Today (1945-1985) Volume 1 . 5th edition. Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-89488-057-0 .
  4. ↑ FWA Hobart: The Submachine Gun The Story of a Fully Automatic Gun . 1st edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1974, ISBN 3-87943-324-0 .
  5. ^ R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, Canada 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 (English).
  6. ^ R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, Canada 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 (English).
  7. ↑ Günter Wollert, Reiner Lidschun, Wilfried Copenhagen : Rifle Arms Today (1945-1985) Volume 1 . 5th edition. Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-89488-057-0 .
  8. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of November 8, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  9. ↑ NATO Standardization Agreement STANAG 2310.
  10. ↑ FN FNC (AK5) on WaffenHQ.de
  11. ↑ http://www.waffen-der-welt.alices-world.de/infantry_weapons/munition/556x45.html
  12. ↑ NATO Standardization Agreement STANAG 4172
  13. ↑ Janes, February 18, 2018: IMI unveils new 5.56 mm armor piercing round ( Memento from September 30, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
  14. ^ R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, Canada 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 (English).
  15. ↑ AE Hartink: Guns encyclopedia rifles from all over the world . Dörfler im Nebel Verlag, Eggolsheim, ISBN 978-3-89555-110-9 .
  16. ↑ Günter Wollert, Reiner Lidschun, Wilfried Copenhagen: Rifle Arms Today (1945–1985) Volume 1 . 5th edition. Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-89488-057-0 .
  17. ^ Ian V. Hogg: Firearms and How They Work . 1st edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1986, ISBN 3-87943-788-2 .
  18. ^ Johannes P. Heymann: The large firearms workbook . 1st edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1973, ISBN 3-613-02674-0 .
  19. ^ R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, Canada 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 , pp. 107 (English).
  20. ^ R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, Canada 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 , pp. 106 (English).
  21. ^ R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, Canada 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 , pp. 125-126 (English).
  22. ^ R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, Canada 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 , pp. 53 (English).
  23. ^ R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, Canada 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 , pp. 229 (English).
  24. ^ R. Blake Stevens & Edward C. Ezell: The Black Rifle, M16 Retrospective . 2nd Edition. Collector Grade Publications, Ontario, Canada 1992, ISBN 978-0-88935-115-8 , pp. 350 (English).
  25. ↑ Terminal Ballistic Performance of the 5.56mm Cartridge. Retrieved December 9, 2019 .