820rds Malaysian 5.56x45mm Ball M855 (NATO) Surplus Ammunition 62 Grain Full Metal Jacket in Ammo Can
What we Know
Originally and specifically designed to be shot through carbines that officers and NCOs carried, the NATO version of this 5.56mm ammo packs a punch! While the 5.56x45mm round is a rifle cartridge of U.S. origin, it seems like every country in the world has manufactured it at one time or another. This surplus that we've gotten a hold of is from a Malaysian government-owned ordnance company. 5.56x45mm ammo has been available in two flavors since the early '80s; M193 and NATO (M855). What we've got here is the M855 bullets which have a slightly lower muzzle velocity compared to the original M193 pattern.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: SME Ordnance Sdn. Bhd. Company
- Manufacturer Origin: Malaysia
- Condition: Military Surplus
- Type: Rifle Cartridge
- Caliber: 5.56x45mm
- Casing: Mil-spec anealed brass bottleneck rimless
- Primer Type: Boxer
- Bullet Type: Spitzer/Lead core with full metal jacket
- Muzzle Velocity: 3110 fps
- Muzzle Energy: 1325 ft lbs
- (41ct.) 20 round boxes packaged in 50 Cal. military ammo can (box and can color and stamping will vary)
Characteristics
- + Limited Recoil
- + Good accuracy
- + Good penetration at short range
- + Limited weight
- - Limited at long range
History of the 5.56mm M855 Cartridge
The M855 cartridge family was derived from, but is not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge (M193) designed by Remington Arms in the early 1960s. While the original M193 cartridge was designed in the early 1960's by Robert Hutton, NATO members signed an agreement in 1970 to select a second, smaller caliber cartridge to replace the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. Of the cartridges tendered, the FN-created cartridge was named 5.56×45mm NATO with a military designation of SS109 in NATO and M855 in the U.S. October 1980. The 5.56x45mm NATO, or M855 cartridge, was standardized as the second standard service rifle cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries.
The M855 round has met its design expectations as an effective military cartridge. Even with its shorter range it is just as lethal as the Cal. .30 and 7.62 rifle rounds it originally replaced, while its much lighter weight gave soldiers the ability to carry many more rounds into battle.
The original M855 round has been extensively used by the USA and with various nations around the world including South America, Asia, Africa, France, and Israel.
About SME Ordnance
SME Ordnance, formerly known as Syarikat Malaysia Explosive Sdn. Bhd., is a Malaysian defense company that specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of ordnance. SMEO was created in 1969 as a joint venture company between the government of Malasyia, Dynamit Nobel of Germany, and Oerlikon Machine Tools of Switzerland. The Malaysian government later acquired all shares in 1974, making SMEO a government-owned company.