Call it M855, call it green tip 5.56, it’s basically all the same.
But what it isn’t is regular old FMJ 5.56. It’s quite different actually.
Although it is also not armor piercing, despite what the media might tell you, or what the other uninformed netizens of the world might think.
Rather, green tip 5.56 is a special designation of 5.56 ammo that has a steel tip insert inside the lead core of the bullet.
This shifts the center of gravity back and hardens the nose of the bullet.
It also means this grade of 5.56, if you will, offers better penetrating characteristics than plain jane FMJ ammo.
(That said, it is not truly armor piercing, like black tip 5.56, which has a tungsten core and which actually is designed to penetrate armor.)
It is also the reason that green tip 5.56 ammo is pretty much only good for one thing: high-volume range training.
High-Volume Training It Is (But Not with Steel Targets)
If you use green tip 5.56x45mm NATO ammo for anything, use it for training at the range. It will shoot and feed as reliably as FMJ and you can often get it at pretty low prices since it is produced for the military.
Because of its reliability and accuracy, it’s perfectly good for most range training applications. And, since it’s cheap, it’s a choice pick for high-volume shooting applications.
With two exceptions: don’t use it inside and don’t use it with a steel plate or other steel targets.
First off, most indoor ranges probably have restrictions against its use. Second, it will damage the backstop in the range.
As for outdoors, bets are off except with steel targets. For one, green tip 5.56 will damage them. For another, it produces a much higher risk of ricochet and therefore is categorically more dangerous.
So make it paper targets or nothing with this ammo.
Why It’s Not Good for (Pretty Much) Anything Else
Because of the steel tip insert in green tip, it’s not good for other things, like competition (because of the risk of ricochet) or for hunting or defensive applications.
Because it is not designed to disrupt (expand) it will likely maim rather than kill what you’re shooting at. That is both unethical and dangerous, and it’s also probably illegal.
This makes green tip 5.56 terrible for hunting (your state probably doesn’t allow it anyway) and a terrible choice for defensive applications, too. Not only is it not designed for energy transfer, it is also likely to overpenetrate.
Can You Get Green Tip 5.56 Online?
Actually you can, if you know where to look. You can get it online at Bucking Horse Outpost, which also offers .223 bulk deals in addition to other specials and police trade-in deals. Visit their website for more information or contact them directly if you have questions.
