Comments on: Myths About the NATO 5.56 Cartridge http://kunald.net/2009/08/myths-about-the-nato-5-56-cartridge/ Old Information yet New! Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:42:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Burn Fat http://kunald.net/2009/08/myths-about-the-nato-5-56-cartridge/comment-page-1/#comment-836 Burn Fat Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:00:16 +0000 http://kunald.net/2009/08/myths-about-the-nato-5-56-cartridge/#comment-836 Incredible work on the blog! :) I wish blogging was easy as getting ripped was for me! :( Incredible work on the blog! :) I wish blogging was easy as getting ripped was for me! :(

]]> By: Steve http://kunald.net/2009/08/myths-about-the-nato-5-56-cartridge/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Steve Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:52:13 +0000 http://kunald.net/2009/08/myths-about-the-nato-5-56-cartridge/#comment-12 The author writes, "When a human body is hit with a 5.56mm 62-grain bullet traveling at 3,100 feet per second; essentially the same thing happens but much, much more violently." The problem with that statement is that unless the intended target is literally standing one foot in front of rifle, there's scant little chance the round will hit them at 3,100 fps. And that gets to the big problem with this article. Fragmentation, as opposed to cavitation, is the primary wounding mechanism of military 5.56mm ammunition. That the author ignores any discussion of fragmentation, makes me wonder if he is really the expert he claims to be. And while he points to evidence in the form of anectdotal tales from combat medics, he notably doesn't discuss tales - and there are many - of people being shot multiple times with military 5.56mm, and not being all the worse for it. THIS happens because fragmentation of military ammo doesn't occur below 2700 fps. Problem is, past 100m or so, the bullet is no longer traveling >2700fps. And as such, a LOT of bad guys have taken hits from the M4 at 200m-500m, and not been knocked down for good. That the author ignored this, and in fact doesn't even discuss all the stories of where the m4 did NOT work well, leads me to believe he's really not much more experienced than one of those armchair generals he dismisses. The author writes, “When a human body is hit with a 5.56mm 62-grain bullet traveling at 3,100 feet per second; essentially the same thing happens but much, much more violently.”

The problem with that statement is that unless the intended target is literally standing one foot in front of rifle, there’s scant little chance the round will hit them at 3,100 fps.

And that gets to the big problem with this article. Fragmentation, as opposed to cavitation, is the primary wounding mechanism of military 5.56mm ammunition. That the author ignores any discussion of fragmentation, makes me wonder if he is really the expert he claims to be.

And while he points to evidence in the form of anectdotal tales from combat medics, he notably doesn’t discuss tales – and there are many – of people being shot multiple times with military 5.56mm, and not being all the worse for it. THIS happens because fragmentation of military ammo doesn’t occur below 2700 fps. Problem is, past 100m or so, the bullet is no longer traveling >2700fps. And as such, a LOT of bad guys have taken hits from the M4 at 200m-500m, and not been knocked down for good.

That the author ignored this, and in fact doesn’t even discuss all the stories of where the m4 did NOT work well, leads me to believe he’s really not much more experienced than one of those armchair generals he dismisses.

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