5.56x45 Armor Piercing Bullet (2024)

FAQs

Are there 5.56 armor piercing rounds? ›

5.56 mm series

Nammo offers a wide choice of 5.56mm ammunition. Whether you are looking for specialty ammunition such as armor piercing, frangible or long range, or well known variants like the regular ball, tracer, non toxic or just training ammunition – we have you covered.

Armor-piercing bullets for long guns, such as rifles, are not currently illegal in California. Companies can be charged with possessing armor-piercing ammo, not just individuals. PC 30315 makes it a crime for "any person, firm, or corporation" to possess armor-piercing bullets.

However, with the popularity of AR-15 pistols, the ATF has cracked down on certain . 223 Remington bullets – for example, brass bullets. This is because a brass bullet for a . 223 Remington cartridge is now “armor piercing” in the eyes of the ATF because it can be used in a handgun.

At relatively high impact velocities, steel is no longer an adequate material for armour-piercing rounds. Tungsten and tungsten alloys are suitable for use in even higher-velocity armour-piercing rounds, due to their very high shock tolerance and shatter resistance, and to their high melting and boiling temperatures.

In fact, it failed to penetrate a BulletSafe Level IV vest during rigorous testing, demonstrating its limitations against modern body armor. For hunters, the green tip is unsuitable due to its lack of expansion, causing minimal tissue damage and limited blood loss in animals.

Black Tip Ammunition

Small-arms ammunition with a painted black tip is armor-piercing ammunition. This ammo is designed to penetrate through various levels of battlefield armor, depending on the parent cartridge. Usually, these cartridges have a hardened penetrator around which the rest of the bullet is constructed.

Armor-Piercing Ammunition

Armor-piercing handgun ammunition is federally banned for civilian use or ownership in the U.S. Per 18 United States Code, § 921(a)(17)(B).

Only the highest level body armor - Level IV - is rated to stop these formidable rounds. These armors usually feature ceramic or steel plates that can withstand the extraordinary penetrative force of armor-piercing rounds.

Federal law prohibits the import, manufacture and distribution of AP bullets in the U.S., which is why individual states like Pennsylvania have similar laws. However, the deeper reason for their ban lies in the danger these bullets pose for law enforcement officers, first responders, and the public.

Some gun ranges may not allow green-tip ammo because it can cause more damage to their backstops and targets. Green tip ammo is a type of 5.56 ammunition with a full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet and a green-colored tip.

Can you own black tip ammo? ›

Merely possessing some armor-piercing rounds can be grounds for felony charges. If convicted of having armor-piercing bullets, you can face multiple years in prison.

They are definitely illegal to posses in California and probably a few other states, but are legal to own in most jurisdictions.

In short, FMJ does better all-round damage, decent against armor but good against components.

No. Hollow point bullets are expanding bullets. They are not meant to penetrate too far. They are meant to stay in the target ,expand and dump all off their energy into the target.

Even though it isn't really armor-piercing, there's a good reason for this limitation. Green tip 5.56 is really hard on steel targets and can punch through a lot of them. It's also really hard on backstops, requiring them to be replaced more frequently.

Kevlar and Spectra cannot provide protection against high-velocity rifle cartridges, such as the 5.56mm, alone. For Type III protection, you need to use ceramic or steel trauma plates.

According to the military's definition, the M855A1 is not an armor-piercing round. Instead, the famed blacktip M993 is the Army's 5.56 caliber armor-piercing round. The M855A1 will pierce through soft armor and subpar armor plates but doesn't zip through modern armor.

Most military personnel and law enforcement officers in danger of facing 5.56 mm or higher caliber rounds will likely wear Level IV body armor for protection. Not even M855A1 was designed to penetrate Level IV armor plates. Thankfully, even civilians may buy Level IV armor today.