Have you seen this AP 5.56 ammo before?* PICS*

[Tactical30]

I seen this stuff at a gun show recently (most likely a scam)
This is what it said on the box:

<span style="font-weight: bold">U.S. Army 5.56 NATO AP
M-977 Armor Piercing Dim Light
New USGI Surplus Ammunition</span>

<span style="text-decoration: underline">What they look like:</span>
There tips are not colored: New Lake City Headstamped 06'-08' Brass with Crimped primers: The bullets are cannalured.

I never heard of M-977 AP ammo before.
I have seen the Blue, Green and Black tip stuff before but never this.

It was $34 for 20rds and then the last day of the gun show they went on sale to $10 for 20rds. I bought (when they were $10) a box just to see what they do. There were people that were drooling over this ammo when it was $34 a box and buying it up like crazy. Im sure they didnt know any better.

Any idea of what this ammo really is?

Im trying to get one cut in half but it seems once I get about half way thru it just starts eating up cut off wheels like butter.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Here is a pic of the AP bullet next to a regular 62gr. FMJ bullet/ Notice how much more longer but both are the same wieght:</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Hollow cavity in bottom:</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Lake City Headstamp and crimped primer:</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Weight:</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Powder Wieght:</span>

 

[DP425]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

Never heard of it. Kinda sounds like it's supposed to be AP Dim-Tracer for night vision use. However, I've never heard of it.

 

[ORD]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

That's a new one to me...never heard of it before.

 

[PLeighton]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

http://www.thegunzone.com/556faq.html#m996
The XM996 Dim Tracer ammunition provides the user with a tracing round which is invisible when viewed with the naked eye but which can be seen when viewed through night vision devices (NVDs) and does not cause visual interference to the wearer of a NVD. Standard tracer ammunition provides excessive illumination/visual interference ("blooming" effect) to the user when viewed through NVDs.

http://ammo.ar15.com/ammo/project/hist_milammo.html

I would pull one of the bullets and check for tracer compound in the base or a tungsten core.
The weight and length of the bullet should tell you quite a bit.

Sounds like gun show snake oil to me, but who knows, it could be real.
Stranger things have happened.
The price is very suspect for sure.

 

[shooter19802003]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr. Phil</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Sounds like gun show snake oil to me, but who knows, it could be real.
Stranger things have happened.
</div></div>

Lol

 

[shooter19802003]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dr. Phil</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Sounds like gun show snake oil to me, but who knows, it could be real.
Stranger things have happened.
</div></div>

Lol

10 minutes on google will prolly help out a lot.

 

[Tactical30]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

Thanks for the info.

I googled the hell out of it and couldnt find nothin on M-977 ammo. Ill have to pull one and check it out.

 

[Tactical30]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

I had just wieghed a bunch of them and they averaged around 181.5gr. per loaded round. What the interesting thing is my 62gr. Remington HP Match bullet reloads weigh avg. the same.

Im going to pull one of these bullets and cut it in half with my dremel to see what it looks like.

What should I be looking for inside if this is a true AP round?

 

[PLeighton]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

Also, if it has a tungsten core, the dremel will not cut it unless you use the diamond wheel.
If you use the regular cut off wheel and try to cut accross the center of it you will find out pretty quick.
If it has tracer compound, the compound should only be present in the cavity at the rear.

 

[Tactical30]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

Ill post pics when I get one pulled. I also have some blue tip API ammo (so I was told). When I shot it at a steel plate it produced a large flash, puff of smoke and odd sound when it hit the steel.

What would this type (blue tip as talked about above) of ammo be called....M-???

ill post pics of both of them.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Heres a pic of the Blue Tip API and the 62gr. AP ammo:</span>

 

[shooter19802003]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

Kinda interesting now. The rear cavity makes it a tracer for sure. No way it has a penetrator core. If so it would weigh a lot more beings it is a lot longer. Definitely wouldn't weigh the same.

 

[PLeighton]

Re: Has anyone heard of this AP 5.56 ammo before?

If it responds to a magnet than it is a standard M856 tracer.
If not, than it has a tungsten penetrator and is in fact AP Tracer.
(It is interesting that it is eating cut off wheels, that would most likely indicate that it is AP.)

The blue tip is indeed incendiary ammo

Pretty rare stuff.