When you come across 5.56 ballistic tip buy now banner ads online, have you ever wondered whether they represent rounds that apply to you? Who are they for exactly? Why would you choose them over regular full metal jacket (FMJ) rounds? That’s something we aim to clarify here.
Also known as the ‘penetrator round’ or ‘green tips’, the 62-grain cartridge has a steel insert inside its core and has mistakenly, for some, been thought of as armour-piercing. Now, while they share a characteristic or two with black tip rounds (actual armor piercers), they’re not built for that purpose.
So, then who are they for? To explain, we need to look a little deeper into its history.
The History Behind 5.56 Ballistic Tip Buy Now Ads
Introduced in the 1970s as the SS109 round, this Belgian-made cartridge was successful in NATO’s standardization trials. At the time, NATO didn’t have a set standard for the 5.56 round, but due to the penetration capability of the green tip over long distances.
In the early 1980s, the US Army decided to supplant their M193 5.56 rounds with the SS109, renaming them M855 rounds at the same time. This wasn’t just done on a whim, rather it was to help troops to distinguish the rounds from their predecessor – M193 bullets. It was during this period that the green tips were introduced – something that remains with us today.
So, What Are Green Tip Rounds Actually Intended For?
Rather than being aimed at people wanting a round that is able to penetrate the body used by the police and the military – as you’ve got to wonder why you’d need it – 5.56 ballistic tip buy now ads are simply aimed at people who want extra penetration.
An instance why you might need this extra penetration would be the hunting of larger game, particularly as the round is more able to result in a clean kill. However, when talking about home defense, they’re not really something you want to use unless you want to take out an intruder, as well as your next-door neighbour and his cat!
You’ll struggle to find a range that lets you use them too, as their steel core, combined with their added grain weight means that the sandbags and shielding provided might not be able to stop the round – creating an obvious safety hazard.
5.56 Ballistic Tip Buy Now Ads Are For Those Wanting Penetration
Essentially, green tip ammo is for people who need the extra penetration they provide. You’re talking about hunters of big game that need to know that the animal they’re shooting at will be killed humanely and quickly. The last thing you want is for any suffering to occur.
That said when you’re hunting a bear, wolves or large moose – basically, anything that you need to bring down quickly to protect yourself – the quick kill is also a huge benefit.
In a residential setting, for most of us, over-penetration is something that needs to be avoided, so it’s not a cartridge that’s suited to this kind of environment.
So, if you’re not the sort of person who needs the benefits that they offer, you now know that you can scroll on when you see these ads – as they’re not really aimed (pardon the pun) at you.
