GunnyUSMC
Member
Well, it may be just steel, but it was designed to penetrate, not to shatter. I’ve seen it past right through a 2x4 just over my head while pulling butts at the range, the same also with the M193. Now 5.56 with come apart when striking hard or thick surfaces, just like many other bullets, but it wasn’t designed to fragment.I don’t know where anyone would get the idea that m855 had a tungsten core in the tip.
It does have a steel penetrator.
but it also fragments. Just not as well as m193.
This thread has a good post by ex-mod bart. And also a quote from the old ammo oracle site which sadly no longer exists. It explains the expected fragmentation performance and some testing by fackler. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/what-the-m855-really-does.189504/
I’ve fried 5.56 into vehicles and can tell you that it will penetrate a good bit.