5.56mm Frangible Ammo

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  • crolfe1984

    Enthusiast
    Oct 21, 2007
    562
    Baltimore City, MD
    I was able to get ahold of some of this stuff at the last Timonium gun show, however it was $56 per 100 rounds. Around here I can't seem to find anyone that stocks or sells the .223/5.56 frangible ammo. Can anyone recommend a source for this?
     

    crolfe1984

    Enthusiast
    Oct 21, 2007
    562
    Baltimore City, MD
    I was hoping to buy local or perhaps in PA to save on the costly shipping charges for large quantities of ammo. But perhaps if the price is right online then it may be a great deal. IMI has an offshoot ammo company that produces crap for ammunition, its cheap and plentiful but I wouldn't run it through my rifle.

    I like to shoot my rifle at an indoor range and they only permit frangible ammo. So the more I can buy elsewhere the more I avoid paying $15 for 20 rounds of the stuff at the range.
     

    K-Romulus

    Suburban Commando
    Mar 15, 2007
    2,427
    NE MoCO
    Ammoman.com has the frangible stuff, made by Federal. The last time I checked it was $425/1000rds shipped. Ammoman is based in NJ, and the shipping is UPS, so you usually get it the next day! Frangiblebullets.com also sells frangible ammo (duh), and is based in PA, but is generally pricier than Ammoman.

    Ammoman sells two kinds of 5.56 frangible: DOD factory surplus that comes in ammo cans, and commercial stuff in cardboard cases. I emailed Federal and they said they both were the same thing - non-toxic primers and jacketed lead-free bullets. The commercial stuff says so on the box, but the ammo can stuff doesn't say that. I only shoot the commercial stuff because I'm a health nut with $$$. I went through 2400 rounds at the Jeff Gonzalez carbine operator class in Quantico with zero problems. The price premium over regular 5.56 isn't that high anymore. In fact, Ammoman sells this Swiss 5.56 for the same price or higher(?) than the frangible.

    Eric (the owner of Ammoman) is a good guy to deal with. If you want one type of frangible over the other, you should call them and tell them what you want, otherwise they seem to send the ammo can stuff by default.

    If you are buying for that range in Bel Air, the guy who answered the phone at the range about six months ago said that Ammoman's frangible was the same stuff sold at the range.

    ETA: You would want to stick with the jacketed frangible ammo. Reports at AR15.com are that the non-jacketed bullets will start to give off dust during chambering as they get knocked into the chamber. The dust particles act as a sandblaster and erode out the throat of the barrel in the first couple of inches after the chamber. Supposedly, firing regular FMJ in an eroded barrel could cause a kaboom when the FMJ expands in the eroded part and then gets stuck in the narrower rest of the barrel. The jacketing helps keep that from happening, but the higher velocity from the lighter bullet could contribute to premature barrel wear and similar issues. If you are shooting frangible for the duration, keep that in mind and inspect the chamber/bore frequently to see how it looks.
     
    Last edited:

    4g64loser

    Bad influence
    Jan 18, 2007
    6,381
    maryland
    yeah, i agree with k-romulus, he's right on. i shoot that 50grain federal frangible USG surplus in my Bushmaster to get rid of varmint (and when i want to make a target explode, such as a water jug). it runs flawlessly and for the money is be best light-grain i've found.

    as a note, i habitually shoot 69 or 75 grain ammo, i just have that frangible for the above noted reasons, and i got if from Eric (ammoman.com). i've been buyin ammo from him for a while, and he has NEVER been late or ever had any other issues getting me my ammo. that and shipping is free from him if you buy in bulk!
     

    Lambo

    R.I.P.
    Dec 6, 2005
    4,523
    Bel Air, Maryland
    I was able to get ahold of some of this stuff at the last Timonium gun show, however it was $56 per 100 rounds. Around here I can't seem to find anyone that stocks or sells the .223/5.56 frangible ammo. Can anyone recommend a source for this?

    I have available to me,
    Description: HORNADY 83286 223REM 60 GRAIN URBAN TACTICAL POLICE APPLICATION RIFLE AMMO 20 RNDS PER BOX 10 BXS (200rds) PER CASE, $149.95 plus 5% Tax
    This is better quality than the Federal AE! PM me if interested!
     

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