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M855 isnt just for "armor penetration", but the reason for the steel penetrator tip is to penetrate cover, brush, wood, and whatever else might be in the way. Glass, car doors, cinder blocks, etc.
Idk if I necessarily believed that because ultimately this round has a tendency to fragment even more than just a normal fmj, as in your target has to be basically right next to the barrier you're shooting through because if they arnt it legitimately doesn't matter what that barrier is and yes even a leaf can cause the m855 to start fragmenting. I shot a trash can maybe 10" wide with maybe a 1mm wall of soft plastic and the first hole is normal but the second hole I can clearly see the bullet is already in multiple pieces and thats only 10" after it went through what should be an irrelevant barrier. Of course this isn't a good thing but where this fact is actually a positive would be armor that greentip can defeat, that fragmentation is going to be dramatic and you'll basically have 1 little hole but on the other side of that armor it comes out as a cloud of vaporized lead and steal and if they have a back plate its even worse. I'd love to do some testing with really spicy greentips but unfortunately I don't have extra plates to destroy.
He did last 2 shots, the ones that came through! But the 55 grain were moving it in a great deal woulda been cracked ribs & very painful. Stick to my old school steel plates rated for rifle rounds.Little Heavy but way lighter than my dead body. Also history behind them & carrier. Been to Irag & Afganistan & not a scratch on plates or carrier!!! A really great marine may as well gave to me!!! 150$ for whole setup!!!! He has several. I feel like this 1 was meant 4 me he even got same blood type written in sharpie above heart area.
I think they are only good at going through armor like this but not so well against steel armor it’s the opposite with steel u would use xm193 I think it has better steel penetration for what I have seen through testing
@@Texasmade4444444444 I have shot threw 1/4 "&5/16" medium carbon steel . 050%-.=075% carbon content with green tip 62grain at 150yards it looked like a high speed drill okay mild protrusion however they become less stable around 200-250yards out of a 20" barrel.
SS109/M855 are no joke. That's the load we carried in the Marine Corps. It generally finds it's way those most things. It will absolutely ruin your day. On the same token you don't want to be on the receiving end of the M193 either.
When SAPPI first became general issue to all of us deployed Marine grunts after the invasion force battalions returned from Iraq in the summer of 2003 we were told that they were capable of of stopping up to 3 shots from 7.62x51 ball rounds at a 90° angle from beyond 100 meters before they became completely ineffective
After Corps duty I returned back in the states to reload. 5.56 loads and 223 loads were tested to find green tips were much better with 5.56 brass, of course there was weight difference in bullet choice and I used primarily Hornady 3rd edition data for prescribed loads. Choice of appropriate firearm chambered for each was used also.
Hey Natalie, love King James! I have a Boston Terrier named Zip. Aren't the human like gestures great? I could do without the snoring and farting though! 🤭🤣😂
"Are green tips worth it?... In my opinion not really worth how much you pay." *whips out fully cerakoted tacticool rifle that was definitely worth it* Good video though 👍😂
Yes there are worth It especially if you can't find anything else. You had better be thankful and grab It if it's available. 855 renders a butter knife obsolete. LOL
For armored targets, the 62 grain M855 Green Tip is the way to go. For unarmored, soft targets, the 55 grain M193 cartridge is where it’s at. The 55 grain bullet has a better likelihood of fragmenting in a soft target, leading to greater wounding capability. The M855 is generally going to be the better penetrating round, but tends to provide less traumatic wound profiles. There are however, some steel type armor plates which can be defeated by the higher velocity of the 55 grain bullet, while managing to stop the 62 grain green tip. All of these things are heavily influenced by the combination of barrel length, barrel twist rate, and distance to the target. As with all things, there are trade off’s that are made when selecting one over the other. I wouldn’t want to be hit with ANY of them whether wearing armor or not. Still, I would say that a person whose primary objective is to defend their home from criminals is likely to be well served by a rifle with a shorter barrel, loaded with 55 grain ammo, while someone engaging in combat with an organized opposing force at various distances would be better served by the 62 grain green tip fired from a barrel of greater length. The same applies to optics and other accessories. For fast target acquisition at relatively short distances, a red dot or holographic optic is going to yield excellent results. If the probability of needing to take shots at extended range is present, a magnified optic is the clear winner. Select the right gear for the job you intend to be using it for.
I would disagree on the soft target recommendation. A 77gr otm is better at any given range and at greater range than a 55gr fmj. With a 16" barrel m193 is dropping below the permanent wound channel velocity at around 300 yards, while 77gr otm still has the ability to expand and carries about the same energy as a 9mm out to 600 yards. Under 300 yards it will still expand as well as cause permanent wound channel with velocity which causes much more damage. 77gr OTM rounds are the best for stopping an unarmored target.
Guys don't be sold on the green tips. I have watched quite a few tests and it appears the green tips will go through ceramic plates while 193 will not. Now take a steel plate carrier and fire a green tip at it and it won't go through it, while the 193 will blast right through......this was on level 3+ plates. So in a defense situation my thought is loading a green then a 193 and alternate. Then just double tap and you're good.
Really cool test! If you ever get the chance to revisit this test, please try and keep a bigger separation between the different points of aim. Ceramic armour has a really bad multi strike capability. The ceramic absorbs the energy over a wide area, getting crushed in the process. From the video it looks like you shot the green tips through an area that was already crushed from absorbing the energy from regular rounds.
This plate had zero Ceramic in it… This is a UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene)…Polyethylene can catch most rounds that don’t contain steel, but m855’s steel penetrator is too hard/dense to be stopped by the polyethylene if it’s going fast enough.
I just realized three days ago that a large bulk order of "regular" 5.56 I placed two years ago turned out to be all Green Tip ammo. I had not had any reason to open or check those cans until I decided to do a full ammo count three days ago, and to my surprise I have a ton of Green Tip ammo, which I had recently regretted not buying back when it was still available. Now it turns out I secretly had thousands of those rounds and I didn't even know it. Well, I have no idea why I was sent green tip instead of regular 5.56, but I'm certainly ok with it.
@@willywonka6252 yeah, they are now, but they are more than double the cost of when I bought them and customers are usually limited to how many they can purchase, so people's dollars don't take them as far as they used to... but like you said, at least they're still available
Personally, I would've rathered he check the armor after the first 2 shots and again, after the green tips. Some might question where he was shooting? By the manner in which the plate moved during the first 2 shots, I'd guess he hit low- he didn't say where he was aiming. I'm not disputing the results, but would've appreciated the "clarity" of where he was shooting. I'm merely suggesting how I would've done this for documentation purposes.
You’ve earned a subscriber. Made valid points to concerns, short sweet video, and planted some freedom seeds! Very informative, and thank you for sacrificing your plate to bring us this info!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve been asking several TH-camrs to compare the differences of the green tip m-855’s vs the regular fmj’s. I am happy to know I did not waste my money now.
The m193 ammo was what was used in Vietnam. Combined with a 1 in 12" twist barrel these rounds were devastating to soft tissue but their speed and light weight made it hard to pass through bushes and soft cover. In the 80's the military switched to the m855 green tip ammo with a 1 in 7" twist barrel. The additional weight with the steel penetrator solved this issue while still maintaining it ability to destroy soft tissue. The green tip ammo is not armor piercing ammo but it's really good at penetrating things. I bought a whole bunch of the stuff and it's my SHTF ammo.
Guess I wont be wastin my green tips at the range anymore ... I thought they were the same as well ... Really good to know it can easily defeat 3plus armor.
I also thought they were about the same. Now I feel bad about shooting my green tips at the indoor range. Probably shot a couple of holes (20 to be exact) in their steel deflection plates in the back! :(
I wish you would have had two different plates to shoot! That plate was already weak after you hit it twice. Test would be more conclusive with two different plates so you how each plate reacts with the different types of rounds. But at least I know to hit a plate with two .223 and then a green tip will go through
Holes from 1st 2 were not near last 2. New plate woulda been same results. Piece of titanium at 3000+ feet per second not rocket science especially with ceramic plate. At that range green tip real deadly. 55 grand fmj frontier would made a hole had he put 2 in exact same spot. I prefer 20" barrel for rifle adds fps & accuracy. 223 wylde barrel n high grade lower & I get dime size grouping on bipod at 100 yds & 125. Havent had access to a range in a min & conserve my ammo these days. Practiced with each weapon for over a year every week. Only stopped cuz too expensive to waste & were 6 cent a round for 55 grain per plandemic,now 50 cent to 1.50 a round!!! Glad I started stocking up early. Would like to have more rounds for handguns tho. Bought reloader & everything needed even dies!!! Nowcant even Find Powder & lead much less primers. But can still find ammo for whatever I need. Stick to military rounds n u can always run across some somehow, 223/5.56& 45acp & 9mm + 12gauge.. Was never a prep type but my gut told me a few years ago to start !!!! Glad & blessed to have a decent head start & blessed by good deals n being right place right time. Stay Frosty, strange days indeed till Biden n Pelosi gang are gone none of us are safe Pray for best prep for worst! WHATEVER YOU DO STAY AWAY FROM VACCINES!!!!!!!! couldnt drag me in a hospital rt now.
Greet tips are worse against steel armor. Xm193 outperforms it. Against softer barriers like mild steel or concrete that's where greentip wins. M855 greentip is not an ap round.
@@everythingisvibration 223 is the best deer round available in my worthless opinion. Big midwest and northern whitetails are no problem with 223. Don't use a thin jacket "varmint" bullet and you're golden. If 30-06 is adequate for elk, then .223 is more than enough for whitetails and muleys.
Don't need green tips for deer. Sierra GameKing 65 grainers are pretty good on them. However, I used those GameKing 65's on a hog hunt with a friend. Shot at a few bigger 200+ lb hogs and heard the bullet "thunk" on the pig (we use silencers, but with supersonic ammo) and the hogs ran off like they weren't hit at all. On a big boar, I heard the bullet hit and my friend then dropped the pig with his 308. Upon skinning, we found my 65 grain GameKing bullet stopped in the 2" thick gristle plate of the hog's shoulder... not even making it to the NEAR side ribs. No wonder they were running off! I switched to TSX bullets after the green tips did a so-so job (green tips MUCH better than cheap fmj, better than GameKings, but not as good as TSX). TSX work splendid on deer too. However, I was often needing to get 4 or 5 good hits on a hog with the .223 TSX before the pig would drop (on hogs over 200 lbs). Since with my thermal scope I'd usually be leading the snout by about a foot to get a shoulder area hit after the first shot when the hog was on the run, that was a problem. Many of the pigs would get to the swamps/brush before dying, and they were impossible to find. I've switched to 450 Bushmaster. Shooting 260 grain bonded core bullets with it, loaded well above the published max loads. It drops those hogs with one good shot and leaves a nice big hole. Not going back to .223 for hogs, but will keep using it for deer. If a person is shooting at 100 lb and smaller hogs, 223 should be fine with either green tip or solid copper.
I own a Colt with a 20 inch barrel and a 1 in 7 twist ,. It has always been my understanding that the SS109 round was developed for use with a 20" barrel that has a 1/7 twist . I stockpiled Lake City and Winchester back in the 90's . I once payed $89 for 500 green tipped Winchester rounds , you can tell by looking at the brass that the Winchester rounds had been belted for use in a machine gun. I also bought Lake City that were on strippers . I always use the magnet test to make sure someone didn't just apply green paint to make some extra money . If the magnet barely sticks then it has a stainless steal core .
I was pretty impressed. Them green tips went right on through. Would be cool if you could get your hands on some old black tips. Tungsten core, I think? Them rigs are hard as Woodpecker Lips!!! Thanks Brother. Hope y'all are doing great. 🙏🕊🇺🇸🦅
Yes, basically the Belgians tailored the bullet with a little bit of hardened steel core to pass NATO tests. They required long-range penetration on par with 7.62 NATO ball.
@@mattiamalevolti2545 It's crazy because the heavier 5.56 with steel cores or the rarer Tungsten core 5.56 outperform the 7.63x39 on every single level, it's all about what you're shooting our of your rifle and what that bullet is going to hit. Those tungsten 5.56 will pass through half in hard rolled steel all day, like it's nothing.
I did industrial reforestation for years, hand planting of logged land. We used hoedad's the blades were 1/4 inch thick forged steel, I shot a used blade with SS-109 from 20 yards, the bullets did not penetrate but the back deformation was approximately 1/4 inch. This is significant because that steel is very hard. No steel such as this is ever used for armor plating in a bullet proof vest it is simply way too heavy.
Found a 420 round can of these towards the end of 2019 marked down to $75 at wally world after they were closing out on 556. Now i see that same can going for over $500
Generally UHWMPE (PE) armor is susceptible to hardened materials like M855/M855A1, 7N6M, M80A1, etc. However it's really good at stopping lead core FMJ like M193. With steel, it is susceptible to lead core higher velocity rounds like M193, but generally will stop M855/M855A1, 7N6/M, as long as velocities of those rounds usually remain below 3000 fps. Ceramic armor with PE backer will stop all of those above mentioned threats depending on how thick the ceramic is :D
I know that the green tip(ss109) round has a mild steel core for weight and penatraton it was made for when the U.S military went to the m16 a2 that had a tighter twist
@@Rubeless the damage caused by a 5.56 is mostly due to hydro shock because of its extreme muzzle velocity. Regardless of expansion, the inability to compress causes the liquid to rush away from the projectile in all directions, rupturing the blood vessels and damaging the surrounding organs. Over penetration is reduced in most rounds to protect people and property, but the difference in performance is negligible when examining the final wound cavity.
The only big difference in .223 bullets is gonna be when you step into solid copper expandable and varmint bullets. I’ve shot hundreds of pigs and coyotes with all manner of 223 bullets in everything from 220 swift to 221 fireball. When you peel that hide back, whether you used a TNT hollow point, a hot core soft point, or a green tip, the wounds are identical. The tissue around the expanding and non expanding rounds pretty much the same and the wound cavity is almost impossible to distinguish. The only sign that you used a non expanding round is the deviation of the wound channel because it maintains its spitzer shape longer and tends to make random turns. As far as pigs go I have better luck with green tips just because you can punch through both shoulders and liquify the bread basket.
55 grain M193 is the fastest NATO round for 5 56x45, 62 grain fmj would be slower than M193. Speed defeats body armor, this plate tested was Polyethylene UHWMPE plate which stops M193 (55grFMJ) but not M855 (green tip). On the flip side steel Lvl 3 armor will stop the green tip but not M193 55gr. So pros and cons to both, they both serve a purpose. Moral of this story is by Lvl III+ or Lvl IV.
@@vspecdout great info, thanks for the lesson. I always assumed that the greentips were the get penetrators because of the steel tips, but i guess it makes sense that speed trumps weight.
DO NOT EVER SHOOT STEEL CASE ammunition in your AR. The steel cases are A LOT harder on your extractor and will eventually cause a failure in the extractor.
If it hasn't been said, "green tips" (M855) have a steel core. The M193 wouldn't get through a typical helmet of the day so they came up with the M855. I'm surprised nobody seems to remember the big stink towards the end of Zero's administration when he tried to ban "green tips" because they would kill you deader than an M193.
because that is what the US Military designed them to do. They have an armor penetrating steel core/rod inside them. how did it surprise you they went through like butter?
That was a pure UHMWPE plate, the story would have been a little different if the plate had a ceramic strike face, but in general M855 does pretty well against non-steel armor.
@@salmaya9274 I can’t imagine that was AR500, but M855 is definitely a decent option against armor one way or another. You’re a lot more likely to penetrate UHMWPE backer with M855 than M193. Just gotta break up some of the ceramic first.
@@milesian1 How does that even make sense? They afraid you'll throw the body armor at someone? Seems they're trying to disarm the population and remove any protections for when they come to round people up...
When testing always check your target after each shot. That shield is not designed to stop a .223 round. Believe it or not 7.62 rounds are easier to stop. Increase backend deformation, however they seldom exit in my ballistic test.
I haven’t shot green tip yet but I have bought some a while back. I do keep a mag of some green tip mixed with some regular FMJ’s. From my understanding green tip is essentially LAP - Light Armor Piercing. They are poorly accurate but do penetrate harder cover better then regular FMJ’s.
Green tips (M855) defeats Lvl III uhwmpe while m193 defeats Lvl III Steel armor. Just go III+ or Lvl VI. But point is both rounds have their purpose. If you do just a little bit of research on body armor you'll find this out very easily.
See, the problem is, everyone thinks it’s some magical bullet, it’s not, it’s actually worse in quotes few ways compared to M193 ball, but it’s far better in others. M855 was made to go through soft armor and helmets at longer range than just 55 grain fmj could, reliably. Along with light barrier penetration, especially from the M249. But it’s actually worse against soft targets, and some lightly armored targets, IE steel rifle rifle plates,
Frankthetank123098 yeah, not their purpose. Steel rifle plates weren’t a things when they were made/adopted and still aren’t a thing, not for militaries anyways. M193 was developed to go through armor, except maybe the shit nylon flak jackets that existed then. But then again any rifle round would short of .22lr. M193 goes through some steel armor, as a result of pure velocity and being small diameter, just a nice side effect at close range. The one he was shooting was clearly a composite plate, with no ceramic in it, that plate would stop M193, easily. But any kind of steel core/light penetrator goes right through. If I had to only use soft armor and regular helmets with no upgrades, I’d pray they were using M193 and was above 300m, then you might make it, the M855, nope, going right through.
Frankthetank123098 I mean, o definitely bought some 855, it’s good and has a purpose, but I have a lot of 193 also. Never hurts to have both laying around. Neither of them are bad, or way better than the other, just better at things they were made for, with follow on side effects as a result of what they were originally designed for.
Its also good to remember that those plates don't cover very much body area. I say this because I had to chuckle watching the because I was thinking of the lunatics in the chaz/chop because they were wearing plate carriers, and no other armor. (and who knows if they actually had plates in them) All I can say is they're not very prepared for buckshot.
Was it on a steel plate? I think the green tip struggles on steel from the lower velocity but it seems to do fine on ceramic under lvl4 from the few videos I've seen
It would be cool to see a clay block behind the plate, you know, for science. The penetrator core is smaller than 5.56, I’m curious to see how the energy distributes.
Of course we're in crazy times but I've found lately the green tips are a little less expensive and more available than other brass casing 223/556 ammo.
What state are you in? I’m in Texas, still finding ammo but prices have doubled or tripled and not much of a selection. My uncle in Oklahoma said he’s still seeing ammo a lot of places there. Other family I have in Colorado aren’t seeing much of anything in the big box stores.
I'm seeing that now in Alaska... 62gr M855 green tip same price as M193 55gr fmj. It's oddly curious that most of the 5.56 ammo I can easily find is PMC, while all the American manufactures have 10 billion excuses as to why their ammo is not on the shelves.
First video of your I've ever seen. As such, its simplicity and no nonsense approach earned a sub from me immediately, which is saying a lot actually, because I usually watch at least two videos from a channel before deciding to subscribe.
Now, about the ammo. Green tips were not designed to be armour penetrating. The green only designates a steel core, 62 grain round -vs- a non-steel core, 55 grain round. Black tips are armour piercing designators for milspec ammo. The green tip was designed to stabilize in the faster twist rate that came with the M4 over the slower rate in the M16, that is all. The fact that they do penetrate much better was simply a bonus, and a very nice one at that.
M193 are faster, lighter rounds that are devastating to armor with a 20" barrel at close range. The M855 are heavier and slower, but were designed to puncture Soviet steel helmets at 300 meters, again, with a 20" barrel. Both rounds are effective, both can defeat level III(+) armor, but there are variables involved, from barrel length to angle of impact. I have a few dozen mags loaded with both M855 and M193 in my "go to war" kit plus about 5000 on stripper clips. I keep all those aside and shoot cheap Russian steel case ammo at the range, it saves a lot of money. Good video.
I have about 800 green tips. They’re great for 100 yds & less. I notice whenever I go out beyond that they tend to hit slightly low and to the side. I think the steel post makes them more susceptible to wind interference. For good, accurate shots, nothing beats Hornady 75gr HPBT for me.
I just need to know what happened to make the company who you got the ballistic plate from put a sticker on there that says “Do Not Iron”... I have questions that need answers.
Can’t have any wrinkles in your uniform. Not all the ones that are wearing said uniforms are working with a full box of crayons. Same reason a lot of equipment says “front - toward enemy”
I can’t really tell which one left the holes because the second m193 could’ve left a hole or both m855 could’ve left a hole. The label paper was in the way for the first two shots but really moved out the way for the second m193 shot.
Green tips will shoot through 1/2 inch steel. I've done it. The Morongo brand sks/ak steel core will go through 5/16 inch. Its the 5.56 speed of 3600 fps is why
Although the results would still be the same eventually, it wasn't a fair comparison. Body armor is weakened as a round hits it. Think of it like shooting a windshield with a .22 LR. Eventually one will make it through because of the cracks caused by the previous round. By shooting the armor with the 55 grain bullets first, it ruptured the armor enough for the 62 grain bullets to pass through more easily. The more accurate way to make the comparison would to be to have 2 armor plates and shoot them an equal number of times, with each bullet, to determine how many shots each one would actually stop. Obviously, that would be expensive and the 62 grain bullets would still win out because they have a small hardened steel pin in them. Body armor works. I was hit in the chest twice while on a patrol in Kandahar, AFG. But it only works for a little bit. Another round would have probably made this comment impossible, since it would have most likely killed me. :-)
The actual reason for the mild steel core is to increase BC of the round. The penetration is just a perk. M193 is generally better on soft tissue, whereas m855 will melt through stuff like car doors and car frames. Personally, I run 77 grain JHPs. But stockpile M193 as a backup.
This was a pretty expensive unscientific test to learn what you could have found in the reading on that plate. It's a Lv3 plate meaning it can stop most standard FMJ rounds but not a green tip "penetrator" which requires Lv3+
For a real science experiment, you need to have a controlled variable, the body armor. Two separate plates for each ammo. The armor was already fatigued by the time you used the green tips so it would be invalid. Beside that, nice demo.
Exactly thought same thing as he did it. Amdbthe closeness to the prior shots the cermaic is busted up and rendered useless. You could shoot a 22lr through those areas now lol Shoulda did green first to know for fact if not a separate control
The SS-109 is a copper jacketed lead bullet with a steel penetrator core it's a composite bullet. It couldn't be made of solid steel because steel would destroy the lands and grooves of the barrel. The copper is gripped by the lands and grooves to maintain the accuracy of the spin. Much of the eastern bloc ammunition has a steel case cartridge and cannot be reloaded, brass is malleable and can be reloaded. Steel is much cheaper, because iron is more abundant. However eastern bloc AP ammo is the same type of composite bullet , copper jacketed lead with a steel core. Thanks for the video. I used to reload all sorts of calibers. Loved to shoot long range. No one needs permission from the government to defend their own lives, that right is inherent in the fact the we are alive and all men die. Everything we do in this terminal life is "self defense" from the moment we are born. Our rights come directly from God. The Constitution is simply a testimony of the truth "inalienable" . All must be judged by God for their crimes, especially corrupt dictators.
@@michaelkaran7244 1 in 7 twist, 16" barrel. The reason they're inaccurate is because it's a 3 part bullet (lead, steel penetratior and jacket) that lacks the balance and consistency needed for repeat accuracy. They roughly double my group size, not a big deal really, but obvious when shooting paper targets. Also, Paul Harrell did a great video on the subject if you want to know more.
One can easily make the black tip rounds if they so choose. Its a bit of work. Take a 55 grain bullet, melt the lead out with a torch. Buy some carbide scribe tips. Insert the scribe tip and cap off back with a lead plug. Should work.
iv read that a good plan is to stock pile 556 ammo, 20 percent green tip, and 80 percent 55g fmj. also carry a plate carrier with 10 mags at the ready in the same percentages. iv never been a fan of plastic armor.
The US had developed a 55 grain penetrator bullet, when FN developed the 62 grain penetrator version for use in their then new belt fed Minimi machine gun. Physics being what they are, the heavier bullet penetrated better than the lighter bullet, so NATO standardized 5.56 with the heavier bullet. The whole point of the heavier bullet was better penetration and the steel insert helps that a bit more. That's what the bullet is designed for.
After watching this I checked my supplie of ammo. I usually shoot 2.23 like most I'm sure at the range And I smiled when I opened the boxs I just got last week of 5.56 All green tips👍
I ordered 1000 rounds of IMI green tips from SG Ammo last month (~$0.60/round). I shot a box of these at my local gun range... probably messed up their deflection plate in the back. :(
Definitely need to probably resight your sights if you use these as home defense compared to 223! Or at least make sure it’s still zeroed And definitely do not shoot them at a range, indoor or out! Sparks can create fires too!
Green tip is only good if your target is wearing body armour. If not, it'll go right thru them. If you want a round with some real stopping power (in a home defence situation, for example) I'd recommend the 77-grain Black Hills or the M193
I always use green tips. My dad retired master chief engineer submarines. He turned me on to the green tips. Now that's all I use. Loved your video shows great difference. Keep up the good work. God bless America. Go Trump
The green tops are Penetrators that are used in the military for metal now 556 will go through metal better stay a certain thickness but A penetrator will go through pretty much engine blocks stuff like that
the Green tips (ss109) were originally intended to defeat a Soviet Helmet at the UnGodly range of 800 yards well beyond what an Ordinary AR-15A2 was designed for range wise. They have TUNGSTEN in them as their core. Many moons ago a friend of mine and myself took a HARDENED Hacksaw blade to one, after several minutes of sawing we gave up the core remained intact. Lesson here? YEP Green tip will defeat many types of Armor. That being said the M193 55 grain ball is FAR better at terminal ballistics in FLESH especially when fired from a 20 inch Rifle Barrel this was also found to be the case in Afghanistan when the US Army issued some older M-16 rifles very early on with that load.
If you can wrangle up some m855a1, which is probably even more expensive still, that's a decent round. I make armour and m855, m855a1 and m995 give me the creeps.
I buy the 62's for the grain weight. I run 1:8 twist, and those 62gr seem to be perfectly matched to that twist rate. More so than the 55gr, when it comes to my groups. But I can't say I have really seen any 62gr "non-green tips" when doing bulk ammo buys.
I didnt think either would get threw. From my understanding the unbalanced steel tip will cause the bullet to have a higher chance to yawl which causes more damage but reduce accuracy. Green tip for shtf/all rounder. Soft tip for defense/hunting. Fmj or range fun. if using a sbr your not going to get enough velocity to cause any fragmentation on impact anyways. My 2 cents
Yeah the green tips are worth it according to the video. I managed to find a 1000 round case for the same price as non green tips back in 2018 before ammo shortage. What a great investment. Should of shot the green tips first though. Or at least some regular afterwards to see if the loss of armor integrity was the reason for the green tips passing.
How could you find any in 2018? Even before that, there was a SEVERE ammo shortage and I couldn't find even "unpopular' ammo like .40 S&W!! I mean if .40 S&W is sold out everywhere, that's BAAAD.
I've scrolled down a few comments and couldn't find anyone asking, so I'm sorry if this has been asked before: What if there were a mass behind the armor? You have the armor simply supported on the ends and shot holes through the center. As the bullet moves into the armor, there is very little resistance behind the armor to support the layers from tearing. I wonder if strapping it to a piece of ballistic gel would change the results at all... Like kids breaking boards in karate; it would be really hard to break that board if they backed it up in the center.
Green Tips are Steel Core (Armor Piercing) Some indoor ranges and some outdoor ranges forbid Steel Core ammo as they can over penetrate and can sometimes spark up.
5:02 Pretty definitive to me!! BTW, green tips *ARE NOT GOOD* for use on steel targets (yes, even AR500).....unless you like nice DEEP divots in your metal targets that fling metal directly back at you! P.S. Green tips are named LAP which indicates Light Armor Piercing
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I'm going to go buy some green paint to dip my bullets in!lol
It would have been good to shoot the same plate with 7.62, both non and greenies. I'm guessing the outcome would be the same.
Have you shot the thick plate with green tip 5.56 yet , 7.62 gt, 50
Yup
Was just telling my wife how cool your are 🤠
M855 isnt just for "armor penetration", but the reason for the steel penetrator tip is to penetrate cover, brush, wood, and whatever else might be in the way. Glass, car doors, cinder blocks, etc.
Idk if I necessarily believed that because ultimately this round has a tendency to fragment even more than just a normal fmj, as in your target has to be basically right next to the barrier you're shooting through because if they arnt it legitimately doesn't matter what that barrier is and yes even a leaf can cause the m855 to start fragmenting. I shot a trash can maybe 10" wide with maybe a 1mm wall of soft plastic and the first hole is normal but the second hole I can clearly see the bullet is already in multiple pieces and thats only 10" after it went through what should be an irrelevant barrier.
Of course this isn't a good thing but where this fact is actually a positive would be armor that greentip can defeat, that fragmentation is going to be dramatic and you'll basically have 1 little hole but on the other side of that armor it comes out as a cloud of vaporized lead and steal and if they have a back plate its even worse. I'd love to do some testing with really spicy greentips but unfortunately I don't have extra plates to destroy.
@@whatsmolly5741 I used it in real world scenarios back in 2003-2005 in Iraq and it definitely penetrates cinder blocks, etc.
@@whatsmolly5741 Now I believe the Marine Corps uses m855a1 but when I was in it was just regular old green tips.
Exactly
The green tip was designed to penetrate a Soviet military helmet at 500 yards.
Always good to see a video where the person doesn't already know the answer,shows honesty and that you are not afraid to be wrong.
🙏🙏🙏 thanks for watching!
Humble and wholesome
Being wrong is part of learning.
But........its when your right......and others try to tell you your wrong ! And nothing will change there thinking !
@@michaelt7553 arseholes usually are.
He should have used a green tip in this video
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Goattie McGoat underrated comment.
He did use it 🥳😂😂
Got em!!!
He did last 2 shots, the ones that came through! But the 55 grain were moving it in a great deal woulda been cracked ribs & very painful. Stick to my old school steel plates rated for rifle rounds.Little Heavy but way lighter than my dead body. Also history behind them & carrier. Been to Irag & Afganistan & not a scratch on plates or carrier!!! A really great marine may as well gave to me!!! 150$ for whole setup!!!! He has several. I feel like this 1 was meant 4 me he even got same blood type written in sharpie above heart area.
Green Tip: AP
Orange/Red Tip: Tracer
Blue Tip: Incendiary
Rainbow Tip: FAAAABBBBUULLOOUUSS!
Rainbow is disgusting asf. 🤮
Those green tips passed through the armor like a hot knife through butter!
Sure did
I think they are only good at going through armor like this but not so well against steel armor it’s the opposite with steel u would use xm193 I think it has better steel penetration for what I have seen through testing
And soft targets too. better hit vitals if you want an immediate response.
@@Texasmade4444444444 I have shot threw 1/4 "&5/16" medium carbon steel . 050%-.=075% carbon content with green tip 62grain at 150yards it looked like a high speed drill okay mild protrusion however they become less stable around 200-250yards out of a 20" barrel.
That's what they were designed to do. They work even better from a 20in barrel because of their higher velocity
SS109/M855 are no joke. That's the load we carried in the Marine Corps. It generally finds it's way those most things. It will absolutely ruin your day. On the same token you don't want to be on the receiving end of the M193 either.
Rah?
Fuckin' A! Wreck shit!
We use them for our saws not for our m4s but seeing this lmao thats good to no don't plate check with green tips
When SAPPI first became general issue to all of us deployed Marine grunts after the invasion force battalions returned from Iraq in the summer of 2003 we were told that they were capable of of stopping up to 3 shots from 7.62x51 ball rounds at a 90° angle from beyond 100 meters before they became completely ineffective
After Corps duty I returned back in the states to reload. 5.56 loads and 223 loads were tested to find green tips were much better with 5.56 brass, of course there was weight difference in bullet choice and I used primarily Hornady 3rd edition data for prescribed loads. Choice of appropriate firearm chambered for each was used also.
The 7.62 M80 ball is 7.62x51 (.308) so that’s actually a lot more power than a AK 7.62 x39 And yeah the m855 will be better than a standard 55gn
💪💪
Yup, this rating for 7.62 m80s (308) got a bit more ummmppp behind them than the ak 7.62
Hey Natalie, love King James! I have a Boston Terrier named Zip. Aren't the human like gestures great? I could do without the snoring and farting though! 🤭🤣😂
@@kentuckywindage222 LOL, Stalker
@@TerraFirmaX
?
"Are green tips worth it?... In my opinion not really worth how much you pay."
*whips out fully cerakoted tacticool rifle that was definitely worth it*
Good video though 👍😂
😆😆😆
Yes there are worth It especially if you can't find anything else. You had better be thankful and grab It if it's available. 855 renders a butter knife obsolete. LOL
How much do you pay? They charge 10.99$ for 20 rounds! I think it’s worth it! Specially now days
Or who you get them from 🧐
I've never played COD 🤷♂️
For armored targets, the 62 grain M855 Green Tip is the way to go. For unarmored, soft targets, the 55 grain M193 cartridge is where it’s at. The 55 grain bullet has a better likelihood of fragmenting in a soft target, leading to greater wounding capability. The M855 is generally going to be the better penetrating round, but tends to provide less traumatic wound profiles.
There are however, some steel type armor plates which can be defeated by the higher velocity of the 55 grain bullet, while managing to stop the 62 grain green tip. All of these things are heavily influenced by the combination of barrel length, barrel twist rate, and distance to the target.
As with all things, there are trade off’s that are made when selecting one over the other. I wouldn’t want to be hit with ANY of them whether wearing armor or not. Still, I would say that a person whose primary objective is to defend their home from criminals is likely to be well served by a rifle with a shorter barrel, loaded with 55 grain ammo, while someone engaging in combat with an organized opposing force at various distances would be better served by the 62 grain green tip fired from a barrel of greater length.
The same applies to optics and other accessories. For fast target acquisition at relatively short distances, a red dot or holographic optic is going to yield excellent results. If the probability of needing to take shots at extended range is present, a magnified optic is the clear winner.
Select the right gear for the job you intend to be using it for.
I would disagree on the soft target recommendation. A 77gr otm is better at any given range and at greater range than a 55gr fmj. With a 16" barrel m193 is dropping below the permanent wound channel velocity at around 300 yards, while 77gr otm still has the ability to expand and carries about the same energy as a 9mm out to 600 yards. Under 300 yards it will still expand as well as cause permanent wound channel with velocity which causes much more damage.
77gr OTM rounds are the best for stopping an unarmored target.
Unless you’re the attacker or loading when being attacked you’ll use whatever round in the chamber
Guys don't be sold on the green tips. I have watched quite a few tests and it appears the green tips will go through ceramic plates while 193 will not. Now take a steel plate carrier and fire a green tip at it and it won't go through it, while the 193 will blast right through......this was on level 3+ plates. So in a defense situation my thought is loading a green then a 193 and alternate. Then just double tap and you're good.
green tips also go through uhmwpe plates too.
Actually, I’ve punch holes through a 3/4” railroad tie plate at 100 yards with green tips. I was quite surprised.
Ranges don’t like green tip because it goes through steel targets....
This is literal common sense..... Smol stEal Hit ThE BigGeR Steal and NAddA! But It HIt ThE SMol SteAl AnD gO TRUEEE!!! REEEEEEEEE
M855 is not going through decent ceramic armor.
Have about 2000 rds of the green tips never know when i might need them.
Save them just in case we start seeing blue helmets here.
According to an ex-marine who works at my local gun range, green tips were designed to penetrate armored helmets.
Same.
Gray Au can’t wait to see all of the little blue moving targets.
Libtard apocalypse !!!!!! But then again you should be good with blanks!
Really cool test! If you ever get the chance to revisit this test, please try and keep a bigger separation between the different points of aim. Ceramic armour has a really bad multi strike capability. The ceramic absorbs the energy over a wide area, getting crushed in the process. From the video it looks like you shot the green tips through an area that was already crushed from absorbing the energy from regular rounds.
This plate had zero Ceramic in it… This is a UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene)…Polyethylene can catch most rounds that don’t contain steel, but m855’s steel penetrator is too hard/dense to be stopped by the polyethylene if it’s going fast enough.
Ceramic level 4 can stop 308 . Green tip 556 would take multiple shots in the same area to penetrate this is only level 3
I just realized three days ago that a large bulk order of "regular" 5.56 I placed two years ago turned out to be all Green Tip ammo. I had not had any reason to open or check those cans until I decided to do a full ammo count three days ago, and to my surprise I have a ton of Green Tip ammo, which I had recently regretted not buying back when it was still available. Now it turns out I secretly had thousands of those rounds and I didn't even know it. Well, I have no idea why I was sent green tip instead of regular 5.56, but I'm certainly ok with it.
Nice
Send us your Adresse 🤣😂🤣
@@conradangel8602 I will, soon 🤣🤣🤣
Green tips are still available that mostly what my local gun shop has
@@willywonka6252 yeah, they are now, but they are more than double the cost of when I bought them and customers are usually limited to how many they can purchase, so people's dollars don't take them as far as they used to... but like you said, at least they're still available
Personally, I would've rathered he check the armor after the first 2 shots and again, after the green tips. Some might question where he was shooting? By the manner in which the plate moved during the first 2 shots, I'd guess he hit low- he didn't say where he was aiming. I'm not disputing the results, but would've appreciated the "clarity" of where he was shooting. I'm merely suggesting how I would've done this for documentation purposes.
You’ve earned a subscriber. Made valid points to concerns, short sweet video, and planted some freedom seeds! Very informative, and thank you for sacrificing your plate to bring us this info!
Appreciate you watching bigtime!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve been asking several TH-camrs to compare the differences of the green tip m-855’s vs the regular fmj’s. I am happy to know I did not waste my money now.
Thanks for watching! Have more similar tests coming out very soon
There you have it, science wins!
#science
The m193 ammo was what was used in Vietnam. Combined with a 1 in 12" twist barrel these rounds were devastating to soft tissue but their speed and light weight made it hard to pass through bushes and soft cover. In the 80's the military switched to the m855 green tip ammo with a 1 in 7" twist barrel. The additional weight with the steel penetrator solved this issue while still maintaining it ability to destroy soft tissue. The green tip ammo is not armor piercing ammo but it's really good at penetrating things. I bought a whole bunch of the stuff and it's my SHTF ammo.
I'm in the process of buying the green tip. So far I have 1100 rds, my plan is to have at least 4000 rds, more if the mood strikes me.
@@altortugas5979 I know it might be a waste of money but, with brain dead biden in the nut house(white house) I rather have too much than not enough.
Guess I wont be wastin my green tips at the range anymore ... I thought they were the same as well ... Really good to know it can easily defeat 3plus armor.
Tough stuff
I also thought they were about the same. Now I feel bad about shooting my green tips at the indoor range. Probably shot a couple of holes (20 to be exact) in their steel deflection plates in the back! :(
@Jones I shot mine at 25 yards. Pretty sure there's a few holes in the back.
@@stanl2005 how did those rounds pass the magnet test?
The reason they are more effective is they have a tungsten steel core for barrier penetration its not just paint
I have 7 different types of .223 n 5.56. My green tips are gonna come in handy when the crazy starts.🇺🇲
I wish you would have had two different plates to shoot! That plate was already weak after you hit it twice. Test would be more conclusive with two different plates so you how each plate reacts with the different types of rounds. But at least I know to hit a plate with two .223 and then a green tip will go through
Exactly as soon as you hit that plate with the first shot it shatters that ceramic and weakens the plate!
Similar to what I said....but apparently he didn't like my post lol....
@@cpimprun doubt it's ceramic. Probably a Carbon Kevlar and epoxy weave.
Holes from 1st 2 were not near last 2. New plate woulda been same results. Piece of titanium at 3000+ feet per second not rocket science especially with ceramic plate. At that range green tip real deadly. 55 grand fmj frontier would made a hole had he put 2 in exact same spot. I prefer 20" barrel for rifle adds fps & accuracy. 223 wylde barrel n high grade lower & I get dime size grouping on bipod at 100 yds & 125. Havent had access to a range in a min & conserve my ammo these days. Practiced with each weapon for over a year every week. Only stopped cuz too expensive to waste & were 6 cent a round for 55 grain per plandemic,now 50 cent to 1.50 a round!!! Glad I started stocking up early. Would like to have more rounds for handguns tho. Bought reloader & everything needed even dies!!! Nowcant even Find Powder & lead much less primers. But can still find ammo for whatever I need. Stick to military rounds n u can always run across some somehow, 223/5.56& 45acp & 9mm + 12gauge.. Was never a prep type but my gut told me a few years ago to start !!!! Glad & blessed to have a decent head start & blessed by good deals n being right place right time. Stay Frosty, strange days indeed till Biden n Pelosi gang are gone none of us are safe Pray for best prep for worst! WHATEVER YOU DO STAY AWAY FROM VACCINES!!!!!!!! couldnt drag me in a hospital rt now.
@@cpimprun shatters it in that area. That's why I prefer ole school steel ain't getting thru that
Greet tips are worse against steel armor. Xm193 outperforms it. Against softer barriers like mild steel or concrete that's where greentip wins. M855 greentip is not an ap round.
It all depends on what the deer your hunting are hiding behind I guess.
of if the deer is wearing body armor lmao !
You hunt deer with 223 ??? Hmmm
@@everythingisvibration 223 is the best deer round available in my worthless opinion. Big midwest and northern whitetails are no problem with 223. Don't use a thin jacket "varmint" bullet and you're golden. If 30-06 is adequate for elk, then .223 is more than enough for whitetails and muleys.
Don't need green tips for deer. Sierra GameKing 65 grainers are pretty good on them. However, I used those GameKing 65's on a hog hunt with a friend. Shot at a few bigger 200+ lb hogs and heard the bullet "thunk" on the pig (we use silencers, but with supersonic ammo) and the hogs ran off like they weren't hit at all. On a big boar, I heard the bullet hit and my friend then dropped the pig with his 308. Upon skinning, we found my 65 grain GameKing bullet stopped in the 2" thick gristle plate of the hog's shoulder... not even making it to the NEAR side ribs. No wonder they were running off! I switched to TSX bullets after the green tips did a so-so job (green tips MUCH better than cheap fmj, better than GameKings, but not as good as TSX). TSX work splendid on deer too. However, I was often needing to get 4 or 5 good hits on a hog with the .223 TSX before the pig would drop (on hogs over 200 lbs). Since with my thermal scope I'd usually be leading the snout by about a foot to get a shoulder area hit after the first shot when the hog was on the run, that was a problem. Many of the pigs would get to the swamps/brush before dying, and they were impossible to find. I've switched to 450 Bushmaster. Shooting 260 grain bonded core bullets with it, loaded well above the published max loads. It drops those hogs with one good shot and leaves a nice big hole. Not going back to .223 for hogs, but will keep using it for deer. If a person is shooting at 100 lb and smaller hogs, 223 should be fine with either green tip or solid copper.
Actually these are made for 2 legged snakes .
I own a Colt with a 20 inch barrel and a 1 in 7 twist ,. It has always been my understanding that the SS109 round was developed for use with a 20" barrel that has a 1/7 twist .
I stockpiled Lake City and Winchester back in the 90's . I once payed $89 for 500 green tipped Winchester rounds , you can tell by looking at the brass that the Winchester rounds had been belted for use in a machine gun.
I also bought Lake City that were on strippers .
I always use the magnet test to make sure someone didn't just apply green paint to make some extra money . If the magnet barely sticks then it has a stainless steal core .
i thought m855 was developed for the shorter barrel m4.
@@mtnbound2764nope
I was pretty impressed. Them green tips went right on through. Would be cool if you could get your hands on some old black tips. Tungsten core, I think? Them rigs are hard as Woodpecker Lips!!! Thanks Brother. Hope y'all are doing great.
🙏🕊🇺🇸🦅
Always wondered what my green tip ammo was really capable of. Now I know. That was badass!
Thanks for watching!
m855 wasn't made to penetrate modern steel armor, it was made to penetrate thin steel armor like 1970's era helmets.
Yes, basically the Belgians tailored the bullet with a little bit of hardened steel core to pass NATO tests. They required long-range penetration on par with 7.62 NATO ball.
@@mattiamalevolti2545 It's crazy because the heavier 5.56 with steel cores or the rarer Tungsten core 5.56 outperform the 7.63x39 on every single level, it's all about what you're shooting our of your rifle and what that bullet is going to hit. Those tungsten 5.56 will pass through half in hard rolled steel all day, like it's nothing.
I did industrial reforestation for years, hand planting of logged land. We used hoedad's the blades were 1/4 inch thick forged steel, I shot a used blade with SS-109 from 20 yards, the bullets did not penetrate but the back deformation was approximately 1/4 inch. This is significant because that steel is very hard. No steel such as this is ever used for armor plating in a bullet proof vest it is simply way too heavy.
All you had to do was look at the body armor after each shot.
Found a 420 round can of these towards the end of 2019 marked down to $75 at wally world after they were closing out on 556. Now i see that same can going for over $500
Clearly price gouging.
Arrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhh!
Bullets are the new gold. Price appreciate.
80cent around is the best I can find these days
@@IAMRUSTEDROOT everyone Is doing it
My daughter and I really dig that Modern Warfare camo !
Pretty cool !
Generally UHWMPE (PE) armor is susceptible to hardened materials like M855/M855A1, 7N6M, M80A1, etc. However it's really good at stopping lead core FMJ like M193.
With steel, it is susceptible to lead core higher velocity rounds like M193, but generally will stop M855/M855A1, 7N6/M, as long as velocities of those rounds usually remain below 3000 fps.
Ceramic armor with PE backer will stop all of those above mentioned threats depending on how thick the ceramic is :D
👍👍
I know that the green tip(ss109) round has a mild steel core for weight and penatraton it was made for when the U.S military went to the m16 a2 that had a tighter twist
Rob DeGraw tungsten
Charles Travis that’s BLACK tips. Green are Light Armor Piercing.....black are Armor Piercing
@@Rubeless actually it wasn't the Geneva Convention it was a Hague convention and the United States didn't sign it
@@Rubeless the damage caused by a 5.56 is mostly due to hydro shock because of its extreme muzzle velocity. Regardless of expansion, the inability to compress causes the liquid to rush away from the projectile in all directions, rupturing the blood vessels and damaging the surrounding organs. Over penetration is reduced in most rounds to protect people and property, but the difference in performance is negligible when examining the final wound cavity.
The only big difference in .223 bullets is gonna be when you step into solid copper expandable and varmint bullets. I’ve shot hundreds of pigs and coyotes with all manner of 223 bullets in everything from 220 swift to 221 fireball. When you peel that hide back, whether you used a TNT hollow point, a hot core soft point, or a green tip, the wounds are identical. The tissue around the expanding and non expanding rounds pretty much the same and the wound cavity is almost impossible to distinguish. The only sign that you used a non expanding round is the deviation of the wound channel because it maintains its spitzer shape longer and tends to make random turns. As far as pigs go I have better luck with green tips just because you can punch through both shoulders and liquify the bread basket.
you could've at least compared the green tip to hornady 62 grain. That would be a more accurate comparison.
55 grain M193 is the fastest NATO round for 5 56x45, 62 grain fmj would be slower than M193. Speed defeats body armor, this plate tested was Polyethylene UHWMPE plate which stops M193 (55grFMJ) but not M855 (green tip). On the flip side steel Lvl 3 armor will stop the green tip but not M193 55gr. So pros and cons to both, they both serve a purpose.
Moral of this story is by Lvl III+ or Lvl IV.
@@vspecdout great info, thanks for the lesson. I always assumed that the greentips were the get penetrators because of the steel tips, but i guess it makes sense that speed trumps weight.
now ya gotta do a video on what it takes to stop the green tips and when something stops the green tips what will it take to get through it
👍👍
Paper plates!!!!!
DO NOT EVER SHOOT STEEL CASE ammunition in your AR. The steel cases are A LOT harder on your extractor and will eventually cause a failure in the extractor.
If it hasn't been said, "green tips" (M855) have a steel core. The M193 wouldn't get through a typical helmet of the day so they came up with the M855. I'm surprised nobody seems to remember the big stink towards the end of Zero's administration when he tried to ban "green tips" because they would kill you deader than an M193.
because that is what the US Military designed them to do. They have an armor penetrating steel core/rod inside them. how did it surprise you they went through like butter?
The old black tip 30-06 for ww2 m-1 Garand rifles would shoot through railroad rails lower webbing. That was 3/4 inch
Yup. Cant get em now
WHO_TEE_WHO yes you can all day long! Gunbroker and just about every gun show has a booth with WW1 and WW2 Guns and ammo. BLACKTIPS RULE!
Can't as easily get them. I never buy online. Ripoff to pay shipping
The green" tips" are military grade, federal. You already knew that? Thanks for the post 👍
That was a pure UHMWPE plate, the story would have been a little different if the plate had a ceramic strike face, but in general M855 does pretty well against non-steel armor.
My green tips went through 1/2 inch steel.
@@salmaya9274 I can’t imagine that was AR500, but M855 is definitely a decent option against armor one way or another. You’re a lot more likely to penetrate UHMWPE backer with M855 than M193. Just gotta break up some of the ceramic first.
Green tippy is about the same price as the 55 grains now, I scavenge all over east coast when I'm out of D.C. Washington cesspool, not a resident.
👍👍
True. Maybe a little more than 55 gr. which makes them worth it. Bought 1000 rounds today "on sale" myself.
I guess they are worth it ..💪
Unbelievably three things we can still buy on the open market, green tips, body armor and Tannerite! God bless America and God bless President Trump!
The New York State Assembly introduced a bill banning the sale and possession of body armor just this week.
@@milesian1 And yet another reason not to live there!
Mark Fox Yeah, it’s hard to believe it, but NY is even worse than Commiefornia.
@@milesian1 How does that even make sense? They afraid you'll throw the body armor at someone? Seems they're trying to disarm the population and remove any protections for when they come to round people up...
BlackEngineer Bingo!
Try a side by side with those 2 different rounds on cinderblocks and those pavers.
👍👍
When testing always check your target after each shot. That shield is not designed to stop a .223 round. Believe it or not 7.62 rounds are easier to stop. Increase backend deformation, however they seldom exit in my ballistic test.
M855 green tip was made for Soviet armor wearing troops that would have been pouring into Germany during the 3rd world war.
bro, i asked the people at the shops, whats the deal with all these green tips all of a sudden, they trying to tell us something??
I haven’t shot green tip yet but I have bought some a while back. I do keep a mag of some green tip mixed with some regular FMJ’s. From my understanding green tip is essentially LAP - Light Armor Piercing. They are poorly accurate but do penetrate harder cover better then regular FMJ’s.
They're only inaccurate out of an inaccurate twist, they prefer 1:7, a 1:12 or 1:14 will cause this round to tumble every single time.
Hard to tell, steel is cheaper than lead and bullets can use steel to better balance the weight distribution.
@@whatsmolly5741 The steel cores are not perfectly centered. They are less accurate at range.
Now the real patented Who-Tee-Who test!! Bust out the great value paper plates brother!
👍👍
*YES!!!*
Epic.
Yup
Green tips (M855) defeats Lvl III uhwmpe while m193 defeats Lvl III Steel armor. Just go III+ or Lvl VI. But point is both rounds have their purpose. If you do just a little bit of research on body armor you'll find this out very easily.
The m193 blows thru ar500 out of a 20 in bbl where the m855 gets stopped so ur right both have advantages
what goes through lvl VI ?
50 cal?
See, the problem is, everyone thinks it’s some magical bullet, it’s not, it’s actually worse in quotes few ways compared to M193 ball, but it’s far better in others. M855 was made to go through soft armor and helmets at longer range than just 55 grain fmj could, reliably. Along with light barrier penetration, especially from the M249. But it’s actually worse against soft targets, and some lightly armored targets, IE steel rifle rifle plates,
Frankthetank123098 yeah, not their purpose. Steel rifle plates weren’t a things when they were made/adopted and still aren’t a thing, not for militaries anyways. M193 was developed to go through armor, except maybe the shit nylon flak jackets that existed then. But then again any rifle round would short of .22lr. M193 goes through some steel armor, as a result of pure velocity and being small diameter, just a nice side effect at close range. The one he was shooting was clearly a composite plate, with no ceramic in it, that plate would stop M193, easily. But any kind of steel core/light penetrator goes right through. If I had to only use soft armor and regular helmets with no upgrades, I’d pray they were using M193 and was above 300m, then you might make it, the M855, nope, going right through.
Frankthetank123098 I mean, o definitely bought some 855, it’s good and has a purpose, but I have a lot of 193 also. Never hurts to have both laying around. Neither of them are bad, or way better than the other, just better at things they were made for, with follow on side effects as a result of what they were originally designed for.
Its also good to remember that those plates don't cover very much body area. I say this because I had to chuckle watching the because I was thinking of the lunatics in the chaz/chop because they were wearing plate carriers, and no other armor. (and who knows if they actually had plates in them) All I can say is they're not very prepared for buckshot.
I’ve seen videos of a 55gn from a 20” will defeat level 3 armor when the 62gn from the same 20” barrel wouldn’t.
Was it on a steel plate? I think the green tip struggles on steel from the lower velocity but it seems to do fine on ceramic under lvl4 from the few videos I've seen
Who knew that the round meant to counter deflection from car windshields and pierce engine blocks was good at getting through personal armor? :3
Who knew that the round wouldn't make it through level 3 AR500 steel armor, but would make it through ceramic?
Green tip is better than none with this ridiculous ammo shortage.
Absolutely
I always kept a mag of green tips with my rifle when I was on the job for just in case
Hah I keep 10 mags with greens and 4 w .223
@@SuperGiantGeckosLLC I had other mags but always kept a mag of green for just in case
No you dont
@@jgutmen486 you don't ???? Man
It would be cool to see a clay block behind the plate, you know, for science. The penetrator core is smaller than 5.56, I’m curious to see how the energy distributes.
good idea
I got green tips for the same price as FMJ and that’s all they actually had in stock
Of course we're in crazy times but I've found lately the green tips are a little less expensive and more available than other brass casing 223/556 ammo.
What state are you in? I’m in Texas, still finding ammo but prices have doubled or tripled and not much of a selection. My uncle in Oklahoma said he’s still seeing ammo a lot of places there. Other family I have in Colorado aren’t seeing much of anything in the big box stores.
@@RockyMountainWest13 Michigan / Ohio picked up 2,000 rounds of 7.62x38 yesterday. Out the door it was 479.00 for a box of 1,000
I'm seeing that now in Alaska... 62gr M855 green tip same price as M193 55gr fmj. It's oddly curious that most of the 5.56 ammo I can easily find is PMC, while all the American manufactures have 10 billion excuses as to why their ammo is not on the shelves.
Midway has green tip like a dollar more per box then regular fmj. Obviously prices were better before pandemic but atleast I can stock up a little bit
First video of your I've ever seen. As such, its simplicity and no nonsense approach earned a sub from me immediately, which is saying a lot actually, because I usually watch at least two videos from a channel before deciding to subscribe.
Now, about the ammo. Green tips were not designed to be armour penetrating. The green only designates a steel core, 62 grain round -vs- a non-steel core, 55 grain round. Black tips are armour piercing designators for milspec ammo. The green tip was designed to stabilize in the faster twist rate that came with the M4 over the slower rate in the M16, that is all. The fact that they do penetrate much better was simply a bonus, and a very nice one at that.
Appreciate you watching bigtime. No nonsense here. Just regular people. No drama no fuss
M193 are faster, lighter rounds that are devastating to armor with a 20" barrel at close range. The M855 are heavier and slower, but were designed to puncture Soviet steel helmets at 300 meters, again, with a 20" barrel.
Both rounds are effective, both can defeat level III(+) armor, but there are variables involved, from barrel length to angle of impact.
I have a few dozen mags loaded with both M855 and M193 in my "go to war" kit plus about 5000 on stripper clips. I keep all those aside and shoot cheap Russian steel case ammo at the range, it saves a lot of money.
Good video.
Can you do green tip vs. Block of clay?
I have about 800 green tips. They’re great for 100 yds & less. I notice whenever I go out beyond that they tend to hit slightly low and to the side. I think the steel post makes them more susceptible to wind interference. For good, accurate shots, nothing beats Hornady 75gr HPBT for me.
Coriolis effect
I just need to know what happened to make the company who you got the ballistic plate from put a sticker on there that says “Do Not Iron”... I have questions that need answers.
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Can’t have any wrinkles in your uniform. Not all the ones that are wearing said uniforms are working with a full box of crayons. Same reason a lot of equipment says “front - toward enemy”
@@WaltWW I get the “front towards...” probably with how the fibers are woven. But the iron. Come on.
There was a lot to learn from both video and comments. The easy-going Hank Hill commentary earned a subscriber! :-) Cheers!
Dangit bobby
I can’t really tell which one left the holes because the second m193 could’ve left a hole or both m855 could’ve left a hole. The label paper was in the way for the first two shots but really moved out the way for the second m193 shot.
i bought some on accident, so I guess that is a good thing LOL
Same 😂😂
same lol
they're good to have around.
Me tro. Had no idea. I just thought they put the green on to make them look a little more pretty.
Green tips will shoot through 1/2 inch steel. I've done it. The Morongo brand sks/ak steel core will go through 5/16 inch. Its the 5.56 speed of 3600 fps is why
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No. 3200 at best
Although the results would still be the same eventually, it wasn't a fair comparison. Body armor is weakened as a round hits it. Think of it like shooting a windshield with a .22 LR. Eventually one will make it through because of the cracks caused by the previous round. By shooting the armor with the 55 grain bullets first, it ruptured the armor enough for the 62 grain bullets to pass through more easily. The more accurate way to make the comparison would to be to have 2 armor plates and shoot them an equal number of times, with each bullet, to determine how many shots each one would actually stop. Obviously, that would be expensive and the 62 grain bullets would still win out because they have a small hardened steel pin in them. Body armor works. I was hit in the chest twice while on a patrol in Kandahar, AFG. But it only works for a little bit. Another round would have probably made this comment impossible, since it would have most likely killed me. :-)
Respect
The actual reason for the mild steel core is to increase BC of the round. The penetration is just a perk.
M193 is generally better on soft tissue, whereas m855 will melt through stuff like car doors and car frames.
Personally, I run 77 grain JHPs. But stockpile M193 as a backup.
M855 was designed to penetrate helmets more than anything else
This was a pretty expensive unscientific test to learn what you could have found in the reading on that plate. It's a Lv3 plate meaning it can stop most standard FMJ rounds but not a green tip "penetrator" which requires Lv3+
Well that would have made for a boring video...😆
The back said level 3 then lower it said plus steel core 556. It was a level 3+
For a real science experiment, you need to have a controlled variable, the body armor. Two separate plates for each ammo. The armor was already fatigued by the time you used the green tips so it would be invalid.
Beside that, nice demo.
Exactly thought same thing as he did it. Amdbthe closeness to the prior shots the cermaic is busted up and rendered useless. You could shoot a 22lr through those areas now lol
Shoulda did green first to know for fact if not a separate control
The SS-109 is a copper jacketed lead bullet with a steel penetrator core it's a composite bullet. It couldn't be made of solid steel because steel would destroy the lands and grooves of the barrel. The copper is gripped by the lands and grooves to maintain the accuracy of the spin. Much of the eastern bloc ammunition has a steel case cartridge and cannot be reloaded, brass is malleable and can be reloaded. Steel is much cheaper, because iron is more abundant. However eastern bloc AP ammo is the same type of composite bullet , copper jacketed lead with a steel core. Thanks for the video. I used to reload all sorts of calibers. Loved to shoot long range. No one needs permission from the government to defend their own lives, that right is inherent in the fact the we are alive and all men die. Everything we do in this terminal life is "self defense" from the moment we are born. Our rights come directly from God. The Constitution is simply a testimony of the truth "inalienable" . All must be judged by God for their crimes, especially corrupt dictators.
The green tips are noticeably less accurate, but they're my go to for self defense. I'm pretty confident they would go right through a bear skull too.
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Honestly hadn't thought about bear defense with these. Ill keep that in mind next time I'm out in the woods in bear territory. Thanks!
You need faster rifling to stabilize heavy for caliber bullets
@@michaelkaran7244 1 in 7 twist, 16" barrel. The reason they're inaccurate is because it's a 3 part bullet (lead, steel penetratior and jacket) that lacks the balance and consistency needed for repeat accuracy. They roughly double my group size, not a big deal really, but obvious when shooting paper targets.
Also, Paul Harrell did a great video on the subject if you want to know more.
Less accurate? Looks they were pretty on point to me lol...
One can easily make the black tip rounds if they so choose. Its a bit of work. Take a 55 grain bullet, melt the lead out with a torch. Buy some carbide scribe tips. Insert the scribe tip and cap off back with a lead plug. Should work.
I've heard stories told from former SF dudes and they say green tip is crap. Regardless I don't wanna get shot by any of them
Did they mention what was wrong with them?
@@smarterthanyou2255 lack of performance through barriers. Meaning no knock down power after they hit anything
iv read that a good plan is to stock pile 556 ammo, 20 percent green tip, and 80 percent 55g fmj. also carry a plate carrier with 10 mags at the ready in the same percentages. iv never been a fan of plastic armor.
Who's saying you "should've used a green tip". Using the inferior cartridge gives you no advantages.
Should have used a piece of armor designed to stop 5.56. the velocity difference of the 55 grain 5.56 and a ak rd makes a difference.
That CMMG looks like it came off the wall at the Museum of Modern Art.
The US had developed a 55 grain penetrator bullet, when FN developed the 62 grain penetrator version for use in their then new belt fed Minimi machine gun. Physics being what they are, the heavier bullet penetrated better than the lighter bullet, so NATO standardized 5.56 with the heavier bullet. The whole point of the heavier bullet was better penetration and the steel insert helps that a bit more. That's what the bullet is designed for.
After watching this I checked my supplie of ammo. I usually shoot 2.23 like most I'm sure at the range
And I smiled when I opened the boxs I just got last week of 5.56 All green tips👍
I ordered 1000 rounds of IMI green tips from SG Ammo last month (~$0.60/round). I shot a box of these at my local gun range... probably messed up their deflection plate in the back. :(
Definitely need to probably resight your sights if you use these as home defense compared to 223! Or at least make sure it’s still zeroed
And definitely do not shoot them at a range, indoor or out! Sparks can create fires too!
Green tip is only good if your target is wearing body armour. If not, it'll go right thru them. If you want a round with some real stopping power (in a home defence situation, for example) I'd recommend the 77-grain Black Hills or the M193
no it don't
Now we all know, “should’ve used the green tip!”
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I have shot 3/8s mild steel with 55 gr fmj,62 gr green tips,130 gr 270 and a 12 gauge slug and only the green tips and the 270 put holes.
Both green tips went through nonstop they are designed to go through armor good stuff other than it will tear up your feed ramps
Should NOT tear up anything. They’re steel CORED, lead projectiles with a copper jacket. The copper and lead exterior wear the same on the surface.
Combat Pyro the M855 green tip has a steel penetrator tip on it and it will leave marks on the feed ramps as the feed ramps are a softer steel
@@eugenejensen576 that's the A1 I think it's called. The new ones have exposed steel tips but not these older ones in the video.
M855 has absolutely no effect on feed ramps. The steel penetrator never touches the feed ramp, it is encased by copper.
That steel core definitely penetrates better, even at less velocity. Body armor, car doors, whatever.......Great video proving it!
I always use green tips. My dad retired master chief engineer submarines. He turned me on to the green tips. Now that's all I use. Loved your video shows great difference. Keep up the good work. God bless America. Go Trump
The green tops are Penetrators that are used in the military for metal now 556 will go through metal better stay a certain thickness but A penetrator will go through pretty much engine blocks stuff like that
the Green tips (ss109) were originally intended to defeat a Soviet Helmet at the UnGodly range of 800 yards well beyond what an Ordinary AR-15A2 was designed for range wise. They have TUNGSTEN in them as their core. Many moons ago a friend of mine and myself took a HARDENED Hacksaw blade to one, after several minutes of sawing we gave up the core remained intact. Lesson here? YEP Green tip will defeat many types of Armor. That being said the M193 55 grain ball is FAR better at terminal ballistics in FLESH especially when fired from a 20 inch Rifle Barrel this was also found to be the case in Afghanistan when the US Army issued some older M-16 rifles very early on with that load.
pretty sure they have a steel core and not tungsten. Tungsten would be black tips.
@@fivemethoxy You are right; Otherwise a solid post.
If you can wrangle up some m855a1, which is probably even more expensive still, that's a decent round. I make armour and m855, m855a1 and m995 give me the creeps.
I buy the 62's for the grain weight. I run 1:8 twist, and those 62gr seem to be perfectly matched to that twist rate.
More so than the 55gr, when it comes to my groups.
But I can't say I have really seen any 62gr "non-green tips" when doing bulk ammo buys.
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Non-M855 62 gr definitely exists.
Palmetto state armory
I didnt think either would get threw.
From my understanding the unbalanced steel tip will cause the bullet to have a higher chance to yawl which causes more damage but reduce accuracy.
Green tip for shtf/all rounder.
Soft tip for defense/hunting.
Fmj or range fun.
if using a sbr your not going to get enough velocity to cause any fragmentation on impact anyways.
My 2 cents
Yeah the green tips are worth it according to the video. I managed to find a 1000 round case for the same price as non green tips back in 2018 before ammo shortage. What a great investment.
Should of shot the green tips first though. Or at least some regular afterwards to see if the loss of armor integrity was the reason for the green tips passing.
How could you find any in 2018? Even before that, there was a SEVERE ammo shortage and I couldn't find even "unpopular' ammo like .40 S&W!! I mean if .40 S&W is sold out everywhere, that's BAAAD.
IMI Ammunition 5.56x45mm NATO 62 Grain M855 SS109 Penetrator Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail
Is this good home defense 5.56 ammo for a AR 15?
6:14 “there more expensive” I felt that 🥺🥺
Me too
not so much in normal times but recently yes
I've scrolled down a few comments and couldn't find anyone asking, so I'm sorry if this has been asked before: What if there were a mass behind the armor? You have the armor simply supported on the ends and shot holes through the center. As the bullet moves into the armor, there is very little resistance behind the armor to support the layers from tearing. I wonder if strapping it to a piece of ballistic gel would change the results at all... Like kids breaking boards in karate; it would be really hard to break that board if they backed it up in the center.
They work great on car doors and windshields, too....
yeah but most rounds will go through either cars are not good cover
Literally anything works against those.
Yes. But going trough, and hitting your target are two different things....
Green Tips are Steel Core (Armor Piercing) Some indoor ranges and some outdoor ranges forbid Steel Core ammo as they can over penetrate and can sometimes spark up.
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5:02 Pretty definitive to me!! BTW, green tips *ARE NOT GOOD* for use on steel targets (yes, even AR500).....unless you like nice DEEP divots in your metal targets that fling metal directly back at you!
P.S. Green tips are named LAP which indicates Light Armor Piercing
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