The misguided infatuation with 5.56

[kbaxter60]

I'm 68 and have forgotten more about guns than anyone you know will ever learn.

Well, that should be very helpful to this forum, indeed.

 

[Glenn B]

Why are American civilians (particularly) in love with this round when there are so many more styles and sizes out there! The round was invented decades ago for combat, to be accurate at mid and longer ranges. If only more people would have instead purchased rifles chambered in different sizes, there would not be such a shortage right now. I do not own a rifle chambered in 5.56, although I have experience firing 5.56. I'm worried for my fellow countrymen who cannot purchase ammo or have to pay much higher prices.

With all due respect, I think you are mistaken. First of all, 5.56 mm NATO (and 223) is one of the calibers I find most readily available. It is expensive, much more than I would like to pay but it's available and often at lower prices percentage wise than some others have gone up - like 9mm. Secondly, the 5.56 NATO may have been developed as a combat roud but its parent the 223 was initially a varmint round so to say 5.56 was developed for combat is a bit of a stretch. yeah, they powered up the 223 a bit - so what, it became an over powered varmint round. The 308 was a much better round for combat but that is only my mediocre opinion.

As for variety, I - like tens of thousands (at least) of forearms owners - own several firearms in various calibers, the ones not as popular as 5.56 are often, but not always, the ones in shortest supply. The fact is 5.56mm was one of the most popular cartridiges in the USA because it is used by our military. With that popularity in mind, it was producedd much more than other calibers that you might think we should ahve used to keep a larger supply of 5.56 mm ammo. The truth is, had it not been so poular all along, it would have been poroduced in smaller amounts just as those other, less popular, calibers were produce din smaller amounts. That is one of the basics of supply and demand. If folks want it and the componnts are available - the manufacturers are going to produce a lot of it as is exactly what they did with 5.56mm and as is what they still seem to be doing as best they can. If folks had been buying much more of other calibers, then 5.56 would never have been produced in the numbers that it was and still is produced. That folks are frenzy buying now has more to do with there being less around than before but that goes for many calibers including less popular ones like 300 Blackout (just try to find it), 380, 38 SPL, and on and on. of course, those that garnered little to almost zero interest are still around but probably are remaining old stock and not being produced right now because the more popular calibers are the ones making the manufacturers and retailers all the money.

 

[TxStetson]

With all due respect, I think you are mistaken. First of all, 5.56 mm NATO (and 223) is one of the calibers I find most readily available. It is expensive, much more than I would like to pay but it's available and often at lower prices percentage wise than some others have gone up - like 9mm. Secondly, the 5.56 NATO may have been developed as a combat roud but its parent the 223 was initially a varmint round so to say 5.56 was developed for combat is a bit of a stretch. yeah, they powered up the 223 a bit - so what, it became an over powered varmint round. The 308 was a much better round for combat but that is only my mediocre opinion.

As for variety, I - like tens of thousands (at least) of forearms owners - own several firearms in various calibers, the ones not as popular as 5.56 are often, but not always, the ones in shortest supply. The fact is 5.56mm was one of the most popular cartridiges in the USA because it is used by our military. With that popularity in mind, it was producedd much more than other calibers that you might think we should ahve used to keep a larger supply of 5.56 mm ammo. The truth is, had it not been so poular all along, it would have been poroduced in smaller amounts just as those other, less popular, calibers were produce din smaller amounts. That is one of the basics of supply and demand. If folks want it and the componnts are available - the manufacturers are going to produce a lot of it as is exactly what they did with 5.56mm and as is what they still seem to be doing as best they can. If folks had been buying much more of other calibers, then 5.56 would never have been produced in the numbers that it was and still is produced. That folks are frenzy buying now has more to do with there being less around than before but that goes for many calibers including less popular ones like 300 Blackout (just try to find it), 380, 38 SPL, and on and on. of course, those that garnered little to almost zero interest are still around but probably are remaining old stock and not being produced right now because the more popular calibers are the ones making the manufacturers and retailers all the money.

You know you're replying to a guy that got banned almost immediately right?

 

[jrbfishn]

I'm 68 and have forgotten more about guns than anyone you know will ever learn.

That's good.
The rest of us is idgits an don no nuffin.

Sent by an idjit coffeeholic from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[TheDan]

View attachment 233843

oooh I need one of those... as an SBR

 

[Coop45]

I always like it when someone decides what calibers I should have or need.

Silly me thinking that buying guns was about what I wanted.

Well, after you asked us which woman you should marry, it opened the door to tell which caliber to horde. LOL! The internet chose well for you on the wife question maybe they are right about caliber. I'll PM you the address to send your 5.56mm ammo. LOL!

 

[Coop45]

oooh I need one of those... as an SBR

Back in the past century a gun writer showed the 458 Win Mag was the perfect caliber. It was good for elephants to squirrels or so he said. Then my late uncle said a 22 Special was good for deer to squirrels and I sat trying to remember the last elephant I saw running wild in the hill country.

After reading some of my posts, it's obvious that I need to start drinking

 

[Axxe55]

Well, after you asked us which woman you should marry, it opened the door to tell which caliber to horde. LOL! The internet chose well for you on the wife question maybe they are right about caliber. I'll PM you the address to send your 5.56mm ammo. LOL!

Sorry Coop, I'm not allowed to comment on that.

 

[Glenn B]

[

You know you're replying to a guy that got banned almost immediately right?

Never mind, I had to have been fucked up when I wrote what I wrote earlier (in this post) due to the pain meds they have me on for my rt. hip. None of it made sense to me, don't even recall writing what I wrote, so I deleted it. Hope I did not offend anyone, shit has me loopy now and then.

 

[seeker_two]

Well, after you asked us which woman you should marry, it opened the door to tell which caliber to horde. LOL! The internet chose well for you on the wife question maybe they are right about caliber. I'll PM you the address to send your 5.56mm ammo. LOL!

Wait.....we had a vote on that? I demand a recount....my vote matters too!

 

[Axxe55]

Wait.....we had a vote on that? I demand a recount....my vote matters too!

Sorry, but my personal life and matters are no longer for discussion on this forum......

 

[Aus_Schwaben]

Back in the past century a gun writer showed the 458 Win Mag was the perfect caliber. It was good for elephants to squirrels or so he said. Then my late uncle said a 22 Special was good for deer to squirrels and I sat trying to remember the last elephant I saw running wild in the hill country.

After reading some of my posts, it's obvious that I need to start drinking

Just because we have not seen one....

With the advent of cartel types in Texas stranger and stranger things are running loose. A young tiger was found on Main Street in Spring a few years ago. More tigers have be found in homes around the state. There is are a few places (not prisons) where I have to wonder what they have behind the extra high fences.

While I think a double .500 Nitro Express rifle is a mite much for most of Texas game, I guess it would not hurt to have one handy.

 

[Coop45]

Sorry Coop, I'm not allowed to comment on that.

A Christmas at Bramble House is on the Hallmark channel, but you knew that.

 

[denit]

Do yourself a favorForget your sign in info while your at it. Trust me, it will save a lot of time and bs.

I never use my real b day on the net. That's as dumb as telling people your SSN

 

[denit]

and who might that be, in particular? The 223 can do it, if you can do it. most can't do it, period, so they try to make up for it with some overpowered, too heavy/bulky wasteful round. If you put good softpoints in the 223, ,it's a very fine manstopper. It's just silly to use a combat rifle without a suppressor. Why damage your hearing, have flash at night, kick up dust in prone, and be without a way to silently brain a sentry at 50m, in the dark? Why have something that's a bipod only clunk, which IS what a 20" barreled 308 with a suppressor is. You can carry only half as much ammo with the .30 bores, so shooting them at cover is a very good way to end up with no ammo. You aint GOT uncle sugar to bring help, ya know, nor extract you to a safe base with medical care en-route. you have to make do by having a brain. There are no levels of "acceptable casulties", when it's your family around you. So you dont go out in daylight, and you take cattle and preserve the meat, not moose or elk.

 

[Coop45]

In my 63 years, every time I have heard someone say this they have been full of misinformation, old wives tales, rumors, or just general crap. They know a lot, almost all is untrue. Every. Time.

I'm 70 and you will forget more stuff very soon.

 

[candcallen]

I never use my real b day on the net. That's as dumb as telling people your SSN

Astounding. The mental gymnastics needed to get there from what I posted is simply astounding.

 

[jrbfishn]

and who might that be, in particular? The 223 can do it, if you can do it. most can't do it, period, so they try to make up for it with some overpowered, too heavy/bulky wasteful round. If you put good softpoints in the 223, ,it's a very fine manstopper. It's just silly to use a combat rifle without a suppressor. Why damage your hearing, have flash at night, kick up dust in prone, and be without a way to silently brain a sentry at 50m, in the dark? Why have something that's a bipod only clunk, which IS what a 20" barreled 308 with a suppressor is. You can carry only half as much ammo with the .30 bores, so shooting them at cover is a very good way to end up with no ammo. You aint GOT uncle sugar to bring help, ya know, nor extract you to a safe base with medical care en-route. you have to make do by having a brain. There are no levels of "acceptable casulties", when it's your family around you. So you dont go out in daylight, and you take cattle and preserve the meat, not moose or elk.

Really? Moose and elk preserve better than most cuts off a cow. There is less fat to spoil or go rancid. Too much fat in the meat on beef. You loose half the meat if you can't freeze it.
You ain't much of a survival expert, are you?

Astounding. The mental gymnastics needed to get there from what I posted is simply astounding.

I suspect his brain has plenty of room to flop around.

Sent by an idjit coffeeholic from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[Axxe55]

I'll have to rely upon the expertise of those better versed on these subjects. I'm not even sure I even have anymore guns left.

Bad boating accident of 2008 and all were lost.

 

[TheDan]

With the advent of cartel types in Texas stranger and stranger things are running loose. A young tiger was found on Main Street in Spring a few years ago. More tigers have be found in homes around the state. There is are a few places (not prisons) where I have to wonder what they have behind the extra high fences.

Pablo's hippos are still loose in the wild...

I've heard people say that there's more tigers in Texas than what's left in the wild, but that was probably some yankee confusing us with OK.