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Why 5.56?

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  • EZ-E

    King Turd of Shit Mountain
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    there's too many reasons not to have an AR pistol in 5.56, most have been stated already. The 5.56 AR in a small package gives you more range & power than a 9mm version if you need to shoot farther, your taken care of. The ammo cost is not much more & as others have said its a common caliber in a SHTF scenario. Rifes the 5.56 is a do all out to 300-400 yards. The 7.62x39 has more lead but still lacks the range of other options in the AR15 platform. If your looking for 308 range in a AR15 platform theres the 6.5 grendel that has great ballistics out to 800+ yards.
    In the end, its all a matter of your money & choice to get whats best for your needs.
    ARJ Defense ad
     

    studenygreg

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    Why 5.56? The same reason people use .22lr and 9mm.

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    seeker_two

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    That place east of Waco....
    That is an...interesting...assertion.

    A 55 gr round traveling at 2,500 fps out of a 10" barrel imparts about 763 ft/lbs of force. Far greater than a 9mm.

    A cursory search of survival rate of rifle vs pistol gun shot wounds tells me all it needs to.
    But 5.56 doesn't seem to do it any better than 9mm or .45ACP in a PCC....it just seems to have more flash and bang. The increased energy doesn't add anything to the party. It's like a 9mm vs. .357 Magnum in a snub revolver.....the .357 has more flash, bang, and energy, but both still leave 9mm holes in the target.

    .300blk and 7.62x39 are not comparable to .308. Not even close.

    5.56, even in it's most common plinking/range loading (M193) is more effective than all but a few select loadings of 7.62x39 (specialty hunting loads aside), and many .300blk loadings

    5.56 is controllable, cheap, accurate, effective, common.

    7.62x39 and .300 both have limited practical range

    .300blk is a niche caliber, expensive and you don't get the sheer variety of loads to choose from

    7.62x39 is cheap, but it's all import ammo, ask the 5.45 guys how that plays out... Domestic loads are often more expensive than similar 5.56 loads. You are also limited to non-standard AR's or AK's. Stock up om 8M3, great stuff.

    Is it .308? No. But neither are 7.62x39 or .300blk
    Never said 7.62x39 & .300BLK were in the same class as 7.62 NATO. But they are comparable to .30-30, which is a good short-range rifle round.

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    Sam7sf

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    Why 5.56x45 or 223 remington? Yup it’s cheap. It’s also a great pest control round.

    Most rifles in 5.56 are slimmer, lighter, and beat parts up less. Every ar or ar influenced rifle I have is 5.56 why? It’s the Chevy 350 of the gun world.

    In a fighting/shtf/general use rifle a 5.56 or 7.62x39 is a fine choice. Generally weapons chambered in these two will be gtg out of the box. Brand matters but my two go to rifles are my stag model one and my arsenal sam7sf.
     

    zackmars

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    But 5.56 doesn't seem to do it any better than 9mm or .45ACP in a PCC....it just seems to have more flash and bang. The increased energy doesn't add anything to the party. It's like a 9mm vs. .357 Magnum in a snub revolver.....the .357 has more flash, bang, and energy, but both still leave 9mm holes in the target.

    Never said 7.62x39 & .300BLK were in the same class as 7.62 NATO. But they are comparable to .30-30, which is a good short-range rifle round.

    Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


    This is literally what you said "of an actual rifle cartridge (7.62x39, .300BLK, 7.62 NATO)"

    If you are just shooting paper or steel, sure, there is nothing 5.56 does better vs a pistol caliber

    But for serious use, 5.56 will penetrate less drywall, will create MUCH superior wound channels, is easier to shoot, and is generally less tempermental.

    One thing you must recognize, a pistol caliber is not a rifle caliber.


    Even in a short 7.5" barrel, 5.56 is still going fast enough to create hydrostatic shock, which is why rifles are much deadlier than a pistol caliber. Even then thats not the only part of the equation, but thats neither here nor there

    To create hydrostatic shock, a projectile must be going at or about 2100 feet per second.
     

    satx78247

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    Reading this thread (it's a good one https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to...&share_fid=16014&share_type=t&link_source=app ) brought up a question that I've been thinking about since the AR rush began. With the other calibers offered in the AR platform, why should I buy one in 5.56? It doesn't have the bullet weight and energy of an actual rifle cartridge (7.62x39, .300BLK, 7.62 NATO). It has a lot more flash and noise than a pistol-caliber carbine for similar close-range performance. And 5.56 ammo seems to be the first to dry up in a panic.

    What makes a 5.56 carbine/braced pistol worth owning?

    Help a skeptic out here....



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    seeker_two,

    OK. I'll "take a shot at" answering a portion of that query.
    (Pun intended.)

    Imo, either a 5.56NATO or a 7.62x39mm is QUITE SUITABLE for Texas' small but very numerous WT deer & smaller feral (BBQ sized) pigs, to say 125# & out to 150M.

    Neither round is as powerful, regardless of load, as the old-school .30-30WCF is out of a saddle carbine.
    (That's WHY I often LOL whenever I hear some Delta Alpha from the press talking about "how very deadly" that the 5.56NATO/7.62 Russian rounds are.)

    Fyi, it is relatively well-known on the forum that I'm "no fan of" the AR series of rifles/carbines, though for hunting out Texas WT at relatively close range, I like the Remington Model 7615 pump carbine OR one of my Model 760 in .244REM or my "medium game" handloads in .300SAV, which are about equivalents.

    Also, I have NO USE what ever for a "pistol" in 5.56NATO or 7.62x39mm.
    (The so-called pistols, at best & IMO, are "expensive toys".)
    Best ask someone else, who would own a "rifle-caliber pistol", for their advice on that score.

    yours, satx
     

    oldag

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    This is the nice thing about the AR platform. Plenty of choice.

    For me, the AR pistol with brace is great for a truck gun. Easier to keep out of sight.

    The 7.62x39 is fine for this role. I don't use the cheap foreign ammo though (in any of my guns, for that matter). I have read of reliability problems in some 7.62x39 AR's. I went with PWS, as I could find no reported problems and PWS generally has very good quality.

    You can go .308 in an brace/pistol (HK91 type comes to mind), but not in as small a package as an AR pistol.
     

    Mohawk600

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    To begin with............I think 5.56 is the way to go. Ammo is cheap and plentiful because it is a NATO caliber. Lots of combatants have been put down by 5.56. If you want to change later on.....all it takes is a new upper for various other calibers.
     

    HKShooter65

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    You mentioned something close to my heart.....

    Pistol caliber carbines.

    5.56 has a lot going for it, as discussed here.

    Though.....
    Consider a 9mm carbine.
    Ammo cheap and plentiful.
    Muzzle blast is so much less than 5.56 if that matters.


    Out to 100 or even 200 yards it's just a dandy round.

    Far more than a range toy.
    For home defense the 9mm is arguably superior. (I'll get flamed for that assertion)
     

    HKShooter65

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    BTW mentioned above......

    If you want a range toy a dedicated 22lr AR15 upper is just a hoot.

    When I take a novice shooter to my range I take an AR15 with one of my dedicated ,22lr uppers.
    With a suppressor mounted it will always please the newbies with the gentleness and accuracy and un-intimidating demeanor. For a novice shooter a 5.56 AR is pretty obnoxious in it's chest-thumping shrill blast.
     

    zackmars

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    For home defense the 9mm is arguably superior. (I'll get flamed for that assertion)


    And rightly so, because the only thing 9mm has over 5.56 is noise level

    5.56 will penetrate less drywall, produce a superior wound track, and is going fast enough to cause hydrostatic shock, which is a big part of what makes rifle calibers particularly lethal. Basic 5.56 loads like M193 are also cheap, and all things considered, very effective, even compared to premium pistol JHP rounds.


    Even if you go with a 7.5" barrel in 5.56, 9mm is still lagging way behind
     

    baboon

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    Out here by the lake!
    And rightly so, because the only thing 9mm has over 5.56 is noise level

    5.56 will penetrate less drywall, produce a superior wound track, and is going fast enough to cause hydrostatic shock, which is a big part of what makes rifle calibers particularly lethal. Basic 5.56 loads like M193 are also cheap, and all things considered, very effective, even compared to premium pistol JHP rounds.


    Even if you go with a 7.5" barrel in 5.56, 9mm is still lagging way behind

    People who never hunted or killed anything don't understand the many aspects of actually killing something. They watch TV & movies were 130 pound hot chicks beat the shit out 250 pound ex special forces guys & guns never run out of ammo!

    Hydrostatic shock is some very real shit when it comes to stopping something living. It's right up there with shot placement. Very few people (myself included) can wake from around sleep & engage targets effectively. I have a hard time get up to answer the phone in the next room as I lay there thinking I need to shit!

    When I loaded .308 ammo for Africa one load was built on a ballistic tip mainly because my buddy was going after a leopard. Not the kind of animal you want to wound @ the distances they are commonly hunted. Besides being super accurate the hydrostatic shock was there. A one shot kill!
     

    seeker_two

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    That place east of Waco....
    Because during the coming Zombie Apocalypse, there will be oodles and oodles of it found in overrun military installations, police departments, and preppers' basements.

    Lt. Colonel Hal Moore:
    So what do you think of these new M-16's?
    Sergeant Major Basil Plumley:
    Too much goddamn plastic in it.
    Lt. Colonel Hal Moore:
    Not gonna use it, then?
    Sergeant Major Basil Plumley:
    I'm afraid that when we get in there, there'll be plenty on the ground.
    Lt. Colonel Hal Moore:
    Yeah.


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    satx78247

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    seeker-two,

    Fwiw, In 1974, when I was a student at USAICS, I got to shake hands with SGM Plumley & COL Moore spoke to our class as well.

    I was IMPRESSED with BOTH gentlemen.

    yours, satx
     

    seeker_two

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    That place east of Waco....
    Since the times have changed and we're all dead anyway, I figured I'd revive this zombie.....

    Considering affordability and stock is tightening up and more options are becoming available and affordable, is 5.56 still the best choice?.....
     

    Havok1

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    I think so. for me, both ammo and parts can be found anywhere, and I don’t just mean in the stores. How many people do you know/encounter who have 5.56 AR’s vs other calibers?
     
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