Comments on: New 5.56x30mm Cartridge from India

By: Maddox

Maddox — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 22:37:22 +0000

2650 fps with a 55 grainer is actually quite good in a 10 incher. Compared to the same bullet launched at 3,000 fps, it’s just like shooting at a 100 yard distant target instead of shooting it point blank. Energy will be plenty enough.

By: brian

brian — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 04:01:58 +0000

My understanding is the the 5.56×30 55 grn round from a 10″ barrel is equal in both velocity and energy as a 5.56×45 from the same length barrel. This just means a lot of wasted energy for the same results. Makes sense to save some brass, more reliability and a slightly shorter receiver.

By: Guy

Guy — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 17:29:38 +0000

Fancy 218 Bee

By: S McDonald

S McDonald — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 16:57:37 +0000

As an add-on to my comment of half a day ago I would think,as I am not a weapons designer and that you’d need a Eugene Stoner to figure out the particulars of a project like this , I would think that an ” ideal” mechanism by which to accomplish this “dual shoot ” capability might be to dispense with the fire selector switch and mechanism in favor of a system which would initiate full auto fire upon the insertion of a 50 round banana clip of the short stuff and semi auto only upon the insertion of a standardized 20 round 5.56×45 clip? Perhaps,also the 5.56 x 30 cartridge is a bit too much and that a 5.56 x 27.5 cartridge might help to facilitate the design of this weapon as 27.5 is precisely half the length of the of the 5.56 x 45 which might indicate a ” hinge -able or foldable ” mechanism within the bolt mechanism could be developed toward this end ?

By: S McDonald

S McDonald — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 05:04:10 +0000

Well it’s good that this cartridge exists insomuch as it might be utilized in the development of a weapon capable of firing either 5.56 x 45 or 5.56 x 30 with perhaps a simple adjustment of some type of “variable bolt carrier ?” mechanism? Could prove useful to soldiers when presented with different types of dangerous firefight situations when a great many more ,albeit shorter range, cartridges directed at the enemy would fit the bill and yet the rifle would quickly click back to shooting the longer range stuff at the enemy as he beat a hasty retreat after being confronted by a wall of lead from the short rounds ? I was dismayed somewhat, when Herstal announced the development of its 5.7 x28 round years ago ? Why didnt they make it a 5.56 x 27 or some such to allow for the development for a dual purpose/use weapon such as I mentioned above ?

By: DB Cooper

DB Cooper — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:31:35 +0000

This is an old story now but it would make an interesting cartridge if the bullet weight was increased to at least 55 gr and a different powder was used to increase velocity. The shorter case would be beneficial to reduce wieght and also increase reliabilty of the weapon. Shorter distanse the bolt has to travel to cycle a round the faster its cyclic rate of fire and the less chance of a misfeed. Think 30-06/.308.

By: Larry

Larry — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 04:32:07 +0000

This is close to what the shooter used to kill our Army soldiers on that base in Texas thru a pistol.. but the M-16 ammo I used in South Vietnam at 3250 fps literally blew bodies apart.. our .223/5.56mm is superior to this round.

By: Hugh

Hugh — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:24:43 +0000

The 5.56x30mm MARS was originally developed as a Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) cartridge and not as an assault weapon cartridge. To use it for an assault weapon is a definite misapplication.

However, I can assure you that it is indeed very lethal and accurate at 100 meters or less according to the testing that was done during the development of it for the PDW role. It was much better than the 9mm or .45 cal pistol by far in the PDW role and an armor defeat round was also developed which would take Level III body armor at 100+ meters easily.

By: mysticplayer

mysticplayer — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:27:24 +0000

I got quite the chuckle when I read the specs on this new Assault cartridge.

Isn’t all the cries to change to a new assault cartridge like the 6.8 SPC a byproduct of the LACK of velocity in the present M4 (short barreled) .223?

If a ‘slow’ M4 has trouble stopping a foe, this new micro Indian cartridge is going to be almost ‘non lethal’

If the Colt cartridge is an indicator of performance, it is approx 400fps SLOWER then an M4 223 using 55gr bullets.

Anything heavier would be even worse.

So if this Indian cartridge can work as intended, the good ole 556 NATO would be like a Wby/super sized magnum

Would make a great varminting rd but I expect there will be mostly steel cases.
Jerry