The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > NFA Guns and Gear

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old June 29, 2013, 10:20 PM   #1
Machineguntony
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 22, 2013
Posts: 1,277
M16 full auto bullet question

I will be shooting a full auto m16a1 with a silencer.

I recently purchased 5000 .223 bullets/projectiles that are soft tip (meaning the tip is exposed lead so as to cause a mushroom upon impact). I think I may have made a mistake buying these bullets, as I heard that for an m16 full auto, with it's high rate of fire, and with a silencer, you need FMJ.

The reason being that the high rate of fire will cause lead deposits into the gas system and the silencer will be fouled up with lead. Someone told me that you're not supposed to shoot non jacketed or plated bullets through a silencer, as the lead or carbon can harden onto the baffles and ruin the baffles.

Is this true? Can I run these bullets through my gun? Will it ruin the silencer?
Machineguntony is offline  
Old June 30, 2013, 05:10 AM   #2
Ridge_Runner_5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 8, 2008
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 1,925
What kind of suppressor will you be shooting through? If it can be disassembled, then the lead deposits are not as big of an issue, since it can be cleaned relatively easy. Most .223 suppressors can be disassembled.
Ridge_Runner_5 is offline  
Old June 30, 2013, 07:58 AM   #3
JT-AR-MG42
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 27, 2008
Posts: 555
If you have the lead tip of a SP contacting the bore, you won't have to concern yourself with problems associated with cleaning (or using) the suppressor.

The only issue I see you might have is feeding the SP's up the minimal A1 feedramp. Same issue with varmint grade HPs that have a larger exposed opening. Those combos can sometimes be magazine sensitive.

Never have seen plated .22CF bullets. I would not recommend their use or cast bullets through a suppressed .223, even at sub-sonic velocities. That's just my opinion though.


JT
JT-AR-MG42 is offline  
Old June 30, 2013, 08:46 AM   #4
Willie Lowman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 5, 2009
Location: Uh-Hi-O
Posts: 3,006
If your 5000 bullets are JSP (jacketed soft point) I would not worry one bit about running them in the M16.

The bullets will likely look like this. No part of the exposed lead should touch any part of the barrel or suppressor.



Be careful with those hand loads. Nothing devalues a investment gun like blowing it up.
__________________
"9mm has a very long history of being a pointy little bullet moving quickly" --Sevens
Willie Lowman is offline  
Old June 30, 2013, 11:28 AM   #5
tmorone
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 22, 2010
Posts: 221
Most .223 suppressors can be disassembled?

I've yet to run across one that is not fully welded to deal with high pressures. Only cans I have that can be taken apart for cleaning are for pistol calibers. With that being said...I'd go for it.

But first: Before I try new ammo with a suppressor (bullets specifically) I bring the target in close and empty a magazine of it into the target. This will show you if the bullets are fragmenting somehow. That way if it is happening because of the exposed lead tip, the pieces don't destroy your expensive suppressor. That "tip" came directly out of an Advanced Armament owners manual.
tmorone is offline  
Old June 30, 2013, 01:10 PM   #6
Jim Watson
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,484
I would expect more lead deposition from conventional FMJ which have lead cores exposed at the base to powder flame.
Jim Watson is offline  
Old June 30, 2013, 01:32 PM   #7
Theohazard
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 19, 2012
Location: Western PA
Posts: 3,829
Quote:
Ridge Runner 5 posted
Most .223 suppressors can be disassembled.
Most .223 suppressers CANNOT be dissasembled. In fact, the vast majority of them can't; by far almost every center-fire rifle can on the market is sealed.

You don't need to disassemble a center-fire rifle can because you don't need to clean the internal baffle area. There is enough pressure that almost all the carbon fouling is blown out of the can. The thin layer of carbon that remains helps protect the baffles from eroding due to heat and pressure; that layer will never build up too much under normal use.

Shooting lead or copper-washed lead bullets (like .22s) through a suppressor can cause lead build-up. But I can't imagine that having just the tip of the bullet be exposed lead could cause any noticeable lead build-up, even with 5000 rounds. That said, that's a lot of rounds and I'd probably contact the suppressor manufacturer before risking it.

Shooting soft-point rounds through a full-auto M16 won't cause any damage to the rifle. Worst-case you'll have feeding issues with the rounds catching on the feed ramp. And any lead that might possibly make it to the gas system will be blown into the chamber due to the large pressures involved.
__________________
0331: "Accuracy by volume."
Theohazard is offline  
Old June 30, 2013, 02:55 PM   #8
Charles S
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 29, 2002
Location: North East Texas
Posts: 950
Quote:
I've yet to run across one that is not fully welded to deal with high pressures. Only cans I have that can be taken apart for cleaning are for pistol calibers.
There are cans that can be dissembled, but not many.

http://www.smithenterprise.com/products11.html



Although from Mr. Smith, this is less about cleaning than it is about the ability to easily replace a baffle or end cap in the event of a strike, this is particularly a possibility when an individual chooses to use subsonic ammo in a rifle.

Quote:
And any lead that might possibly make it to the gas system will be blown into the chamber due to the large pressures involved.
That is certainly a thought. Running 100 rounds through my gun with a can on it, AR-15 not an M16, is the equivalent of 500 without the can as far as cleaning goes. I cannot imagine trying to clean an M16 with a can after 5000 rounds. That should be an excellent reliability challenge.
__________________
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
Charles S is offline  
Old June 30, 2013, 03:11 PM   #9
Theohazard
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 19, 2012
Location: Western PA
Posts: 3,829
Quote:
Charles S posted
Running 100 rounds through my gun with a can on it, AR-15 not an M16, is the equivalent of 500 without the can as far as cleaning goes. I cannot imagine trying to clean an M16 with a can after 5000 rounds. That should be an excellent reliability challenge.
Great point. Recently I've only been shooting my AR-15 with my can on it. I clean it every few hundred rounds or so. So just the other day I put a few hundred rounds through it without the suppressor and I was surprised how clean it was; I'd almost forgot how much cleaner it is when you're shooting unsuppressed.

I can't imagine how dirty a DI suppressed M16 will be after 5000 rounds.
__________________
0331: "Accuracy by volume."
Theohazard is offline  
Old June 30, 2013, 07:25 PM   #10
Machineguntony
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 22, 2013
Posts: 1,277
Good info, thanks guys.

I am going to shoot these:

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.co...ku=0000422345K

It has a load exposed nose. I just received them in the mail on Friday.

My can can be disassembled, so I'll just clean it. That's good advice, and I appreciate the input.
Machineguntony is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:13 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.05001 seconds with 10 queries