cheap 5.56 rounds

[jonathancase]

I am looking for a place where i can find some pretty inexpensive 5.56 rounds. I have been given an ar-15 to practice with for the 3 months before i leave for basic. any ideas?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[downrange]

i really can't help you with where... yet. i got a neighbor i can ask, but shop around, you'll find something and I'm sure the other guys here will give you some great advice. nothings cheaper than army surplus (but it's the least dependable). oh, and don't worry, you'll get PLENTY of practice in basic. also, i guarantee your AR is in a whole lot better shape than the antique m-16 you'll get issued. they save the m-4's and rebuilt m-16's for permanent party (if your lucky), infantry, and SF so it'll feel different anyway - not that I'm discouraging practice. Good Luck.

[rocky]

Wolf ammo is typically the cheapest, but prices for all brands is rising. Try checking ammoman, cheaper than Dirt, Sportsmanguide for deals. also , look on here
http://www.ar15.com/forums/board.html?b=3
For more ammo info. On point to consider , is they may want you to do things different than you would on your own. Ingrained habits are hard to change.

[Blackeagle]

Well, this may depend on what your definition of 'cheap' is. Yesterday I picked up 500 rounds of Federal 5.56 at my local gun store for $155. Wal-mart usually has pretty cheap .223 plinking ammo (it's usually the Remmington UMC for about $6.50 per box of 20 in my neck of the woods). They only seem to keep 5-6 boxes at the ammo counter though. If you want to go real cheap, there's always Wolf, though I wouldn't recommend shooting that through an AR.

Unfortunately, ammo prices seem to be going up. The case .45 ACP I bought yesterday was 20 bucks higher than the one I bought last October.

[Go Glock]

can't beat wolf for plinking...I shoot it all the time and have had no problems. I don't find it to be that dirty, but who doesn't clean after every shooting session.

[craig45]

http://www.natchezss.com// they had remington umc 55gr fmj for $4.99 a box. i ordered 50 boxes. it was still listed as in stock at 8.00 pm yesterday

[cpmiv]

I check here every so often. When they have some in stock.
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/223.html

Wallmart usually has a good price but not the best price if you look around online.

[ccw9mm]

I picked up 2000rds of 5.56 green tip 62gr at ammoman.com recently for $529. That's about $0.26/rd. Not dirt cheap, but unless you reload you won't push it under $0.20/rd very often. Not the cheapest, but it's non-corrosive and new (not reloaded). Came quickly. Broke the back of the UPS guy ... but, hey, we all need to make sacrifices for the cause.

[AKsrule]

Couple of corrections to the above.

No country or company I am aware of EVER mfgd corrosive
ammo in .223/5.56 cal. Not surplus , not Wolf , nobody.

U.S surplus 5.56 is NOT available to civilians - by Law.
(Any you may find is likely stolen ) What IS sold is overrun
production by the factories that supply the Military , which is why
prices are up lately.

Wolf , Barnaul , and other European ammo is the cheapest.
I have had no problems shooting this ammo in my 4 ARs

[ccw9mm]

IIRC, corrosive primers ceased being used by U.S. mfrs of milspec/surplus ammo since shortly after WW2; in Europe, up through the 1970's. Barnaul Arsenal currently produces using corrosive primers in some of the mfg, though I've yet to find conclusive evidence they withhold such use in the 5.56/.223 that reaches U.S. shores. I'm sure others still do, though unadvertised. Given the cheap pricing of such items, there will be the temptation for "forgeries" of non-corrosive ammo by cheaters, as well. Many folks look for cheapie alternatives to quality ammo. It's out there, hence the reference.

[AKsrule]

IIRC, corrosive primers ceased being used by U.S. mfrs of milspec/surplus ammo since shortly after WW2; in Europe, up through the 1970's. Barnaul Arsenal currently produces using corrosive primers in some of the mfg, though I've yet to find conclusive evidence they withhold such use in the 5.56/.223 that reaches U.S. shores. I'm sure others still do, though unadvertised. Given the cheap pricing of such items, there will be the temptation for "forgeries" of non-corrosive ammo by cheaters, as well. Many folks look for cheapie alternatives to quality ammo. It's out there, hence the reference.

Sorry , I put more stock in what Barnaul says.....

" Superior Quality & Reliability
Russia's premier ammunition manufacturer has over 100 years of experience in ammunition excellence. All Barnaul Ammunition are non-corrosive, new production and use environmentally safe primers."

http://www.barnaulammunition.com/products.htm

[downrange]

sorry guys if i sound redundant, but in my military experience (combat arms, and armorer) I've personally seen individuals just simply take off with plenty of U.S. military rounds from 9mm to 5.56 to .50 cal. of all grades including tracers and incendiary. I'm unsure about armor piercing but it wouldn't surprise me in the least. one "lift" consisted of over two thousand u.s. government stamped 30 round 5.56 mags. and 1500 Otis cleaning kits. no one ever new because it didn't even make a dent in their inventory and because of the war, it didn't make it to the books. their suspicions got the guy relieved of his armorer position, that's about it. if the military has it. so do some civilians. i could have easily brought back, for my own personal use, all the ammo i ever needed including air mounted .50 cal belt linked ammo to m249 which also 5.56 (saw) belt linked ammo, both ball and tracer. my old roommate has 1/4 a case of 30mm rounds from an Apache helicopter... just because. all I'm saying is any thing's possible.

real quick as a closer, an infantry soldier was sent to fort Leavenworth for welding a false wall in a military container concealing a crate of frag grenades and AK parts, but 'customs' knows how to do their job. note, this gets done, obviously when your packing up after a year to go home. i don't get how that is worth it in the least. there were several other attempts and I'm sure more to come, but it happens all the time.

[ccw9mm]

Sorry , I put more stock in what Barnaul says.....

Nice export/civilian site. It would be believed if such a statement were also made for their military ammo as well. That's the distinction I've ready about, regardless of what the civilian/export web site indicates. No matter, if only modern U.S. milsurp rounds are purchased.