Assault Weapons Site

After the last rash of BHD (Black Hawk Down) crap I went out and bought the paperback copy just so I could mark every instance of ballistic info given that opposed it. I went through and marked every case where 5.56 did the job, 7.62 didn't, grenades didn't, or rockets didn't. When I say "did the job" I mean that the threat was stopped. Not neccessarily one shot stops, but cases where one round or one burst of 5.56 stopped the threat. On the other hand the failures to stop are cases where TFR/Delta guys were hit by whatever (I don't think the SNA was using many M16s [Editor's Note there was one mentiond in use by the SNA]) and kept on fighting. Lots of people like to say that BHD showed the inability of the 5.56 to stop while proving the mighty 7.62 kills 'em all, but forget that only 12 Americans out of over 100 escaped without being hit by something during the battle. Since they were hit by Somali fire that would indicate a large number of 7.62 wounds along with grenade and rocket frags and probably the occasional 5.56 or other weird round from whatever a Sammy picked up.

Since you seem to have a similar interest, here are the pages that mention something of the above, with some having multiple info. These page numbers are from the Signet paperback version:

(Note: the Somalis were using a variety of weapons most notably the AK-47/AKM in 7.62x39, 7.62 NATO rifles like the FAL & G3, there were a couple of M16s mentioned. If the weapon was not known I just marked the entry as 'Somali'. Entries in RED indicate a perceived failure to incapacitate by the 5.56.)

Chapter	Page	Paragraph	Weapon	Synopsis
2	15		CAR-15	Description of Howe's rifle
4	34		M16A2	Somali hit by round drops, with gaping hole in his back
4	35		" "	" (continuation of the description ) "
6	45		M16A2	150 yard shot fired - threat stopped
6	46		Somali	Takes Ranger's finger off
6	47		M16A2	Above Ranger shoots aggressor in head (it explodes), a few minutes later shoots & kills another
7	51		M60	Saboted SLAP rounds require three 10-12 round bursts to finally stop the aggressor
7	52		M16A2	Waddell shoots a man, target falls over
7	53		M16A2	Yurek picks off a man (status unknown)
8	56		CAR15?	Bray (a PJ) shoots (and drops) a charging militia man
9	61		Somali	Gay (a SEAL) is hit, round breaks his knife but does not penetrate, wound is minor and he gets back to fighting
12	72		M2 M16A2	Othic shoots a man with the M2 (tears him apart), mows crowd Burns drops an RPG gunner with 1 shot (gunner is wounded)
12	73		RPG	Damages vehicle, severly wounds Wilson
13	75	3	M16A2	Galentine describes how much its like shooting on the range - aim COM, squeeze a round and the target drops.
13	77		Somali	Berendsen hit in the arm (injury doens't looke severe, though thumb is hanging off), he continues to fire his M203
13	78		M16A2 Somali	Diemer shoots a burst at a Somali (who is thrown backward and dies) Snodgrass was hit (not dire, he didn't scream) continues fighting

(1) it may to be 7.62x51 (NATO) or a similar round, as the doors were supposed to stop 7.62x39 used by the AK47 (then again it could have been a bad armor panel).

Chapter	Page	Paragraph	Weapon	Synopsis
2	169		Somali	Fales hit in leg, some muscle pulled out , he hopps back to buddies
4	175		M16A2	Phipps shoots man and he drops into alley - then shoots 2 more
4	176		Grenade CAR-15	Phipps hurt & can't walk, Gould bleeding from buttocks D-Boy drops a Somali with a burst to the head
9	201		M16A2	Yurek shoots Somali (who falls forward)
9	202		LAW M203	Knocked over machinegun - but didn't dammage it or the crew 40mm grenade destroyed gun & killed crew
10	204		SAW	Dropped man
10	205		SAW	Shot at man - Nelson deafened by the muzzle blast of the SAW
11	207		Somali M16A2	Williamson hit a 2nd time - and now couldn't walk Stebbins double taps man in chest, he drops to his knees & slumps over
11	212		RPG	Minor shrapnel to soldiers back (barely bleeds)
11	213		Somali	Goodale takes a round into his leg and out the buttock - he can't walk
12	217		AK-47 M-60 M203	Ranger (really probably a D-Boy) shot in head, 2nd is shot in neck Tears off half a Somali milita man Minor shrapnel dammage to Somali, he walks to medical care

Chapter	Page	Paragraph	Weapon	Synopis
2	251	20	CAR-15	Howe complains about M855 firing at moving target 2 blocks away (2)
4	262	9 11	SAW CAR-15	Flattens old guy who was drunk or high Woman shot
4	263	12	SAW, M-60, M16A2, & CAR-15, M203	Multiple hits on "Powerfully Built" woman, rounds shred her but she keeps on going. A 40mm grenade takes off her leg, but it takes more concentrated fire to stop her. (3)
7	272	1	SAW	Floyd hits Somalis who would twitch, take a step or two then fall.
13	309	7	M16A2	Ranger shoots 2 Somalis climbing a wall (both are dropped)
13	310	9	CAR-15	2 D-boys shoot 1 man - he drops dead, then shoot at a group of 5 others wounding them (they dragged themselves back up the street)
13	311	15	CAR-15	D-Boy shoots a man in the lower right back - he was spun around with a startled look - then 4 more rounds hit him and knocked him flat (4)
13	312	15	CAR-15	D-Boys shoot a second man minutes after the previous one

(2) Note this is the first time a complaint about the M855 is mentioned. SSG Howe is shooting at moving targets 2 blocks away. Well over the 50-100 yard 'fragmentation' range of the M855 out of a 14.5" barrel (when the round is most effective).

(3) It mentions that many of the troops were firing and trying to stop her. Even with concentrated fire (including a 40mm grenade) this determined individual pressed on. So are 40mm HEDP rounds underpowered too?

(4) Howe was 'disgusted' that it took so many rounds to 'drop the man' (his 2nd complaint). I find this strange since the first round spun the Somali around, then the second wave of rounds hit. Sounds like there was no time for the guy to drop before the 4 later rounds hit him. Almost like 1 guy in the unit fired - then the rest did a split second later. I certainly can't see it as a failure.

M993 / M995 Armor Piercing (AP) cartridges

The M995 is a 5.56-mm Armor Piercing (AP) cartridge that provides an AP capability for the M16A2 rifle, the M4 carbine, and the Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). The M993 is a 7.62-mm AP cartridge which provides an AP capability for the M60 machine gun, and the M24 sniper rifle. These cartridges were designed to augment the fielded version of the ammunition (M855 and M80), which employ a soft lead (or ball) projectile. The M993 and M995 were initiated in 1992 as part of the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP), and intended to give the soldier an added capability against armored threat vehicles. This capability will support the precision engagement and dominant maneuver force aspects of Joint Vision 2010.

DOT&E activity for these programs involved Live Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E) only; no formal operational testing or oversight was involved. The combined LFT&E strategy for these two programs was approved by DOT&E in November 1996, and the detailed test plan (DTP) was approved in December 1996. Previous developmental testing of these two cartridges focused on shots against simple range targets - not against an actual threat vehicle. By combining Joint Live Fire (JLF) assets, namely a BRDM-2 armored personnel carrier, with the Army's funded LFT&E program, a credible full-up systems level lethality live fire program was made possible.

The LFT&E program was conducted in accordance with the approved LFT&E strategy from November 1996 to April 1997. In particular, the Army conducted dedicated live fire tests involving approximately 100 M995/M993 shots against the Russian BRDM-2 armored personnel carrier in April 1997. The armor perforation capability and the potential for crew incapacitation from behind armor effects were assessed. All testing has been completed and the Army's report to DOT&E has been completed.

The M995 and M993 AP cartridges are required to have better penetration capability than the standard M855 and M80 ball rounds, especially improved capability to penetrate lightly armored vehicles at extended ranges. The primary intent is to improve incapacitation against troops within lightly armored vehicles. All available test data indicate that the M995 and M993 meet these requirements, and will be effective in a realistic combat environment.

In the past, small arms lethality live fire programs have not used actual threat vehicles, but have relied on simple armor plates as the targets. In this program, an actual threat vehicle was used, and shown unequivocally that realistic small arms LFT&E can be accomplished using actual threat vehicles at a minimum cost. Had the testing been conducted using simple armor plate targets, it would have been more difficult to assess system performance against the expected threat.


	The Fututre: M993 / M995 Armor Piercing (AP) cartridges The M995 is a 5.56-mm Armor Piercing (AP) cartridge that provides an AP capability for the M16A2 rifle, the M4 carbine, and the Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). The M993 is a 7.62-mm AP cartridge which provides an AP capability for the M60 machine gun, and the M24 sniper rifle. These cartridges were designed to augment the fielded version of the ammunition (M855 and M80), which employ a soft lead (or ball) projectile. The M993 and M995 were initiated in 1992 as part of the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP), and intended to give the soldier an added capability against armored threat vehicles. This capability will support the precision engagement and dominant maneuver force aspects of Joint Vision 2010. DOT&E activity for these programs involved Live Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E) only; no formal operational testing or oversight was involved. The combined LFT&E strategy for these two programs was approved by DOT&E in November 1996, and the detailed test plan (DTP) was approved in December 1996. Previous developmental testing of these two cartridges focused on shots against simple range targets - not against an actual threat vehicle. By combining Joint Live Fire (JLF) assets, namely a BRDM-2 armored personnel carrier, with the Army's funded LFT&E program, a credible full-up systems level lethality live fire program was made possible. The LFT&E program was conducted in accordance with the approved LFT&E strategy from November 1996 to April 1997. In particular, the Army conducted dedicated live fire tests involving approximately 100 M995/M993 shots against the Russian BRDM-2 armored personnel carrier in April 1997. The armor perforation capability and the potential for crew incapacitation from behind armor effects were assessed. All testing has been completed and the Army's report to DOT&E has been completed. The M995 and M993 AP cartridges are required to have better penetration capability than the standard M855 and M80 ball rounds, especially improved capability to penetrate lightly armored vehicles at extended ranges. The primary intent is to improve incapacitation against troops within lightly armored vehicles. All available test data indicate that the M995 and M993 meet these requirements, and will be effective in a realistic combat environment. In the past, small arms lethality live fire programs have not used actual threat vehicles, but have relied on simple armor plates as the targets. In this program, an actual threat vehicle was used, and shown unequivocally that realistic small arms LFT&E can be accomplished using actual threat vehicles at a minimum cost. Had the testing been conducted using simple armor plate targets, it would have been more difficult to assess system performance against the expected threat.


	Designed by Johnny Salaza,

A portion of the F.B.I. study:

M993 / M995 Armor Piercing (AP) cartridges