M16 full auto bullet question

M

Machineguntony

New member
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?
 
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.
 
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
 
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.

337808.jpg


Be careful with those hand loads. Nothing devalues a investment gun like blowing it up.
 
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.
 
Ridge Runner 5 posted
Most .223 suppressors can be disassembled.
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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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

There are cans that can be dissembled, but not many.

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

M14DC_SuppressorTC.lg.jpg


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.

And any lead that might possibly make it to the gas system will be blown into the chamber due to the large pressures involved.
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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.
 
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.
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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.
 
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