Back before the gun ban scare, I bought a can of Lake City M196 steel tip tracers in 5.56 NATO. At the time, just to plink at paper when it had recently rained and fires were not an issue.
I have a friend I went to school with years ago, one of those life long bud type things. Anyway, he recently retired and was able to buy a small cruiser for exploring limited offshore and sounds of the East coast.
I use to, >30 years ago, sail up and down the East coast in my sail boat including many of the Bahama islands, usually with another boat for safety reasons. Piracy was then something to be aware of and what I've discovered is still way unreported. Anchoring off in a secluded cove to spend the night, or even daytime, could be hazardous to a person's body if not armed.
He found a stainless pump 12 ga he plans to keep on the boat at all times. He also has an AR 15 he could move to and from.
I told him a 12 ga 00 might not penetrate a boat hull if needed for self defense. I was going to send him enough for 2-30 round magazines out of my M196 steel tip tracers. I feel these would penetrate most boat hulls and do a some damage to engines of about any pirate boats after small cruisers. They might even set stuff on fire, really discouraging any would be bad guys.
Of course, check to make sure his firearms would be legal where ever he cruised.
I can't find any anymore at any of the online places I've bought from in the past.
Anyone know of a source?
Posts: 187 | Location: foothills of NC | Registered: 03 August 2013
Originally posted by RyanB: M196 doesn't have steel in it, though tracers have their uses I'm sure in waterborne shootings.
My magnet sticks to the tip. This is a military steel box marked M196. The ammo in the box is in green canvas bandoliers. The ammo is on stripper clips.
Posts: 187 | Location: foothills of NC | Registered: 03 August 2013
Army publications claim a lead core and gilding metal jacket with no steel for both M196 and M856. I have no idea why a magnet would stick to the tip of your bullets.
Posts: 956 | Location: PNW | Registered: 27 April 2009
Magnets only stick to steel or ferrous metal. The headstamp is "Lake City 90, then the "O" with the plus inside. I interpret this to be 1990 vintage. The "O" with the +, from what I know indicates military grade or to NATO standards.
Posts: 187 | Location: foothills of NC | Registered: 03 August 2013
Originally posted by deltam: Magnets only stick to steel or ferrous metal. The headstamp is "Lake City 90, then the "O" with the plus inside. I interpret this to be 1990 vintage. The "O" with the +, from what I know indicates military grade or to NATO standards.
Could this be repackaged? They came from CTD in 2012.
Posts: 187 | Location: foothills of NC | Registered: 03 August 2013
Originally posted by RyanB: Your understanding of the headstamp matches mine. What color is the tip?
Tip color is red. As a side note I shot one of my A500 grade 1/2 steel targets with it but only once from about 75 yards. That target now has a divot in in.
Report was when I bought these that about 8 out of ten traced OK. The bullets are labeled 3,220 fps so make it kind of hard to see with out a spotter in daylight.
My wife bought me a 6 pk of tannerite for Christmas. I'll have to notify everyone in the hood not to panic and call the law. "IT'S ONLY ME AGAIN11
Posts: 187 | Location: foothills of NC | Registered: 03 August 2013
After reading other posts, I got curious. I pulled one of these. Not only is the tip steel it looks like it is steel core as well. The brass case didn't attract my magnet but the whole bullet does and you can see the core metal in the base of the bullet. There really is funky looking powder in this round too.
I am betting it is a mixed batch of steel penetrator core and tracers. Who is CTD? It wouldn't be the first time someone did something like this. you might also want to double check the paint scheme for military ammo. Black tip, green tip etc. Actually now that I think about it Im not even sure anymore. Could have also come from a SAW Ammo mag.
Happiness is a warm gun
Posts: 4106 | Location: USA | Registered: 06 March 2002
I'll try to take some better pictures, including the inside of the can and put them through a picture program to blow them up a bit before trying post so eye strain isn't a factor.
I doubt they are from a SAW since they are on 10 round stripper clips. To much trouble to put them on.
CTD is an online outfit "Cheaper than Dirt". They are kind of a salvage place to buy gun stuff. Their practice use to be to buy pallets of ammo, then sell till it was gone.
Posts: 187 | Location: foothills of NC | Registered: 03 August 2013
ok know cheaper than dirt just didn't get the abbreviation. They might be out of a machine gun though as the red tip versus orange tip reference TM 43-0001-27
Happiness is a warm gun
Posts: 4106 | Location: USA | Registered: 06 March 2002
