Army Reviewing Complaints Over Bullets

Army Reviewing Complaints Over Bullets
May 30, 2008
Associated Press

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The military is reviewing Soldiers' complaints that their standard ammunition isn't powerful enough for the type of fighting required in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army's highest-ranking officer said Thursday. But Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff, said it was too soon to say whether the Pentagon will switch.

Current and former Soldiers interviewed by The Associated Press said the military's M855 rifle rounds are not powerful enough for close-in fighting in cities and towns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Speaking with reporters at a conference in Huntsville, Casey said leaders are constantly soliciting feedback from Soldiers in the field and were aware of complaints about the M855 ammunition.

"To effectively prepare them we have to adapt as the enemy adapts, and that is some of the feedback we have gotten," Casey said. "We'll evaluate it quickly and then we'll decide how we want to proceed."

But Casey said it would be premature to say if the Pentagon will consider a different type of ammunition.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/army-reviewing-complaints-over-bullets.html

Bigger bullets (also higher muzzle velocity of said bullet) mean that the receiver of the bullet has more kinetic energy making contact with them and usually making them fall down and go boom no matter where they get hit.

Currently we use the M855 over other rounds for a number of reasons. NATO standardization of rounds, Geneva Convention rules against hollowpoint or exploding rounds, and logistical considerations are only a couple of reasons.




And if you read another article on this subject, you will see this piece of info. This topic came about after a 2006 survey of 2,600 soldiers who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Only 20% of those involved in the survey who used the M4 and M16 rifles wanted larger caliber bullets.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080527/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/battling_over_bullets