There has been a lot of discussion on the ubiquitous 5.56 “Green-Tip” load. Everything from who uses it, why, how it works and what it allegedly can do. Prepared citizens have also examined the cartridge in detail, not to mention the numerous videos one can find on YouTube. Amidst all of the debate, there are a number of truths we’ve come to realize about it, and many falsehoods that are continually perpetuated by those who simply don’t know much about the cartridge or firearms in general. We’ll dive into this cartridge and try to disseminate its history and real-world performance basics.
Where Did Green Tip Come From?
"Green-Tip" is given the technical nomenclature M855 here in the U.S. and SS109 overseas (NATO countries). It was developed in the late 1970s by FN Herstal specifically for the then new M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). At the time, there was an existing concern for increasing the portability and lethality of squad-based weapon systems (light machine guns) due to lessons learned from the Vietnam War and potential emerging threats from Soviet troops. The U.S. was essentially rethinking its doctrine in regards to modern warfare while simultaneously attempting to modernize its fighting force for the next future conflict. At the time, the M249 SAW was made to replace the M60 machine gun. This new weapon system was heavily scrutinized, and there was a concern about the long-range effectiveness of 5.56 – specifically the Vietnam Era issued 55-grain ball-round dubbed 'M193'. Testing revealed that although M193 was still technically lethal beyond 300 meters, it didn't tend to fare well at a distance once subject to environmental changes (mostly wind). There were also reports that it apparently didn't do so great against intermediate barriers, unarmored vehicles, and common building materials. FN Herstal developed the SS109 cartridge (Green-Tip) as an answer to this problem in conjunction with the SAW. As part of an effort to continue to develop 5.56 based weapon platforms, the U.S. military decided to revise and update the M16 as well. The revision was dubbed "A2" or M16A2. A few small changes to the weapon were made, specifically a change in barrel twist rate from 1:12 to 1:7. This was done to accommodate the new M855/SS109 cartridge along with newly developed tracer and armor-piercing rounds. The 1:7 twist rate was necessary as the older 1:12 twist rate found on original M16's could not properly stabilize the newer cartridges (significant issues with accuracy at range). Basically, the newer rounds were longer and heavier, thus a faster twist rate was needed. Logistically, there was now no reason not to use 5.56 as a shared cartridge. The only thing that remained was to find a way to denote the various 5.56 cartridges from one another. The simplest answer was to paint the tips of the M855/SS109 cartridge green, while leaving the tracer rounds red, and armor-piercing rounds black (M193 is plain, just as it is today). This is basically where green-tip ammunition comes from, a Cold War era invention that was in service until roughly 2010-2011 with US forces.
PMC 5.56 NATO Ammo:
62 &
55 Grain
Need bulk 5.56 NATO ammo? Check out our 5.56 NATO section on our site to see what’s in stock!
What is Green Tipped Ammo Used For?
![]()
The base premise is that the round would offer enhanced performance over M193 at distances ranging from 300 to 600 meters. Specifically, a focus was placed on having a cartridge that could pierce Soviet helmets that were issued at the time (out to 600 meters). Additionally, the proliferation of soft armor and ballistic helmets served as reinforcement to try and standardize M855. There was so much emphasis on the cartridge being optimized for penetration that a few things were sort of overlooked in terms of overall performance. The round performed well enough out of 20-inch M16 barrels and the 18-inch barrel of the M249 SAW. But for every performance issue the round allegedly solved, there were a new set of issues. Namely, the M855 didn't seem to perform to specification out of the shorter-barreled M4 Carbine. This was yet another update to the military's arsenal that was completed in the 90s. The Gulf War and Somalia showed that the round performed inconsistently against enemy personnel. Reports came in from infantrymen that multiple hits were required to down the bad guys, something that hadn't really been complained about much since 5.56 was introduced. The Global War on Terror period also highlighted some potential deficiencies (more problems related to stopping bad guys), and the U.S. military began to search for alternatives. Our NATO counterparts seem to be the only ones still fielding the round in significant quantities at the time of writing. The cartridge has some utility as a defensive round for the hypothetical "end-of-the-world" scenarios some people try to prepare for. It can be used in certain instances to dispatch pests in rural areas. It also makes for a reasonable cartridge for shooting at a distance if you like to stretch the legs of your AR-pattern rifle a bit (shooting well past 300 meters). Just don't use it on steel targets you intend to keep as it does chew them up and damage most of them significantly. Your local range will probably ban you for using it on their steel targets or indoor bullet traps. Otherwise, it would seem to be a mediocre round to use for self-defense. We suggest you do your research into it more if you are determined to stockpile it for that purpose. The author has found the cartridge has a mixed reputation between civilian and military users. Only you can decide what works best for you.
Is 5.56 NATO Green Tip Available For Commercial Use?
There was a significant amount of overproduction and surplus from U.S. manufacturers, including production from other NATO countries. This round was and still is produced in incredibly large quantities. It became commercially available after the BATF found that it could not be classified as a true 'armor-piercing' round. M855 has a composite construction, with a core of lead topped with a mild steel tip, wrapped in a standard copper jacket. Whereas actual armor-piercing ammo typically has a core made entirely of hardened steel or some other very hard and dense metal. This factor is basically what defines a round as armor-piercing in the eyes of the BATF.
Is Green Tip Ammo Armor Piercing?
As mentioned, bullet construction defines whether or not the round is armor-piercing from a legal perspective. Real-world performance, testing, and scientific data gathered further define the round as merely being capable of having enhanced penetration against specific materials. Current personal armor systems fielded by specialized police units, government agencies, and some militaries will provide adequate protection against it. M855 is considered by some professionals to be outdated. However, other police and militaries across the globe with access to it still use M855 and appear satisfied with the performance it offers. Our own military has since adopted an improved version dubbed M855A1 (which is not available for commercial sale).
Should I Buy Green Tip Ammo?
