(GunReports.com) — Retailer LuckyGunner.com recently ran a massive ammunition comparison pitting steel and brass-cased 223 Rem. ammo in four AR-15s to catalog failures of all sorts.
The test guns: four identical Bushmaster AR-15 rifles. “We chose the Bushmaster MOE Series AR-15 because it’s a widely available, affordable, and mass-market,” the LuckyGunner.com report said. “We didn’t want something too cheap and of lower quality or something too expensive and of high quality since our goal is to help the most number of people.”
They acquired 10,000 rounds each of the following ammunition (new production):
- Federal 55gr – Brass-Cased – Copper Jacket
- Wolf 55gr FMJ – Steel-Cased with Polymer Coating – Bi-Metal Jacket (steel and copper)
- Tula 55gr FMJ – Steel-Cased with Polymer Coating – Bi-Metal Jacket (steel and copper)
- Brown Bear 55gr FMJ – Steel-Cased with Lacquer Coating – Bi-Metal Jacket (steel and copper)
They paired each ammunition type with a specific Bushmaster AR-15 and then fired all 10,000 rounds of it through that particular carbine (except for Tula). The shooters systematically observed and tested various things, including:
- At the start: accuracy, velocity, chamber and gas port pressures, chamber cast
- After 2,000 rounds: accuracy, velocity
- After 4,000 rounds: accuracy, velocity
- After 5,000 rounds: throat erosion, chamber cast
- After 6,000 rounds: accuracy, velocity
- After 8,000 rounds: accuracy, velocity
- After 10,000 rounds: accuracy, velocity, chamber and gas port pressures, throat erosion, extractor wear, chamber cast, barrel wear
They logged every malfunction of every rifle-ammo combination. The rifles were cleaned according to a preset schedule and temperatures were monitored and kept within acceptable limits. Also, they sectioned the barrels and otherwise made unique observations after the test was complete.
If you’re interested in any of the following, you’ll find observations, data, and further details below.
Video Summary of the Test
