#Frangible

Inceptor Ammunition has expanded its offerings to meet the needs of reloading enthusiasts with the release of their component bullets. Known for manufacturing frangible self-defense and range rounds, the company has made a new stride by availing their bullets for individual purchase. This move is particularly beneficial for those who regularly use Inceptor’s products and are experienced in reloading, as it provides more flexibility in ammunition customization.

Minnesota-based Federal Ammunition have announced a further delivery of 5.56x45mm MK311 Mod 3 frangible training ammunition to the US Army. The contract is worth $13.8 million and is part of an earlier contract awarded in 2017. The contract Federal are referring to is one which was awarded to Vista Outdoor Inc. back  in June 2017, worth $52 million. The estimated completion date that firm-fixed-price contract is June 25, 2022.

In a surprising move, Honor Defense is now offering a line of frangible hollow-point (HP) ammunition to the public. Their immediate flavors are your usual suspects for modern carry calibers. Where a lot of gun manufacturers are now offering ammo, but produced by an outside party, it appears they may actually be making this in-house. The laundry list of specifications and quality surrounding this new line of ammunition can be read below, as presented by Honor Defense:

Inceptor Ammunition has introduced new cartridge offerings loaded with their ARX and SRR projectiles. Particularly, they now offer the defensive/frangible ARX bullets loaded into 10mm Auto and .450 Bushmaster rounds. The SRR bullets are now available for the .223 Remington and 7.62x39mm.

Air Venturi has announced the release of the world’s first frangible BBs. The new .177 cal (4.5mm) BBs are called Dust Devil. Just like other frangible projectiles, Dust Devil BBs shatter upon impact on hard surfaces and minimize the possibility of ricochet which steel BBs are well known for. The new BBs are also lead-free. Both features combined make them much safer for use in indoor shooting.

When prospective suppressor owners mention looking for subsonic .223 ammunition, my first impulse is to say “novelty” or “expensive .22lr”. After all, achieving low velocities is usually accomplished by anemic powder charges or heavy bullets. The later, fitting anything over ~80 grains in a 223 Remington case, is a challenge. However, Allegiance Ammunition is selling the SilentStrike – a 110gr frangible .223 round That never breaks the sound barrier.

Alliant Techsystems’ (ATK) spinoff company Vista Outdoor has won a contract worth $52 million for Mk. 311 Mod 3 frangible ammunition to supply the US Army, with a completion date of June 22, 2022, according to the June Department of Defense contracts press release. The contract is likely for 100 million rounds of ammunition or more, which will probably be used mostly for training at ranges with limited backstops.

Ten-X ammunition has introduced a line of frangible ammunition under the PolyFrang product name. Ten-X is most famous for their Cowboy Action loads, but in recent years they have been aggressively expanding into more “specialty” lines of ammunition as well. Frangible ammunition typically consists of high-pressure bonded polymer or metallic powders formed into a bullet.

Allegiance Ammunition manufactures ammunition meant specifically to fulfill high-performance needs. They describe a successful high-performance self-defense or hunting round as being able to “achieve adequate penetration to reach vital organs [and] expand or fragment when it strikes fluid filled tissue without exiting.” They offer a variety of lines including TechStrike, which is described as ideal for operations being carried out in sensitive areas where overpenetration or ricochet could be disastrous, and Silent Strike, described as being used for those in law enforcement. The latest round being offered in the Silent Strike line is a 9mm, and what makes it unique is its being both frangible and subsonic.

It just might be the unsung hero of the ammunition world: frangible rounds. Of course, it also seems to be widely misunderstood, not to mention underused. And while there aren’t a lot of companies out there manufacturing quality frangible rounds, there are a few. So for those of you who enjoy giving some thought to a topic and stating your personal experiences, this is the Firearms Food for Thought this week: what are your thoughts on frangible ammunition? Do you use it yourself and if so, do you use it only for specific drills or for more? Ever load your self-defense weapons with it?

Many hunters see the value in a hunt with the benefit of quiet – or at least quieter – shots. The combination of suppressor and subsonic ammunition is a fantastic one for hunting. Of course not all subsonic rounds are created equal. If you’re in the market for subsonic ammunition you might be interested in this. Engel Ballistic Research – EBR – is now going to be selling their subsonic and frangible rounds on the commercial market.