Radway Green at AIM

[Richard Simmons]

Opinions on price and quality? TIA

http://aimsurplus.com/acatalog/NATO__223_SS109.html

[wildmann43]

Superb ammo! Accurate too. Price is about $30.00 cheaper than I remember.

[308]

It's a better deal at Sportsmansguide.com
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=140094

Compare AIM's 900rnds 1980's production to SG's 1000rnds current over-run U.S. military rounds from Federal.

Club Members and Forum Discount coupons help alot. AIM kills us west coasters with their ammo shipping rates.

[Richard Simmons]

If I figure in the 10% discount for SPG the price is virtually the same. With the AIM ammo you are getting the bandollers and strippers which is nice but of course they both add to the shipping weight as does the can. For me AIM is about .18 per round delivered. Isn't the Sportsmans Guide ammo made from pulled components? If it's current production overrun why do some have the green tip "cleaned" off? Their .308 ammo

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=162939

is listed the same and people who have ordered it have found headstamps as far back as the early 1990's on some of it. From what I've read this stuff is being currently assembled from pulled components or is ammo pulled during production for inspection. Why some of it is 10 years old and listed as "current military production" I don't know?

[wildmann43]

The RG SS109 that I sold a few years ago had NO green tip markings. It did have a tungsten penetrator.

[lowdrag]

If I remember, didn't they make that ammo under powered to function properly in their rifles back in the 80's 90's? The stuff I bought from SMG is GREAT, I would like to crono it

[bsllvn]

Richard -

I have some of the .223 Radway Green from AIM. The first half warm day I get I'll be testing it out and will post the results here. ;)

Bill

[lowdrag]

looking fwd to it

[win308]

I have heard so much "myth" that this ammo is underloaded and not up to snuff, that I was tempted to not give it a try. However, I did get a few cans and have since fired it in 2 different pre ban Colt, 1 ~ 7 twist H-Bars. Works perfect and is quite accurate. I beleive the underload theory comes from the fact that the ammo is loaded with stick powder, not ball. This provides a slightly lower port pressure, thus the bolt and buffer are not rocketing to the rear with as much force. Even with slightly less port pressure, the bolt cycled PERFECTLY on both of my guns. No failures to feed, no failures to extract and eject, and the bolt locked open every time when the mag was empty.

Even though it is 62 grain SS109, the tip is NOT painted green, so I had to pull a tip and weigh it to be sure I had gotten the right ammo. Yes...it was 62 grains, not 55.

All in all, I would highly recommend this ammo. I got mine from AIM surplus...I'm not sure if any one else has this stuff. Mine is dated 1989 and is head stamped RORG 89.

[saleen]

RG SS109 is hit or miss depending upon your individual rifle in my experience. I can tell you that my issue M4 has fired somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 to 2000 rounds between training blanks and M855 / M856. It was treated with militech when I received it, and that is what I have used exclusively to clean and maintain the weapon. Through it all, it never failed me once despite less than ideal conditions --- that is until I got to Kuwait.

When my unit arrived in Kuwait one of the required events is for everyone to get some range time (hey, no problem! I love to shoot some of my taxes up). Unfortunately, the ammo we were given was a hodge podge of old issued ammo turned in from various sources, and some of it was RG SS109. So long as I fed M855 through my rifle, she ran fine, but as soon as I stuffed it with the British stuff (which actually looked to be in better condition than any of the M855), she stubbornly refused to fire more than once. After several immediate action drills I dumped the mags with the RG ammo, and a buddy of mine picked up the discarded RG and voila! His rifle ran with it like a champ. Good for him, but it wouldn't work for me and I wasn't the only one having problems with it that day.

As far as the green tip is concerned, not all countries mark their 62gr 5.56 that way. I believe we started to initially when we had both M16A1s and M16A2s in service so as to differentiate between the newer heavy M855 and the older M193. I know that when my unit in Germany got it's brand new M16A2s in 1987, we had to turn in all of our M193 and we were specifically prohibited from crossing over ammo to the new rifles. I suppose that the practice of painting the tips green just stuck because I don't think that any units still have M16A1s even in the National Guard, and even the SAW uses the M855/ M856 so there is no reason that I can think of for the ammo to still be marked with a green tip. I guess that's just the way that Uncle Sam wants it. :Imconfuse

So, if anyone plans to try RG SS109, I would suggest purchasing a small quantity to try in your rifle first. If it works, you've got a fine deal, but if it doesn't, you won't be out a large amount of money.

Just my .02 :cents:


Saleen

[JE3146]

Thankyou for your service! and for the report on the ammo!

[saleen]

It's my privlige to serve, and thank you for the sentiments.


Saleen

[bsllvn]

http://www.gunsnet.net/forums/showthread.php?t=241601

[savagenation]

i just bought 900 rds of this stuff.....sure hope it works in my bushmaster. the problems you were having were only in the m16a2? if thats the case i should be fine. when i get these shells in and get a chance to shoot them i will post a new thread about them to inform you how they work.

[firthcpt]

I have good luck with the Radway I got from AIM. Accurate for my purposes, blasting and plinking. I did have a couple of primers blow out and one jammed the action. Mine is 93 marked and have shot 500 rounds of it so far. Pleased enough with it that I ordered another can. It is better than the XM193 I got from Sportsman Guide. That stuff was crap a lot of miss fires and squib loads. I am afraid to shot it in my AR at this point. I'll know better next time when I see for training or plinking purposes only in the ad.

I am going to order some Radway while it is around. I am using a A2 Model One upper w/Stag lower.