Did the Armalite rifle have a tumbling bullet when it was released?
No. Never. This was a piece of nonsense dreamed up by our friends in the media who got half a story and then embellished it. The reports said that a tumbling bullet caused “massive damage”. Some even suggested it was as bad as using dum dum bullets. No bullet that tumbles could ever be aimed accurately. The fact is this. The 5.56mm round used by the Colt AR15 Armalite (M16) is high velocity. Because it strikes it’s target at supersonic speed it does do more damage that the same sized round at a lower muzzle velocity. Were it not for this increase in “stopping power” NATO and the US would have stayed with the 7.62mm round then, and now, in common use throughout the world. If I had to be shot I would rather be hit by a 5.56mm than a 7.62mm.
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