Curious on the velocities people are getting. I like 2900ish out of my 18 to keep kinda close to the Elcan.
2900?!? Most issued ammo are in the 3100 ranges and up. And Elcan is calibrated at around 3100fps.
MIL Spec Data for M193 and M855 Ammunition
The following information is excerpted from the MIL-C specs that lay out the qualification tests for M193 and M855 military ball ammunition. The most recent revision (as of Sept 2007) of each spec was referenced.
MIL-C-9963F
CARTRIDGE, 5.56MM, BALL M193
3.6 Velocity. The average velocity of the sample cartridges, conditioned at 70 + 2 Fahrenheit (F), shall be 3165 feet per second (ft/sec) plus or minus 40 ft/sec, at 78 feet from the muzzle of the weapon. The standard deviation of the velocities shall not exceed 40 ft/sec,
3.7 Chamber pressure.
3.7.1 Measurement by copper-crush cylinder. The average chamber pressure
o€ the sample cartridges, conditioned at 70 +/- 2F, shall not exceed 52,000 pounds per square inch (PSI). The average chamber pressure plus three standard deviations of chamber pressure shall not exceed 58,000 PSI.
3.7.2 Measurement by piezoelectric transducer. The average chamber pressure of the sample cartridges, conditioned at 70 + 2F, shall not exceed 55,000 PSI. The average chamber pressure plus three standard deviations of chamber pressure shall not exceed 61,000 PSI.
3.8 Port pressure.
3.8.1 Measurement by copper crush cylinder. The average port pressure of the sample cartridges, conditioned at 70 +/- 2F, shall be 15,000 PSI +/- 2000 PSI.
3.8.2 Measurement by piezoelectric transducer. The average port pressure of the sample cartridges, conditioned at 70 +/- 2F shall be shall be 14,400 PSI +/- 2000 PSI.
3.9 Temperature stability. When the sample cartridges are subjected to the following storage conditions, the average velocity shall not decrease by more than 250 ft/sec and the average chamber pressure by either method used in 3.7 shall not increase by more than 5000 PSI, the average port pressure by either method used in 3.8 shall neither increase nor decrease by more than 2000 PSI with respect to the average velocity, chamber pressure and port pressure of the sample cartridges of the same lot, conditioned at 70 +/- 2 F for a minimum of twenty minutes. Any increases in velocity and decreases in chamber pressure of the sample cartridges under these temperature conditions are acceptable,
Stored at 125 +/- 2F for not less than one hour and fired at that temperature.
Stored at -65 +/- 5F for not less than one hour and fired at that temperature.
Norinco is about 40fps more hot then MILSpec ball ammo. Look for 3150+ fps...