Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: brooksp@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Peter Brooks) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Re: Using the rifle suited to the previous war? Message-ID: <1991Jan24.043123.25128@cbnews.att.com> Date: 24 Jan 91 04:31:23 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 21 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Peter Brooks I cannot remember if this has been dealt with, but the ammunition for the AR-15/M16 was a ball (spherical) powder. The process used to make this powder involves running the droplets into an acid solution to get the balls to form. Later on, the acid is neutralized, and any forming actions required are done. (some powders are flattened; I am not sure about "real" M16 ammunition powder.) Unfortunately, the vendor went to Calcium Carbonate for the neutralizing step. The original chemical was something else, but I don't remember what. The Calcium Carbonate did its job, but had the unfortunate side effect of plating the gas piston and cylinder with more calcium carbonate, which is also known as limestone. Running a lot of round with this powder guaranteed a malfunction unless you specifically cleaned the rock out. When the problem was identified, the vendor (must have been Olin) switched neutralizing chemicals. This is why the problem is no longer present. Pete Brooks