New 5.56 rounds

[theGinsue]

While I was Active Duty, I was always told that, according to International Law, Hollow Points were considered illegal in most cases because they could be expected to cause undue pain and suffering, which (again, according to International Law) is paramount to torture.

From the current USAF Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) Annual Training:
(changes to text color added by me for emphasis)

Section 4: Weapons
All weapons used by the Air Force are reviewed to make sure they are legal. So if the Air Force issues you a weapon, you can use it. Be sure to use the weapon in the form it is issued to you. Altering the weapon (e.g., making bullets hollow point) can make a legal weapon illegal.


Weapons are evaluated to see if they cause unnecessary suffering. If they do they are illegal. Some people are surprised at which weapons are legal and which weapons are illegal.

Legal Weapons
...Napalm
...Flame Throwers
...White Phosphorous
...Nuclear Weapons

Illegal Weapons
...Poisons
...Asphyxiating Agents
...Biological Weapons


Projectiles must be jacketed to be legal. They cannot be expanding or exploding. Therefore glass projectile bullets are illegal. Hollow point bullets are illegal for most people to use. There are exceptions for some special forces and security forces personnel (formerly called "security police").

[theGinsue]

Maybe they'll start selling of mass quantities of M855 for cheap now.... I can dream right?

Sure, but then they'll re-instate the "no lead bullets" rule in National parks and expand it to National Forests, state parks, etc. and require you to pay "lead credits" for shooting lead bullets anyplace they still allow the use of lead.

You do realize that we can't win; don't you?