"SS" vs "M" Nomenclature in 5.56x45

[Oh Shoot]

Never seem to have found exact overall explanation on this and have wondered.

 

Like the SS109/M855 round:

 

Seems "M855" is NATO designation? Or just US Military one?

 

And what does the "SS" designation mean as opposed to that? Does it just describe the bullet? If so, by what organization?

 

Anyone give a clear cut explanation about all that?

 

TIA,

 

- OS

Edited February 22, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[Garufa]

If I'm not mistaken SS109 is the actual projectile as designed by FN and used in the M855 cartridge.  M855 being the US designation of that particular 5.56x45mm loading.

[R1100R]

SS109 is the NATO code. M885 is the US military code/name for that round. That is what I was told at the arsenal anyway one day when we were picking up ammo. Edited February 22, 2015 by R1100R

[monkeylizard]

SS109 is the NATO code. M885 is the US military code/name for that round. That is what I was told at the arsenal anyway one day when we were picking up ammo.

 

This, though I'm not sure SS109 is the NATO code or not. It may be, but I thought the NATO code is 5.56NATO. The round started life as the Belgian SS109 and it was submitted in the 1970s for testing to become the second standard NATO round (alongside the 7.62x51NATO). I don't know if SS109 was just its original name, or if that was adopted by NATO as the official code.

 

M855 is indeed the US code for the same round.

[whitewolf001]

Pretty sure SS109 is the projectile while the M855 nomenclature is for the loaded cartridge.

 

*EDIT- Nevermind, SS109 is the NATO coding versus M855 for US Military.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.56%C3%9745mm_NATO

Edited February 24, 2015 by whitewolf001

[Oh Shoot]

Pretty sure SS109 is the projectile while the M855 nomenclature is for the loaded cartridge.

 

*EDIT- Nevermind, SS109 is the NATO coding versus M855 for US Military.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.56%C3%9745mm_NATO

 

I did not glean from that, or anywhere else, that "SS109" had anything to do with NATO designation, only the original Belgian one?

 

- OS

Edited February 24, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[Guest tangojuliet]

M855 is uncle sams thing ss109 is natos 

[monkeylizard]

SS109 is clearly the designation of the round (not just the bullet) submitted by the Belgians for consideration as the NATO standard, and M855 is clearly the US designation for the exact same round, but did NATO keep SS109 as the name when they adopted it or did they officially name it "5.56 NATO" ?

 

Does anyone know what the "SS" part stands for?

I assume "M" = Model as it does in other US designations?

Edited February 24, 2015 by monkeylizard

[Static_USMC]

IMI SS109 has a better flash retardant than the LC m855. Just a personal observation