{"id":139627,"date":"2021-03-14T12:57:06","date_gmt":"2021-03-14T16:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=139627"},"modified":"2021-03-14T12:57:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-07T05:54:14","slug":"the-black-hills-ammunition-mk-262-mod-1-cartridge-and-the-worst-man-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/the-black-hills-ammunition-mk-262-mod-1-cartridge-and-the-worst-man-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"The Black Hills Ammunition Mk 262 Mod 1 Cartridge and the Worst Man in the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"The
This black-hearted monster headed the most vile group of psychopaths in modern history.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On July 28, 1971, Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai was born near Samarra, Iraq. He was the third of four sons born into the Al-Bu Badri tribe. Family connections in this desolate part of the world are everything. They transcend national identities and political allegiances. The only force stronger is Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
This soulless loser was what we in the Deep South call a \u201cSerious Piece of Work.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This young man was a religious zealot from his earliest years. He eventually adopted a nom de guerre. The world came to know this otherwise unremarkable fanatic as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Al-Baghdadi ultimately ruled the most depraved mob of reprobates since Hitler\u2019s Nazis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
This is al-Baghdadi\u2019s university application. Poor performance in high school limited his options later.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Al-Baghdadi struggled in school. He wanted to attend the University of Baghdad and study law. When that didn\u2019t pan out he went to the Islamic University of Baghdad and studied Islamic Law along with the Quran. Quranic recitation was his specialty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The American prisons at Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca proved to be the finishing school for ISIS terrorists. It was here that al-Baghdadi made the connections and honed the skills necessary to run his terrorist empire.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 al-Baghdadi became a professional terrorist. Captured in February of 2004 he spent time in Abu Ghraib. His job title with Al Qaeda was listed as \u201csecretary.\u201d The Combined Review and Release Board declared him \u201cLow Level\u201d and set him free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Islamic State raised terrorist depravity to unprecedented levels.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The next seven years were unusually volatile times, even by Islamic terrorist standards. Organizations came and went. Coalition forces played Whack-a-Mole, killing terrorist leaders and deconstructing terror cells as the intel allowed. By May of 2010 the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI) was the baddest kid on the block, and al-Baghdadi was calling the shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Heart of Darkness<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"The
At its apogee ISIS controlled a territory the size of the UK and managed a billion-dollar economy. Throughout it all their worldview was like something out of the Dark Ages.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s tough for the civilized mind to grasp how truly ghastly these people were. Underneath a thin veneer of religious fervor, they were just garden-variety homicidal maniac thugs. Given their penchant for extortion, drug dealing, kidnapping, and shakedowns they were like the Mafia only with suicide bombers. In 2011, the US Government put a $10 million bounty on al-Baghdadi\u2019s head. In 2017 that number increased to $25 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
These guys were like characters in a bad horror movie. When your god is telling you to cut people\u2019s heads off and murder children you\u2019d think they might question whether they\u2019re praying to the right one.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On his orders, al-Baghdadi\u2019s gang of lunatics planted IEDs, attacked targets both military and civilian, and generally engaged in unfettered slaughter claiming their dark twisted god told them to do so. By the time ISI expanded into ISIS (or ISIL depending upon your source\u2014Islamic State in Iraq and Syria or, alternatively, the Levant) they were responsible for the gory deaths of thousands. Cutting people\u2019s heads off to produce motivational videos was a specialty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Kayla Mueller spent her entire adult life running toward war-torn areas to help alleviate suffering.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just when you thought he couldn\u2019t get any worse, al-Baghdadi was also a serial rapist. He \u201cmarried\u201d any woman who caught his fancy, to include American hostage Kayla Mueller, and used these women to satisfy his sick lusts. Throughout it all he moved constantly, always staying one step ahead of the drones, Special Operators, and Hellfire missiles. Then in 2019 the CIA\u2019s Special Activities Center interrogated one of his many wives along with a brother-in-law and uncovered a solid lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operation Kayla Mueller<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"The
You really don\u2019t want these guys after you.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m nothing special, but I do have some very interesting friends. The sort of individual who thrives as a Tier 1 operator generally has a fairly rarefied sense of right and wrong. When faced with the opportunity to end a guy who burns people alive, blows up children, rapes humanitarian workers, and violates all accepted norms of civilized behavior these extraordinary guys do enjoy a certain singularity of purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The op to off the most amoral psychopath on the planet was titled after this sweet American humanitarian aid worker kidnapped, tortured, and killed by ISIS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They christened the mission to kill or capture al-Baghdadi, the most wanted man on earth, Operation Kayla Mueller. Nobody was going to be unduly verklempt if at the end of the day al-Baghdadi ended up in a bag rather than a cell at Gitmo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The American JSOC strike force hit al-Baghdadi\u2019s evil lair in rural Syria under cover of darkness.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the night of 26 October 2019, roughly 100 JSOC operators from Alpha Squadron, 1st<\/sup> Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D\u2014alternatively known as the Combat Applications Group, Task Force Green, Army Compartmented Element, or simply \u201cthe Unit\u201d) and the 75th Ranger Regiment approached al-Baghdadi\u2019s compound outside Barisha in the Idlib Province in Syria. They ingressed aboard eight MH60 and MH47 helicopters from the 160th<\/sup> Special Operations Aviation Regiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Once these guys got tooled up al-Baghdadi was toast.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Uncle Sam was about to unleash his righteous fury. Vengeance should likely not be the driving force behind the affairs of nations. However, in this case the long arm of Donald Trump was about to squash al-Baghdadi like a cockroach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Some idiot made the mistake of shooting at the incoming American assault force from this vehicle. Supporting gunships tore it to pieces.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The mission launched from Al Asad Airbase in Iraq with an enroute time of around 70 minutes. After transiting Turkish-controlled and Russian-monitored airspace the Delta operators surrounded the compound. The aircraft took fire during the infil, but supporting gunships effectively addressed these threats as they arose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Once the immediate area was secured US forces made an effort to take those inside alive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In short order, US forces had al-Baghdadi\u2019s compound surrounded. They called out in Arabic for those within the building to surrender. Al-Baghdadi and his lunatic followers chose a different path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ammo<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The HK 416 shown here represents the industry standard among top-tier counter-terror units.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s installment will be a little different. Instead of discussing the weapons used on the raid, presumably HK 416 assault rifles, we will discuss the ammunition. The US Special Operations Command is notoriously and rightfully tight-lipped concerning the guns and gear they use on their top secret ops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Mk 262 Mod 1 77gr OTM rounds are the most effective 5.56x45mm cartridges in the world.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I have no way of knowing just what sorts of ammo saw service on Operation Kayla Mueller. I don\u2019t personally know anybody who was there. However, balance of probability the 5.56mm weapons used on the raid were likely fed Mk 262 Mod 1 ammunition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Back when I wore the uniform this M16A1 rifle firing 55-grain M193 ammo represented the state of the art in Infantry weapons. We\u2019ve come a long way since then.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Back in my day the published maximum effective range for the M16A1 rifle firing M193 55-grain FMJ ammunition was 460 meters. In the arid wastes of Iraq and Afghanistan, US troops frequently found themselves needing to reach out farther than that. Snipers and designated marksmen required a 5.56mm cartridge that could shoot to 700-800 meters while retaining enough energy to reliably do the deed. The solution came from the AMU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Army Marksmanship Unit exists to advance the science of precision rifle marksmanship.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Army Marksmanship Unit represents the finest rifle shooters on the planet. These folks run custom guns and enjoy the resources to wring the absolute best performance out of their gear. They did the original leg work to develop a .223 round firing a 77-grain Open-Tipped Match bullet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Mk 12 SPR was designed to provide intermediate range fires to Special Operations units without undue weight and bulk. This role has been taken over by the FN SCAR17 nowadays.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Back in 1996 Black Hills Ammunition won their first government contract producing 80-grain .223 ammo for use out to 600-meters by the AMU. This unique load performed exceptionally well and resulted in purchase requests from other military shooting organizations. In 1999 the folks at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, reached out to Black Hills about developing a similar round for use in their Mk12 Special Purpose Rifles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Black Hills Ammunition burned tens of thousands of rounds before settling on the specific secret sauce that makes the Mk 262 Mod 1 so awesome.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What followed was a lot of trial and error. Candidate bullets included the 77gr Nosler HPBT, the 73gr Berger, and the 77gr Sierra MatchKing. The MatchKing grew a cannelure and won the day. Black Hills switched to 5.56x45mm cases and earned the military designation Mk262 Mod 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The open tip architecture of the Mk 262 Mod 1 is not designed for expansion but rather accuracy and explosive terminal performance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The open-tipped match design is not intended to expand like a conventional hollowpoint. The OTM geometry puts the center of gravity as far as possible to the rear. After review by the Navy JAG the Mk262 Mod 1 round was determined to remain in compliance with the internationally-recognized Hague Convention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boys Will Be Boys<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Special Ops snipers grew weary of the assaulters pinching their top-flight Mk 262 Mod 1 ammo, so now it is readily available throughout the US special ops community.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once downrange, assaulters found that Mk 262 Mod 1 ammo ran really well out of their short-barreled close quarters weapons. They then began stealing it from the snipers. Black Hills and Uncle Sam ramped up so there was plenty to go around. This milspec load maximizes the performance of 5.56mm weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Each lot is fired for record at 300 yards to ensure consistency and accuracy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Each case of Mk 262 Mod 1C (the civilian version of the Mk 262 Mod 1 military rounds) comes with a custom spec sheet like this one.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Black Hills will happily sell American civilian shooters the same stuff. It comes packed 460 rounds in a standard steel .30-caliber GI ammo can in 20-round cardboard boxes. It is also sold in red commercial packaging. Each case comes with an individual spec sheet unique to that lot personally signed by Jeff Hoffman, the President of Black Hills Ammunition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Army\u2019s replacement for the classic 5.56x45mm round will be something exotic like this 6.8mm composite cartridge from True Velocity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This sheet documents the results of ten-shot groups taken from this same lot fired at 300 yards. My lot averaged 1.769 inches or 0.563 MOA. Before the recent Covid apocalypse this premium ammo ran about a buck to a buck and a half per round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Five ISIS thugs wearing suicide vests like these were cut down by the American assault force.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Uncle Sam is planning to bin his 5.56mm weapons in favor of something firing 6.8mm. This heavier round offers longer reach and greater downrange thump. However, I shall mourn the passing of the 5.56×45. It\u2019s lightweight, fun to shoot, and easy to hump. Black Hills Mk 262 Mod 1 is quite literally the most capable 5.56mm ammunition on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rest of the Story<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Ever the self-serving opportunist, this loser thug snatched up a pair of kids before trying to escape the inevitable coming judgment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Delta assault force blew a hole in the wall of al-Baghdadi\u2019s compound and swept the place. They secured 11 noncombatants, mostly children. Five ISIS zealots wearing suicide vests, four women and a man, then approached the D-boys in a threatening manner. Warning shots were supposedly fired before the Delta guys dropped them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
This is Conan. He is one seriously great American. He eats ISIS terrorist masterminds for breakfast.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Al-Baghdadi, for his part, scooped up a pair of handy children, donned his own explosive vest, and retreated into a dead-end tunnel underneath the compound. The Delta guys then deployed their secret weapon, the fur missile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Conan the dog didn\u2019t actually get decorated by the President quite like this. However, he did come to the White House for a nice visit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
This is a \u201cbefore\u201d shot of al-Baghdadi\u2019s compound taken immediately prior to the raid.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Conan, a Belgian Malinois military working dog, entered the dark tunnel without hesitation. As Conan closed in on al-Baghdadi with lethal intent the scumbag touched off his vest, killing both himself and the two children he\u2019d dragged along. Conan was injured by some exposed power cables but recovered and has returned to full duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
After the Good Guys were clear American combat aircraft turned al-Baghdadi\u2019s safe house into a parking lot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Kayla Mueller was the best of America, selflessly going to dangerous places to help others. In October of 2019 US Special Operations forces terminated her killer with extreme prejudice.   <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The strike team spent two hours onsite recovering critical intelligence materials and mopping up enough of the demised ISIS leader to verify via DNA assay. What little remained of al-Baghdadi was subsequently afforded a proper Muslim burial at sea. That was substantially more than his soulless mob offered their thousands of victims. Good riddance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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