In Search of Lethality: Green Ammo and the M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round

In 2010 the Army fielded new rifle ammunition to its soldiers in Afghanistan. Developed as part of a program to produce lead-free ammunition, this new rifle bullet produced a storm of outrage from the firearms community, who derided the new ammunition as needless “green wash” at a time when troops were dying in combat. This is the story of what really happened: how what started as a program to be more environmentally friendly became a significant upgrade in military small arms capability.