Daily Survival

Monday, July 27, 2026

10 Prepper Items You Can Get for Under $5

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

When people think about prepping, their minds usually jump to expensive gear like generators, tactical bags, and water filter systems with price tags in the hundreds. But some of the most useful items for riding out a disaster are already in your house. These everyday household items are cheap, easy to find, and usually overlooked, which is exactly what makes them so valuable.

This list of inexpensive prepper items comes from the YouTube channel The Provident Prepper, and it's packed with practical uses you may not have considered before. You can watch the video and see the list below.

1. Baking Soda

Baking soda earns its spot on almost every prepper list because it does so much more than leaven bread. It works as a homemade toothpaste, a fire suppressant, and a powerful deodorizer. Sprinkle it on smelly carpet, let it sit, then vacuum it up. It also works as a dry shampoo in a pinch, and adding a bit to a pot of beans while they soak helps soften them before cooking (just be sure to drain and rinse before cooking in fresh water).

Baking soda is also an excellent natural cleaner. A simple combination of Dawn dish soap and vinegar sprayed on a shower, followed by a sprinkle of baking soda and some scrubbing, cuts through grime without harsh chemicals. The good news for long-term storage: baking soda has an indefinite shelf life. It may lose some leavening power over time, but its other uses remain just as effective.

Here are some more uses for baking soda.

2. White Vinegar

Like baking soda, white vinegar is a jack-of-all-trades. It softens hard water in the dishwasher and washing machine, cuts down on the amount of detergent needed, and removes rust and scale from tools when they are soaked in a vinegar-water solution. Wrapping a vinegar-soaked paper towel around a faucet plagued by hard water buildup and leaving it for an hour will dissolve the mineral deposits almost like magic.

In the kitchen, a diluted vinegar rinse can help remove residues from produce. Outdoors, straight vinegar sprayed directly on weeds acts as an effective, chemical-free weed killer, even on stubborn plants like bindweed, without harming the surrounding garden. Because it gets used so often, buying vinegar in bulk (jugs or stackable boxed containers) makes sense for anyone serious about self-sufficiency.

Here are some more uses for white vinegar.

3. Borax

Borax is a century-old preparedness staple with a surprising range of uses. A simple trail of borax will kill ants that carry it back to their nest, and it works similarly on roaches. It boosts laundry detergent, treats mold, and works as a strong deodorizer.

One catch: borax is often sold in cardboard boxes, and if stored in a humid area, moisture can cause the box to swell and create a mess. For long-term storage, transfer borax into a sealed Mylar bag and label it clearly.

Here are some more uses for borax.

4. Unscented Bleach, Pool Shock, and Safer Water Disinfection Alternatives

Calcium hypochlorite (pool shock) can purify thousands of gallons of water and it has a long shelf life, making it great for your long-term water purification plan. However, it's also a dangerous chemical. It can release gas, corrode metal containers, and even ignite under the wrong conditions. Long-term storage tests have shown that bottles sealed inside Mylar bags can bulge from built-up gas, and calcium hypochlorite should never be stored in large quantities or near metal.

Unscented regular chlorine bleach (with no thickeners or fragrances) is another good option, but it degrades within about six months of manufacture, becoming unreliable for water treatment well before its printed date suggests, and it can be surprisingly expensive to find in its truly unscented form.

Because of these downsides, it is worth knowing the free and low-cost alternatives:

Boiling is the gold standard. Water at 212°F kills essentially all pathogens, though boiling alone will not remove protozoa cysts, so filtering beforehand still matters.
Pasteurization using a solar oven can disinfect water without using any fuel.
Solar water disinfection (SODIS) uses nothing but sunlight. Fill a clear glass or plastic container (no more than about 4 inches in diameter) about two-thirds of the way, shake it to oxygenate the water, then fill it the rest of the way and lay it on its side in direct sunlight. In sunny conditions, 4 to 6 hours of exposure is enough to kill harmful organisms in the water; cloudy weather may require a day or two. Even an old, empty soda or water bottle (with the label removed) works for this method.

The takeaway: transparent, narrow containers and a basic understanding of solar disinfection can provide reliable, free water treatment without the risks that come with storing dangerous chemicals.

5. Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard boxes are everywhere, especially with how much of daily life now arrives via home delivery, and they are essentially a free resource. Beyond organizing and storing supplies, cardboard makes an effective insulator for windows or as a barrier between a sleeping bag and cold ground. It is also a reliable fire starter.

In the garden, flattened cardboard works as a weed barrier when layered under wood chips, preventing weeds from pushing through. Torn into smaller pieces, it also breaks down well in a compost pile, enriching the soil over time.

6. Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum jelly is best known for soothing diaper rash, but it has a long list of other practical uses. It works as a skin protectant, a waterproofing barrier, and a remedy for chapped lips. Rubbed onto metal tools, it helps prevent rust.

It also makes an excellent fire starter. Cotton balls coated in petroleum jelly catch quickly and burn long enough to get a fire going, even in damp or cold conditions.

Here are some more uses for petroleum jelly.

7. Epsom Salt

Epsom salt is loaded with magnesium, which makes it useful well beyond a relaxing soak in the tub. It helps soothe sore, overworked muscles and can be part of a recovery routine after an injury.

A warm water soak with Epsom salt also makes stubborn splinters much easier to remove after about 15 minutes, and it softens cracked, rough feet with regular soaking. In the garden, Epsom salt acts as a fertilizer for certain vegetables, and soaking seeds in an Epsom salt solution before planting can help with germination while giving seedlings an early magnesium boost.

Here are some more uses for epsom salt.

8. Unscented Clay Kitty Litter

You don't need an indoor cat to benefit from kitty litter. It provides traction on icy surfaces, works as an emergency toilet solution, and controls moisture and odor. Spilled oil in the garage is easily cleaned by sprinkling kitty litter over it, letting it soak in, then sweeping it up. The same trick works for cleaning up other unpleasant messes, since it absorbs liquid and helps neutralize odor at the same time.

9. Coffee Filters

Even households that do not drink coffee can put coffee filters to good use. They are inexpensive, and one of their most important preparedness roles is clarifying water (removing debris and particulates) before it is disinfected, whether by boiling, chemical treatment, or solar disinfection.

In the kitchen, coffee filters work well for straining fats and oils, filtering teas, or straining homemade nut milk for a smoother texture. Secured over the top of a fermentation jar with a rubber band, a coffee filter lets air in and out while keeping dust and flies out. They are also great at absorbing moisture, making them useful for drying a freshly washed cast iron pan and helping prevent rust.

Here are some more uses for coffee filters.

10. Dryer Lint

Dryer lint comes free with every load of laundry, and while it can turn into a stringy mess if not managed, storing it in a labeled can or container solves that problem easily. Kept near a wood pile or fire-starting supplies, lint becomes an excellent fire starter on its own, and its performance improves even further when combined with melted wax, using something like an egg carton mold to create long-burning fire-starter pucks.

Bonus: A Cheap Plastic Shower Liner

A basic, inexpensive shower curtain liner is lightweight, waterproof, and surprisingly versatile. It can cover and insulate a window using painter's tape, serve as an improvised poncho, act as a barrier to protect a mattress from moisture, or double as a ground tarp. A non-clear version can even provide a privacy screen for an outdoor bathroom setup.

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The post 10 Prepper Items You Can Get for Under $5 appeared first on Urban Survival Site.

from Urban Survival Site

Grocery Prices Are Out Of Control

Grocery prices are out of control, right? Here’s what 20 everyday kitchen staples really cost now compared to 2019. If you’ve stood at the checkout counter lately and felt your stomach drop when the total flashed on the clerk’s screen, you aren’t imagining things, and you’re certainly not alone. Grocery prices have climbed dramatically since 2019, and the everyday items our families rely on most- eggs, milk, bread, and meat- have often risen the fastest.

Is it just me or what? I feel like I am back to cooking on a tight budget when Mark and I were first married and putting him through school. No student loans or grants back then. I’m blessed that I learned to make bread, biscuits, tortillas; I may as well throw in cookies! LOL! We’re eating more rice and beans than ever before. Granted, I love bean and cheese burritos. I love salsa on just about everything! How in the world are families feeding themselves?

My concern is that so many families get fast food with coupons just to feed their families. Fast food- oh my goodness- when will they learn manners by sitting at the kitchen table? The lines here in Utah at fast food establishments have cars wrapped around, like 15-20 cars in line. I would love someone to deliver my dinners, but that’s not going to happen; the cost is ridiculous. Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the overall cost of groceries is roughly 25 to 28 percent higher than it was back in 2019, and some individual items have climbed far higher than that. Americans are paying about 25 percent more for groceries than they were in 2019, and those prices have risen faster than overall inflation. NewsNation

I know how heavy this feels on a family budget, especially if you’re trying to feed growing kids or stretch a single paycheck across the whole month. So I dug into the numbers, and below I’m sharing how much 20 common kitchen staples have gone up in price since 2019, along with some real, practical ways to stretch your grocery budget without sacrificing nutrition or your sanity.

Grocery Prices Are Out Of Control

How Much Has Each Item Gone Up Since 2019

These figures are based on national average pricing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the USDA Economic Research Service. Prices vary by store, brand, and region, so think of these as a general picture rather than an exact number for your local Walmart or Kroger.

Eggs: Up approximately 84 percent since 2019. Eggs cost about $1.40 per dozen in 2019 and are now around $2.58, an 84 percent increase. Prices spiked even higher during avian flu outbreaks before settling back down some. keepingupwithinflation
Ground beef: Up approximately 77 to 81 percent since 2019. Ground beef has climbed to $6.75 per pound, up 79 percent from a 2017 baseline of $3.77, and shrinking cattle herds mean prices have kept climbing rather than falling back.
Bacon: Up approximately 20 to 25 percent since 2019, with a pound running close to seven dollars in many stores today.
Ground coffee: Up dramatically, often more than doubling. Coffee prices have surged due to tariffs and poor harvests, and some tracking shows increases well over 100 percent in just the last few years alone.
Milk: Up approximately 25 to 35 percent since 2019, with a gallon of whole milk now averaging around four dollars or more in most parts of the country.
White bread: Up approximately 35 to 40 percent since 2019, as higher wheat, flour, and packaging costs work their way into every loaf.
Chicken breasts: Up approximately 45 to 55 percent since 2019. Chicken breast prices reached an average of $5.75 per pound in early 2025, a noticeable jump from just a few years prior. aol
Butter: Up approximately 20 to 30 percent since 2019, one of the categories that has stayed stubbornly elevated even as some other items have cooled.
Cheese: Up approximately 15 to 25 percent since 2019, though dairy overall has been more stable than meat or eggs.
Rice: Up approximately 35 to 45 percent since 2019 as global rice markets tightened and shipping costs rose.
Flour: Up approximately 10 to 20 percent since 2019, though flour has actually eased slightly in the last two years.
Pasta: Up approximately 20 to 30 percent since 2019.
Potatoes: Up approximately 10 to 20 percent since 2019, one of the more modest increases on this list.
Tomatoes: Up approximately 20 to 30 percent since 2019, with a lot of month-to-month swings due to weather and growing conditions.
Bananas: Up approximately 8 to 12 percent since 2019, making bananas one of the better values still left in the produce aisle.
Oranges: Up approximately 15 to 25 percent since 2019.
Orange juice: Up sharply, often 40 to 60 percent since 2019, as citrus disease has hurt Florida groves and supply has tightened.
Sugar: Up approximately 15 to 25 percent since 2019.
Breakfast cereal: Up approximately 15 to 20 percent since 2019.
Peanut butter: Up approximately 15 to 20 percent since 2019.

Overall food at home prices, meaning groceries you buy to cook and eat at home rather than restaurant meals, have risen roughly 25 to 28 percent since 2019 according to federal data. Meat, poultry, fish, and eggs have consistently led the pack, while some produce items and pantry staples have stayed closer to normal inflation.

What Options Do Families Have To Stretch The Budget?

I don’t believe in scaring families with numbers and then leaving them without any hope. Here are some real strategies that can make a genuine difference at the register.

Build a small food storage pantry inventory. Buying shelf-stable staples like rice, beans, oats, flour, and canned goods when they go on sale means you aren’t paying full price the week you actually need them. This is the heart of what food storage is all about, and it works just as well for saving money as it does for emergency preparedness.
Watch unit prices, not just sale tags. A big box size isn’t always the better deal. Compare the price per ounce or per pound so you know which size actually saves you money.
Plan meals around what’s on sale. Build your weekly menu after you see the store flyer, rather than deciding on dinner first and paying whatever the current price happens to be.
Cook from scratch more often. Pre-made and convenience foods carry a large markup. A pot of homemade soup, a loaf of homemade bread, or a batch of beans cooked from dry rather than canned can cost a fraction of the packaged version.
Buy proteins strategically. Ground beef and chicken breast have risen the most, so consider stretching meat with beans, lentils, and eggs, or choosing cuts like chicken thighs and pork shoulder that tend to cost less per pound.
Freeze what’s on sale. When eggs, butter, bread, or meat drop in price, stock up and freeze extra for later. Butter freezes beautifully for up to a year, and bread freezes well too.
Grow a little of your own food. Even a few tomato plants, some herbs, or a small raised bed with other fruits and veggies can noticeably cut your produce bill through the growing season.
Use store brands. Store brand flour, sugar, canned vegetables, and pasta are often 20 to 30 percent cheaper than name brands and are made in many of the same factories.
Track prices over time. Keep a simple price notebook or app for the items your family buys most often so you know what a genuinely good price looks like versus a marked-up sale.
Reduce food waste. The average family throws away a surprising amount of food each week. Planning portions carefully and using up leftovers stretches every dollar you spend.

Food Banks: What You May Not Know

20 Staple Pantry Items for Making Cheap Meals

Compare Food Storage: Green Beans And Corn

Final Word

Rising prices are hard, but they don’t have to catch your family off guard. A stocked pantry, a flexible menu, and a little grace for yourself go a long way toward turning a stressful grocery trip into a manageable one. Keep building your food storage a little at a time, keep watching for good prices on the staples your family uses most, and trust that small, steady habits will carry you through even when the numbers on the receipt feel discouraging. You’re doing better than you think.

Grocery prices may not return to 2019 levels anytime soon, but a well-stocked pantry, a little planning, and some flexibility in the kitchen can help your family weather these higher costs without feeling the pinch quite so sharply. You aren’t failing at budgeting. The prices really have gone up this much, and giving yourself some wiggle room while you adjust is part of being a wise and prepared home manager. May God bless this world, Linda

The post Grocery Prices Are Out Of Control appeared first on Food Storage Moms.

from Food Storage Moms

The Bow Drill Deception: Why It Fails for 90% of Beginners and What Actually Determines Success

Every bushcraft forum has the same thread buried somewhere in its archives. Someone spent three hours bowing furiously against a piece of scrap pine, arms shaking and palms blistered, and never produced so much as a wisp of real smoke. They watched a dozen tutorials first, they copied the elbow lock, the knee position, the ... Read more...

from Prepper's Will

25 Survival Uses for Chewing Gum

Your truck breaks down forty miles from the nearest town, your canteen springs a leak, and the only thing in your pocket is a half-empty pack of gum. Maybe it doesn’t look like much, but that pack has fixed teeth, patched gear, and gotten people out of real trouble more times than you’d guess.

Gum costs almost nothing, weighs almost nothing, and does a whole lot more than freshen your breath. Grab a pack next time you’re at the store, because after this list, you’ll never look at it the same way again.

Here are 25 ways a stick of gum can save you when it counts:

25. Fixing a Tooth in the Middle of Nowhere

Lose a filling out on the trail and you know how bad that pain can get, fast. Chew a piece of sugar-free gum until it’s soft, then press it right into the spot where the filling used to be. It won’t fix the tooth for good, but it keeps food and cold air out of that raw nerve until you can see a dentist.

Dentists themselves have said this trick actually works. Just make sure you use sugar-free gum.

Let’s Make This Recipe: “Better Than Collagen” Gummies

24. Starting a Fire With the Wrapper

That foil backing, paired with a 9-volt battery, will start a fire for you. Cut the foil into a thin hourglass shape, touch both ends to the battery terminals, and the narrow middle part will glow red and catch almost right away.

It sounds like a magic trick, but it’s just basic electricity finding the path of most resistance. Toss a small battery in your kit and a candy wrapper turns into backup tinder.

Still, a wrapper and a battery won’t always be in your pocket when you need fire. Make sure you know these 4 ways to make a fire in any condition, even rain or snow. It’s better to have the knowledge and the skill than to find yourself in a spot where a gum wrapper was your only shot.

23. Plugging a Leaky Canteen

A tiny hole in your canteen or water bladder can drain you dry overnight without you noticing. Chew a piece until soft, then press it hard over the hole, and give it a few minutes to set.

Of course, it won’t hold up if you boil water in there, but it’ll get you to your next water source.

And while you’re patching gear, don’t skip the skill that actually gets you out alive. Check out the best ways to find your way in the wild without a GPS or a map.

22. Patching a Boot or a Pair of Waders

A small puncture in a rubber boot lets cold water soak your foot fast. Press gum into the gap and smooth it flat. It’ll hold you over until you can put a real patch on when you’re back at camp.

21. Holding Broken Glasses Together

Lost a screw out of your glasses with no hardware store for miles? A small ball of gum wedged into the hinge will hold the frame steady enough to see clearly. Not pretty, but losing your eyesight out there is a far bigger problem than looking a little silly.

20. Locking Down a Fishing Knot

A dab of chewed gum over your fishing knot adds a little extra grip so it won’t slip loose under the strain of a fighting fish. When SHTF, that fish might be your dinner.

19. Quick Earplugs

Roll two small balls and you’ve got earplugs. Good for blocking loud engine noise, or keeping bugs from crawling into your ears while you sleep on the ground. Be careful not to push them too deep and make sure you form large enough balls.

18. Sealing Up a Match Case

Run a thin line of soft gum around the seam of a homemade match container and you’ve sealed out the moisture that would otherwise ruin your matches.

17. Quieting Rattling Gear

A loose buckle or a rattling zipper pull can give you away if you’re trying to move quiet. Stuff a little gum into the gap and the noise stops.

How to Fix a Stuck Zipper (Takes Less Than a Minute)

16. A Stand-In Button

Lost a button in the freezing cold? Push a wad of gum through the buttonhole and flatten it on both sides. It’ll hold your coat shut until you can sew it right.

15. Bait for Small Traps

The sugar in flavored gum draws in squirrels, chipmunks, and other small game worth eating, which makes it decent bait for a snare when you don’t have anything better on hand.

Catching something is only half the job. The real trick is making it last without power or a fridge. There’s a forgotten way to turn small game into a sausage that keeps for months, no refrigeration needed, and it’s simpler than you’d think.

Watch the video below to how to make the “forever sausage”:

14. Keeping Your Mouth From Going Dry

Chewing gum gets your mouth watering again, and while it won’t hydrate you, it takes the edge off that awful dry-mouth feeling when water’s running low. Sometimes that little bit of relief is worth more than people give it credit for.

13. Staying Awake on Night Watch

Soldiers have chewed gum on long watches for this exact reason. The steady chewing and the flavor keep your brain a little more alert during those long, boring hours when falling asleep is the real danger.

12. Settling a Sick Stomach

Ginger gum especially can calm a queasy stomach during a rough drive out or a bumpy boat ride, when you don’t have medicine handy and you still need to keep moving.

Just in case you’re out in the wild and don’t have chewing gum on you, look for chamomile instead – it grows wild across most of the US, often in fields, along roadsides, and in disturbed soil. You could make this chamomile and lemon balm infusion, and you’ve got yourself one of the best remedies for an upset stomach.

11. A Backup Signal Mirror

Flatten out a gum wrapper and you’ve got a small shiny surface you can angle to catch sunlight and signal for help. Not as good as a real mirror, but it beats having nothing.

10. Marking Your Trail Back

Press a small piece onto the bark of a tree at eye level and you’ve got a marker that’s sticky and easy to spot, handy when you’re out of ribbon or tape.

09. Patching a Torn Map Case

A rip in your waterproof map sleeve is a real problem if rain’s coming. Smooth some gum over the tear and it’ll hold the seal until you’re back somewhere dry.

08. Tightening a Loose Knife Handle

If a wood or bone handle has come loose from the blade, wrap the gap with soft gum and some cord. It’ll snug the grip back up so the blade quits wobbling in your hand.

07. Plugging a Cracked Fuel Line

Mechanics going back to World War II have used gum to plug hairline cracks in a fuel line, just long enough to limp a vehicle back to base. It won’t hold under real pressure, but on a slow leak, it’s kept engines running when there was nothing else on hand.

06. Taking the Edge Off

There’s something about the simple act of chewing that calms people down. It’s part of why gum shows up in military kits and disaster supplies to this day. When things get tense, a small, familiar motion can help you slow down and think straight.

05. Backup Glue for Small Fixes

Got a zipper pull that keeps coming loose, or a strap fraying at the buckle? A pea-sized bit of chewed gum, pressed on and left to firm up, works as a rough glue substitute for small jobs that don’t need to hold much weight.

04. Sealing a Leaking Life Vest

A slow air leak in a life vest is a real problem out on the water. Gum won’t fix it for good, but pressed into the hole, it can slow the leak enough to get you to shore safe.

03. Cleaning Your Teeth in a Pinch

Mint gum won’t replace a toothbrush, but chewing it for a few minutes cuts down on the grime and bad breath after a few days out with no dental supplies.

While we are here, I’ve tried this amazing DIY toothpaste recipe and I would like to share it with you:

02. Keep Your Stress Under Control

You shouldn’t underestimate the role of mental health.

When things go wrong for real, your brain reaches for anything familiar it can hold onto, and something as small as unwrapping a piece of gum and chewing it can break up that rising panic. Search and rescue folks have seen it happen – a small, repeated action like that helps people slow their breathing and think clearly instead of freezing up.

Sounds too simple to matter, until you’re the one standing in the woods at dusk, and it’s the only thing in your pocket that reminds you of the “old days”.

01. One of the Most Underrated Barter Items

When things really fall apart, small items that never go bad and everybody wants become the new money faster than you’d think, and gum checks every box. It sits on a shelf for years, takes up almost no room in a bag, and after weeks of eating canned food, everybody from a six-year-old to a grown man wants a piece.

Real disaster zones and long-term hard times have shown the same thing over and over – small comfort items trade for more than their size would suggest. A case of gum tucked away in your supplies it’s a valuable bargaining chip.

This List Only Gets You So Far

Most of these won’t replace a real repair kit, and they shouldn’t have to. But gum weighs nothing, costs less than a candy bar, and quietly solves problems most folks never think to plan for. Small, cheap, easy to forget about until you need it.

Which is kind of how I stumbled onto Claude Davis’s new book too – a buddy posted about it on Facebook a few weeks back, almost as an afterthought. It’s called The Lost Skills of Independence and it feels like everything he’s picked up over the years finally landed in one place – 200 skills, each on its own flip-to card, no digging through pages to find the one you need.

There’s a battlefield powder from the Civil War that stops bleeding with two ingredients already in your backyard. A way to keep eggs eatable for ten years with no salt, no brine, no fridge. Even the trick to reading whether a stranger at your door means trouble before he says a word.

A stick of gum patches the small stuff. This is the book that answers the questions gum can’t – the ones you’d rather not learn the hard way, at the worst possible time, with your family watching.

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The post 25 Survival Uses for Chewing Gum appeared first on Ask a Prepper.

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Sunday, July 26, 2026

M193 vs. M855 for SHTF

Which kind of 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition would you rather have during a stuff-hits-the-fan scenario? M193? Or M855? That’s the prized knowledge you’ll have gained upon finishing this article!

Which 5.56×45 Ammo Is Best for Home Defense?

Truth be told, neither M193 nor M855 is ideal for home defense.

The U.S. Armed Forces honors the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. One such convention prohibits “the use of bullets that expand or flatten easily in the human body.” As such, military ammunition is not loaded with soft point (SP) or hollow point* bullets. The M193 and M855 are both loaded with full metal jacket (FMJ) projectiles, which satisfy that (mostly) internationally recognized moratorium.

But here’s the thing: U.S. law enforcement agencies are not obligated to follow the Hague Conventions. They are permitted to implement bullets that expand/flatten after impact, which is why law enforcement officers (LEOs) carry jacketed hollow point (JHP) ammunition in their sidearms, and load SP or polymer-tipped ammunition in their rifles.

Expanding bullets such as those are better suited for defense for two key reasons:

They inflict more damage to the threat; and
They reduce (but by no means eliminate) the risk of over-penetration that could jeopardize innocent bystanders.

American civilians are allowed to purchase the same ammunition LEOs would use in the line of duty. That’s why you would be better advised to choose police-grade 5.56x45mm (or 223 Remington) ammo like Federal Premium Tactical Bonded or Speer Gold Dot for your home defense AR-15. It’s not magic, but it does represent better odds of neutralizing the threat before the threat can do the same to you.

*With the exception of the hollow point boat tail (HPBT) (or open tip match; OTM), which is not designed to expand during penetration of flesh, and only has a nose cavity as the result of a manufacturing process that yields a very sleek and balanced projectile.

Which 5.56×45 Ammo Is Best to Have During the Apocalypse?

That question is more in line with the spirit of this article.

To be sure, you would find law enforcement 5.56×45 to be invaluable during the most perilous kinds of challenges the end of the world could throw at you. You would also be better positioned if you had stockpiled ammo like Federal Fusion MSR for deer hunting, and Hornady Superformance Varmint for bagging critters that fit inside a stewpot.

But here’s the main problem with premium 5.56×45 (and 223 Rem) law enforcement and hunting ammo: THEY COST MORE. If you’re currently prepping to survive in a world that resembles a Mad Max movie, then you can’t buy nearly as much ammo if you shell out for high-quality, expanding bullets.

That’s why preppers stockpile bulk M193 and M855. Those rounds’ simpler bullets are a lot easier on the old coin purse. And even though their terminal ballistics don’t include true terminal expansion, you’ll soon see that they are perfectly capable of neutralizing even the most tenacious of threats. (Kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? That the U.S. Armed Forces doesn’t issue nonlethal 5.56×45 ammo for combat?)

What’s the Difference Between M193 and M855?

“M193” and “M855” are military specifications for two types of 5.56×45 ammunition:

M193 ball – 55 grain FMJ, ~3,240 fps muzzle velocity out of a 20” barrel (ideal barrel twist: 1:10–1:12”; sufficient twist: 1:7–1:16”)
M855 penetrator – 62 grain FMJ, ~3,020 fps muzzle velocity out of a 20” barrel (ideal barrel twist: 1:8–1:10”; sufficient twist: 1:6–1:14”)

M193 is the “vanilla” 5.56×45 ammo, as it were. It is loaded with the simplest (i.e. most economically designed) type of FMJ it could possibly have, and is accordingly the most popular AR-15 target ammunition in the country.

The M855 (which Europeans call “SS109,” and Australians call “F1”) cartridge’s FMJ weighs 7 grains more. That added heft grants the bullet greater momentum, which in turn (A) improves its resistance to cross and vertical winds, and (B) increases its sectional density (SD), which is a fancy way of saying it improves the bullet’s ability to penetrate barriers and soft tissue. (Note that the M855 FMJ’s higher SD doesn’t necessitate deeper penetration, as it begins fragmenting apart shortly after impact.)

But the M855 FMJ’s tip isn’t painted green merely to indicate that it’s heavier. Just beneath the tip of its jacket rests a 7 grain “penetrator”: a steel tip, which, true to its name, enhances the FMJ’s ability to penetrate. Under optimal circumstances, the M855 can pierce 0.12” thick sheet metal out to around 665 yards (though its odds of complete penetration drop significantly at around half that range).

Take caution if you choose M855 for target shooting. Many gun ranges prohibit projectiles that contain steel, for safety reasons. If your gun range bans “magnetic ammo,” then M855 is a no-go there. Needless to say, this limitation would be of little importance if the S were to really and truly HTF.

Which Is Better for Defense: M193, or M855?

Both of these Mil-Spec rounds are designed for combat. Either can instantly neutralize a threat. To label one as “more lethal” would be foolish, as doing so would overlook the significance of shot placement: the most crucial variable determining a cartridge’s effectiveness in combat, which is totally extrinsic to the cartridge itself.

These rounds’ FMJs may not deliver terminal expansion, but they are certainly equipped to inflict larger wound cavities than their 0.224” diameter alone can account for. Jane’s International Defence Review (IDR) provides a good up-close glimpse at their respective terminal ballistics. To summarize the contents of pages 61 and 62:

When an M193 FMJ strikes ordnance gelatin at a velocity of 3,094 fps, it penetrates to a depth of ~4” before fragmenting apart to excavate gaping permanent and temporary wound cavities. Its wound channel narrows to its approximate original diameter at ~9”, and stops at 14” (at which point it has shed 64% of its weight).
When an M855 FMJ strikes ordnance gelatin at a velocity of 3,035 fps, it penetrates to a depth of ~3.5” before fragmenting apart to excavate gaping permanent and temporary wound cavities. Its wound channel narrows to its approximate original diameter at ~10”, and stops at 13” (at which point it has shed 50% of its weight).

That’s a lot of numbers. The most illuminating nugget of information contained within the IDR article is this: “The abdominal and the thigh wound produced by the M855 or SS109 bullets would be essentially the same as those described above for the […] M193 bullet.”

In fewer words, the two bullets’ terminal ballistics are similar enough to be regarded as interchangeable. To that end, the greatest justifications for favoring M855 over (cheaper) M193 are:

Its superior ability to pierce sheet metal (e.g. body armor, vehicles); and/or
Its superior resistance to wind deflection, as provided by its heavier bullet.

M193 vs. M855 Ballistic Performance

Real world performance invariably varies. It is correct to expect different terminal performance than the instances described just above, as impact velocity, point of impact, and several other factors ultimately contribute to wound channel depth and diameter.

Ballistic performance is similarly not set in stone. Atmospheric conditions, altitude, the ammunition, the firearm, and the shooter all contribute to a bullet’s precision and accuracy.

That being said, we can easily calculate the kind of ballistic performance one can *reasonably expect* of either cartridge. Let’s compare these two rounds side by side, and see how they do when wind speed and angle are 15 mph and 90°:

PMC X-TAC M193 – 3,270 fps muzzle velocity (20” barrel); 0.243 G1 ballistic coefficient
PMC X-TAC LAP (same as M855) – 3,100 fps muzzle velocity (20” barrel); 0.304 ballistic coefficient

Cartridge	Range (yds)	0	100	200	300	400	500
M193	Velocity (fps)	3270	2863	2492	2149	1836	1556
M855	Velocity (fps)	3100	2784	2490	2214	1956	1718
M193	Energy (ft lbs)	1306	1001	758	564	412	296
M855	Energy (ft lbs)	1323	1067	854	675	527	407
M193	Elevation (in)	-1.5	1.4	0.0	-7.0	-21.7	-46.7
M855	Elevation (in)	-1.5	1.5	0.0	-7.1	-21.4	-44.8
M193	Windage (in)	0.0	1.7	7.2	17.2	32.8	55.5
M855	Windage (in)	0.0	1.5	6.0	14.2	26.7	44.4

To reiterate, this is only one hypothetical comparison between two individual cartridges. You would nearly certainly witness different results, as well as more variation, during a real-life test. Even so, we can infer the following about the two rounds’ performance:

Despite having a lower muzzle velocity, the M855 conserves more velocity and kinetic energy downrange – a testament to the superior ballistic efficiency it gains from its greater mass.
Likewise, the M855 exhibits a flatter downrange trajectory, accompanied by higher resistance to wind interference.

In summary, the M855 truly is preferable for long range – the reason why many AR-15 aficionados favor it for target shooting. Whether or not its advantages would pose any actual value during an SHTF scenario depends almost entirely on the shooter’s marksmanship, however. There is no such thing as “more accurate” ammo. There is only ammo that more accurately reflects the shooter’s skill with their rifle.

The Takeaway

If your sole goal is to stack up the largest stockpile of 5.56×45 ammunition that your budget will allow, then M193 is your best friend. It is the most economical form of 5.56×45, and by all means capable of neutralizing a threat. It (and M855, for that matter) may be less than ideal for home defense owing to (A) its inability to deliver true terminal expansion, and (B) the typically more relaxed standards for uniformity manufacturers observe while loading it, yet you would be glad to call it your ally during TEOTWAWKI.

If you’re comfortable spending a little more – and content to own a large quantity of 5.56×45 that is impermissible at gun ranges which forbid “magnetic ammo” – then M855 is well worth the investment. Its FMJ’s penetrator core represents improved odds of piercing sheet metal and other barriers, and its heavier weight facilitates long-range accuracy.

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