ARMA3 Mechanics: Ammo Types, part I

[radek]

Part I, covering the most common 5.56x45 and 7.62x51.
ACE3 modifies some parameters and adds own definitions of ammunition.

Note that ACE advanced ballistics is disabled in AWE.

 

 

5.56x45

general use primary ammo for the M4/M16 family

 

Arma3 "Stanag" - hit 8 / pene 0.7 - probably modeled after M855, steel tip with lead core

M855A1 - hit 9 / pene 0.65  - cost effective. mainstream and lead-free, steel tip with copper alloy core

Both come in STANAG 30-mags (last 4 are red tracers) and full colored mags (yellow,red,green,orange).

A 'no tracer' mag is available for M855A1.

 

only M855A1 is available for the M249 LMG:

100/200 "mixed" Pouch - tracer every 4 rounds + last 10

"5.56mm M855A1 200rnd Belt" - no tracers

200 "tracer" Belt - 4 color variants.

 

Mk318 - hit 9.55 / pene 0.64 - designed to retain stability/lethality after penetrating light barriers, made as open-tip match

Mk262 - 10.3 / 0.677  - precision ammo, lead core, less hot burning charge (reduces flash/report), open-tip match, expensive (4x M855)

Mags for both end with 4 red tracers.

 

ACE adds these subtypes for Arma rifles TRG20 (TAR-21), Mk20C (F2000 Tac), SDAR:

5.56mm 30Rnd Mag (Mk262) - ace version (11/0.8)

5.56mm 30Rnd Mag (Mk318) - ace version (9/0.8)

5.56mm 30Rnd Mag (M995 AP) - (6/1.6) -  tungsten core, black tip.

These are not compatible with RHS rifles.

 

 

7.62x51

Assault rifle, MG and Marksmen ammo

 

M80 - hit 11.55 / pene 0.45  -  Semi-Armor-Piercing iron or mild steel core and a gilded steel jacket  (9.5g bullet weight) 

M80A1EPR, - 9.98/0.55 - advanced 2014 model, "lead free" (7.4g)

M61 AP - 16/0.45 - Armor piercing, (9.8g, black tip)

M62 tracer - 11/0.45 - Tracer ammo (9.2g, orange tip)

M118 Special Ball - 11.55/0.42  - Heavy, Long Range ammo. Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail; old factory - degrading batches (11g)

M993 AP - 11.55/0.72 -  sniper armor-piercing round, tungsten core penetrator, (8.2g black cartridge tip)

 

Most sub-types are used in the M240 MMG, which is not present in AWE.

 

RHS variants (M14 EBR-RI, Mk11, M110) accept these magazines:

7.62mm M118 20Rnd Mag

7.62mm M993 20Rnd Mag

7.62mm M62 Tracer 20rnd Mag

 

M24 sniper rifle accepts:

7.62mm M118 5 Rnd Mag

7.62mm M993 5 Rnd Mag

 

Arma3 rifles Mk14 ("M14") , Mk18 ABR ("Mk14 Mod 1 EBR") , SPAR17 ("HK417A2 D20"), Mk-I EBR ("SIG-556") use ARMA 7.62 STANAG (12/1.6, ACE 9/1.6), which come in 20rnd no tracers mags - these are compatible with RHS weapons.

ACE adds custom ammo/magazines to these weapons, which are not compatible with RHS:

7.62mm 20rnd Tracer Mag - colors

7.62mm 20rnd Tracer IR-DIM Mag - visible in NVG only

7.62mm 20Rnd Mag (M118LR) - Evolution of the M118 Special, with new production technology MatchKing Hollow Point (non-expanding), and less hot charge, designated "sniper" ammo. (16/1.8)

7.62mm 20Rnd Mag (Mk316 Mod 0) - (16/1.8) - utilized advances from M118LR, due to lowered weapon report, called "SpecOps ammo" (11g)

7.62mm 20Rnd Mag (Mk319 Mod 0) - (14/1.5) - high speed for lethality after light barriers, also usable for carbines and shorter barrel rifles (8g)

7.62mm 20Rnd Mag (M993 AP) - ACE version (11/2.2)

7.62mm 20Rnd SD Mag - subsonic round (6/1) - note the effective range and bullet drop are greatly changed

 

[fir_nev]

I think there is a typo. It should be '5.56x45'.

[Ryko]

I'm not sure what the point of this post is, other than to perhaps offer some information about the varying bullet types.  There are a few errors.

 

Quote

Note that ACE advanced ballistics is disabled in AWE.

 

The module is enabled for Snipers ("Enables advanced ballistics for non local snipers (when using high power optics)"), but it is not generally enabled for all weapons given the impact on performance this would introduce.  That said, I know wind affects bullets, but I'm pretty sure this is the Wind Deflection module.

 

Quote

Most sub-types are used in the M240 MMG, which is not present in AWE.

 

The M240 is available for MMG machinegunners, and in the 50D testbed version of Takistan, for all Autoriflemen.

 

- R

[radek]

why so negative. point is the ammo does have different characteristics and purposes in game. and it's a mess getting around it in the arsenal, most of the info is not even presented in game. when the M240 comes out to AR, there will be even more ammo options.

 

the sniper mode is on, but the module master switch is off.

 

yes, wind deflection is not part of AB and operates independently (enhancing basic ACE ballistics or AB when it's present). Basic ballistics adds/re-calibrates ammo, weapons, magazines, scopes and silencers. Advanced ballistics apply bullet shape, barrel parameters and non-wind atmospheric effects.

 

[Colsta]

I do agree we have massive amounts of different ammunition types.
As a rule of thumb I always take the more vanilla ammo, because it usually fits in every weapon.

[BenjaminHL]

Not to say I don't appreciate the work you put into this, but I just carry what everyone else does in case they need ammo. Also it seems the differences are small and it will still be 3-4 to take down a Russian with 5.56 so it doesn't matter much to me. Regardless thanks for the work,

 

Ben 

[Rettrix]

I know this is an old post but I cant find any where/way to find these ammo stats for arma 3 and ACE 3 bullets. EG: Damage and Pen values 7.62mm 20Rnd Mag (Mk316 Mod 0) - (16/1.8). Can someone point me in the right direction or explain where to find them in the game/mod files? Thanks

[MidnightRunner]

You could probably find the ace values in the documentation here:
https://github.com/acemod/ACE3

 

Where in  the documentation I couldn't say, but it'll be in there somewhere.

[Rettrix]

ty found that link. Ill investigate

[Rettrix]

Found under ACE3/addons/ballistics/CfgAmmo.hpp

 

Now looking for others like vanilla hit/velocity values and for other like 6.8x43 ect