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200 Rounds Federal XM556SBCT3 5.56 NATO 62 gr Tactical Bonded Softpoint Cartridges - First Quality Barrier Blind Duty Round - Same as FBI XM556FBIT3

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$299.95
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XM556SBCT3

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200 rounds of Federal XM556SBCT3 62 grain Tactical Bonded Softpoint cartridges in caliber 5.56 NATO. Packaged 20 Rounds per carton. Made in USA by Lake City Ammunition Plant.

This cartridge is out of production. We may carry the alternative which is the 5.56 softpoint barrier round used by the FBI:  Winchester Ranger 556B

XM556SBCT3 utilizes the same T3 bullet as XM556FBIT3 with a propellant developed specifically for optimal performance for the 11.5" short barreled rifles used by the FBI HRT teams. It comes fresh to us from the manufacturer through an intermediary. This is the real deal. Unlike some examples of XM556FBIT3M, it is not labeled as a "second" by the manufacturer because it failed the FBI's accuracy requirements. Nor is it the "reclassified" ammunition (RXM556T3), which appears to be contract seconds/rejects for XM56SBCT3.

The round is known for its reliability, and ability to defeat tough barriers with minimal deviation while maintaining accuracy and terminal performance.

"The FBI has completed their testing process and awarded a 5.56 mm ammunition contract for up to $97 million dollars. This award is now public information and appears unique in several ways. Besides being perhaps the largest ammunition contract in FBI history, it is also the first time the FBI has mandated a true 5.56 mm pressure loading, rather than the typical anemic .223 pressure loadings that have generally been marketed to LE agencies. The 5.56 mm load offers approximately an extra 200 fps--helping performance out of short barrel weapons and enhancing function when rifles are dirty or in dusty conditions. The new FBI contract also required that the ammunition be packaged on stripper clips to aid in more rapid loading of magazines. Finally, it is the first multi-award carbine ammo contract for the FBI--both Federal Cartridge and Winchester were judged to offer ammunition which met the contract criteria. Numerous other Federal LE agencies are authorized to purchase off this contract.

The 5.56 mm Federal 62 gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (TBBC) bonded JSP load is XM556FBIT3.

The 5.56 mm Winchester 64 gr solid base bonded JSP is Q3313 on stripper clips/RA556B in 20 rd boxes.

Both of these loads are the best barrier blind 5.56 mm loads ever produced for LE use; they offer outstanding terminal performance, even after first defeating intermediate barriers like vehicle windshields." DocGKR 2010

Many rifles chambered in 5.56 NATO are not realizing their full potential when shooting 223 Rem ammo. To get all the performance 5.56 NATO can deliver, you need a 5.56 NATO load. 5.56 NATO chambered rifles were designed to take advantage of the higher pressure of the 5.56 NATO cartridge — higher pressure translates to increased velocity, higher energy and harder-hitting performance. CAUTION: Firing 5.56 NATO ammunition in 223 Remington chambers will produce a dramatic rise in pressure which increases stress on the weapon, risking wear, permanent damage and/or injury. NOTE: NOT for use in 223 REM chambered guns!


Federal LE223T3 is essentially the law enforcement .223 version of this round. If your chamber is .223 rather than 5.56, this is for you. The LE223T3 gets more QA/QC, clear primer sealant vs. blue, and nickel plated rather than brass cases.

"5.56 mm Federal 62 grain Bonded Softpoint FBI Equivalent Load XM556SBCT3, per the manufacturer and our sources this is the same ammo XM556FBIT3 that we had in the past, they just give it a different SKU # for non-FBI contract. This ammo is one of the most advanced designs for personal protection or law enforcement use where maximum knock down power is desired. This is the real deal and is not labeled as a "second" by the manufacturer." SGAmmo quoted on Slickguns

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More information regarding the differences in these cartridges recently posted on AR15.com:
  • XM556FBIT3: "Standard first run, USG contract 5.56 mm 62 gr bonded JSP ammo for the FBI and other Fed LE agencies is XM556FBIT3--so much for "x" meaning rejected..." DocGKR
  • XM556FBIT3M appears to be the .223 version of XM556FBIT3. ""The 2015 solicitation I linked before notes that "Current FBI service ammunition is Federal Cartridge, 62 grain Tactical Bonded, product number XM556FBIT3M"" "Federal says its not reloads or rejects but that it is the same exact bullet/load as the fbi contract." AR15.com Some XM556FBIT3 was sold in cartons marked "Factory Seconds" in 2016. These cartridges were said to have failed to meet the FBI's accuracy requirements, and some of these cartridges purchased on the civilian market appeared to have quality issues.
  • XM556SBCT3 appears to be a different solicitation of XM556FBIT3 that is intended for short barrel carbines. "The SBC loads were intended for FBI HRT teams, who were using primarily 11.5” SBRs. The load was optimized more to reduce flash, possibly some other changes in the powder." (Eagle Eye Guns first carried this cartridge in the summer of 2013, though some may have leaked out 1 1/2 years earlier).
  • XM223SBCT3 appears to be the .223 version of XM556SBCT3. "... a reliable source said that the current FBI contract round was .223 pressure XM223 SBCT3...He did note that they switched to the .223 load because it was more accurate."
  • RXM556T3 appears to be XM556SBCT3 that was reclassified as seconds or rejects. First available December 2011.
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"The new Federal 5.56 mm 62 gr TBBC bonded JSP (XM556FBIT3) , as well as the older .223 55 & 62 gr TBBC bonded JSP's ( LE223T1 & LE223T3), the new 5.56 mm Win 64 gr bonded JSP (Q3313/ RA556B), and the new 5.56 mm BH 50 gr TSX are the BEST general purpose loads available for LE use today." Dr. Gary Roberts

(Regarding Duty ammunition for Colt M4A1 with 11.5" barrel) "Your best bet is a 5.56 mm (not .223) loading of a barrier blind projectile. The 5.56 mm Federal 62 gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw (TBBC) bonded JSP (XM556FBIT3) and 5.56 mm Winchester 64 gr solid base bonded JSP (Q3313/RA556B) developed for the FBI are optimal solutions, the Black Hills 5.56 mm 50 gr TSX loading and Hornady 5.56 mm 55 gr GMX are also acceptable options. Speer Gold Dot 62/64 gr 5.56 mm loadings would also work well." Dr. Gary Roberts

"In 1/7 twist barrels, we've seen the current 5.56 mm FBI 62 gr version (XM556FBIT3) run 1-2" for 10 shots at 100 yds..." Dr. Gary Roberts

CALIBER: 5.56x45mm
NATOPROJECTILE: 62 Gr. Tactical Bonded (T3)
CASE: Brass (Copper Alloy No. 260) Visible iris on neck
ACCURACY: Three, 5-round groups with maximum average extreme spread of 4” at 100 yards, using an Oehler M83 Ballistics Computer and acoustic target.
MUZZLE VELOCITY: 3050 fps
INSTRUMENTAL VELOCITY: 2900 +/-100fps (20” Test Barrel)
MUZZLE ENERGY: 1,000 ft/lbs

'From what I understand the original law enforcement designation (government contract number) was XM556FBIT3 for the FBI. Then the number XM556SBCT3 appeared that was either the new/current contract number or the civilian number for the same round. More recently, the number RXM556T3 appeared which seems to be contract rejects/seconds for the XM556SBCT3 number. My understanding is RXM556T3 represents production lots that didn't meet the contract specs, but otherwise fit for use." bullpupforum

"The barrier blind, FBI issued, ATK/Federal 62gr bonded Tactical load on top has completely upset within the first 2" of gel penetration, demonstrating good tissue crush and stretch:" Dr. Gary Roberts

"Best .223 Defense Ammo Ever? Federal 5.56mm 62gr FBIT3 Gel Test" AR15.com on YouTube

"The performance of the FBIT3 shows that it is one of the best choices for defensive ammo on the market today. The round gave us a similar performance against three different tests. In bare gel the ammo did an outstanding job of penetrating and transferring energy. When faced with barriers the FBIT3 continued to impress. With most ammunition the introduction of barriers results in a complete failure of the projectile. The FBIT3 saw a minimal loss in performance. The round loss roughly two inches of penetration, but was able to maintain similar expansion and cavitation. Overall the FBIT3 has proven to be a reliable defensive load." Defensivecarry.com