OK first before anyone tells me to do a search I tried. I searched for ZQI, Turkish ammo, ammo made in Turkey and also went through 30 out of 70 some pages in the ammo thread. So I tried.

Now for the question I am almost positive there was a thread on ZQI ammo made in Turkey but I can't find it. Sooo I will ask again. Has anyone used this ammo and what is your opinion of it. I just bought some, brass case, 5.56X45mm NATO STANAG 4172 and haven't had a chance to try it out but I will buy more if I hear some good reviews on it. It has no grain weight on the box and a internet search on shows NATO STANAG 4172 performance as having a penetration of 12 mm RHA 300HB at 100 m. but still no grain weight. Any thoughts before I pull a projectile and weigh it.

OK I just went to their website and it's 62 grain with Bullet Material being, Gilding Metal, Steel Core and Lead Core (Lead-Antimony Alloyed) .

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Psalm 23:4

I've only seen it (at WalMart) in 9mm and its price was higher than most other brands, so I haven't bought any. Others I know that have tried it say it runs pretty dirty (like other Euro brands), but that's no BIG deal.

If it's NATO spec, you shouldn't have any function problems with it.

What I don't understand is... Why did you wait until AFTER buying it to ask the question?
Will you still go ahead and shoot it if everyone says it sucks?
Basically... Why didn't you ask before spending the money?
Not trying to sound sarcastic... Just curious.

I'll shoot it but if others have problems with it I won't buy anymore. I only bought it because they lowered their price to about $14.00 for 30 rounds which for 62 grain is a good price around here and figured with the price drop it wouldn't last long. It looks good and is reloadable. They have it in several different calibers. I know each firearm has a brand they like and don't like but just thought I would ask how others liked it as I haven't had a chance to try it myself yet.

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Psalm 23:4

ZQI is the US distributor. The actual ammo is MKE. It's good. NATO spec.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Searched on yahoo and found about a zillion hits. Samples:
ZQI Ammunition - YouTube

zqiammo.com

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USAF, 69-92
Vietnam, 72-73

I ran about 60 rounds through my AR15. No problems. It wasn't any cheaper than other ammo. I just decided to try it out since it seemed to be in supply.

I shot a box of the 9mm stuff.... It was a bit hotter than the other brands I have used.... It ren flawlessly through my gun.... Didnt have any issues...

I did notice that the price has come down a little on the 1200 round cans of 9mm... It was 497, and is now 397....

I like the ZQI 9mm NATO, it's pretty strong and close to +P so I can see how my pistol do when I use +P for SD.

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_It was love at first shot_

Local wally world has the turkish ZQI in 7.62x51 @ almost $18 a box of 20 rounds. their stock on hand for various ammo seems to change every time I go there. Sometimes mostly winchester white box 40 S&W or 45 acp. Have not seen any 38 special or 9mm in a long time. Frank

Don't know if it matters to you, but the ZQI 5.56 ammo is steel-jacketed.

gdnagle,
I had the same problem. Couldn't find ANY info on their ammo. Our Walleyworld has it in 9mm in 1200 round ammo boxes.

I've been hunting 308 ammo (catch as catch can here). But I noticed they have a pile of 762X51 ZQ1 NATO made in Turkey with the MKE marked on the boxes that no one is touching. ??? Nothing written on the boxes for "didly" about bullet type (looks Copper Jacket), weight, fps, nothing.... The Brass "looks" good and "maybe" reloadable ???

Has anyone shot the NATO 762X51 and can give me any info about it ? Seems a bit "funny" when all the name brand 308- 762X51 ammo is gone and there sits a fresh pile/stock of ZQ1 NATO 762X51 20 round boxes un-touched collecting dust. Price is a bit cheaper. I can handle a bit dirty and I'm not expecting "match grade" target ammo. But if the brass is good and reloadable... that makes it a do-able.

Thanks.

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THIS WE'LL DEFEND ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Actually no, it is not. Gilding metal jacket with steel penetrator and lead core, just like NATO STANAG approved SS109 5.56x45mm.

http://zqiammousa.com/ammunition/556x45/

OK, but the end result is the same, it can't be used outdoors in fire prone areas. Living in Southern California, it's a big issue.

Checked it with a magnet and no steel in the case or bullet.

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THIS WE'LL DEFEND ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

That's odd. ZQI's own website says it is. All that comes from Walmart here in SoCal is steel too.

Maybe the magnet is broken.

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_It was love at first shot_

Your link goes to the 5.56X45. I'm talking about the 7.62X51. And the magnet does work. It was one of the first things I checked before I bought it along with it's AOL.

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THIS WE'LL DEFEND ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

My link goes to the 5.56 because that's what you quoted in your reply to me. Check it out.

Yes, in my experience (so far) the 7.62 is GTG.

To end all wondering....I bought a box today...pulled a bullet and cut it apart...It does have the steel penetrator!...It is not steel jacketed.

Attached Images

ZQ1 Steel Penetrator 2.jpg (50.0 KB, 988 views)

Has anyone chronographed the ZQ1 9mm 123gr NATO rds. I have not got around to it yet and am really curious.

Good ammo and great brass if you reload. Use with confidence.

And yes its loaded to nato spec, therefore a little warmer than most domestic brands. The 9mm works great on plates.

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The American dream is alive

I've been shooting the ZQI 556 NATO in my MP15 and they were more accurate than the AE223 I was shooting. 2" vs 3" so maybe 62 grain shot more accurate than the 55 grain so I'm stocking up on ZQI 556 NATO and they were cheaper too. $10/30 rnd vs $13/20 rnd.

Today I picked up 5 boxes at Walmart to add to my collection. By the way, the AE were hollow points so I got a value box of 100 AE223 FMJs to see any difference.

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_It was love at first shot_

I just bought 2 box of 9mm NATO & a box of 556 NATO.. Every time I get paid, I will at least buy a,box of each as supplies last

I have a Steyr L9-A1 and it is fussy. I have spent a fair amount of time proofing what it will accept. Not long ago I bought a box of the ZQ 9mm and had one FTF in a 15 round magazine, so it's hot but not as hot as 124 gr Aguila or the TulAmmo BrassMaxx. And those little 100 round "cans" of TulAmmo are hard to pass up.

I've put over 100 rounds of the 5.56 that's been on sale at Wally World for just under $10 a box through my M&P 15. That stuff goes bang real nice. I agree about the brass too, it looks like good stuff.

I ran into this at WM and did some checking. I bought a box, in fact. I was especially curious about the Markings (NATO STANAG 4172) which is supposed to represent a 5.56mmX45mm cartridge with an SS109 penetrator (steel core) plug (or a US designation for SS109 being M855).

The box DOES say "This high quality ammunition is made to NATO Specifications and Lot tested to assure less than one minute of angle at 100 meters."

IT DOES NOT, however, bear a NATO cross & circle head stamp signifying it has been tested and accepted by NATO.

All this said, I have no doubt they tested it to the MOA and velocity requirements of the particular STANAG, but I see no evidence whatsoever by what they produce as product or by packaging that shows it is a true NATO round. Everything I've seen in researching this with my limited resources says this ammo works and shoots great. This is my opinion and I could be wrong, certainly. I just think if they were approved, then the head stamp would show the cross +circle like my Lake City penetrators do.

It also does not have any markings other than "MKE and a 2-number date code". Despite being steel-core, it does not have a painted tip, and the only way you can tell is to put a magnet to it and see.

When Wally World dropped the price on the 30 round boxes of ZQI 5.56x45 ammo to $9.97, I bought a small amount to try. (10 boxes)

A lot of NATO 5.56 steel penetrator ammo is made world wide. American production will always have green tips, Non-USA production, usually doesn't. I have bought Turkish and Swedish 62 gr. 5.56, neither were green tipped. I read somewhere it had to do with some early US-issued rifle barrels having different twist rates than current production, and our allies all adopted the 5.56 round years later when the twist rate was "standardized"

I had 300 bangs 0 failures. I am a casual shooter, don't compete or do training courses where 500 rounds a day are spent. I couldn't differentiate the ZQI from the Lake City M855. Neither are spectacularly accurate, but shoot minute of milkjug easily. The ZQI powder has a slight ammonia smell when fired and the primers/projectiles do not appear to be sealed. (which may be why it can't have the NATO stamp?)

I started buying the ZQI every couple of weeks whenever at WalMart. Usually 10 to 20 boxes are available. A couple of months ago they marked it down further, to $7.95 a box. I bought all in stock from the 3 local stores, thinking it was going to be discontinued. The price is now back to $9.97 and still available here.

Still buying it semi-regularly and have filled several of the Plano plastic 30 cal ammo boxes. Between the Lake City I bought before it went through the roof and the ZQI my 5.56 stash is close to 4,000 rounds. Never used to even consider keeping that much ammo on hand, but times have changed.

X2 I buy a few when I've got pocket change. Just going to keep putting it away for whatever.

The original 5.56 X45mm ammunition for the M16 was called the M193. It was loaded with a 55 grain FMJ lead-core bullet. Developed primarily for the FN Minimi (AKA M249 SAW), the M855 round uses a 62 grain bullet with steel penetrator, which later became standard for all 5.56 mm U. S. military weapons. It was given a green tip to distinguish it from the M193 round which had no tip marking. The longer and heavier bullet (SS 109) of the M855 round requires a tighter rifling twist (1:9" minimum) to ensure bullet stability. The old 1:12" and 1:14" M16 barrels from the pre-Vietnam and Vietnam-era M16 rifles will not adequately stabilize the 62 grain M855 bullet, as it is too long. On the other hand, the M193 round can be used in any 5.56mm gun. I was at the range several weeks ago with some guys who were shooting the VQI 7.62X51mm round, and it seemed to be satisfactory. I didn't shoot any of it myself however. It can be sold as STANAG-compliant if it meets the basic STANAG requirements. It would need to have the circle-cross NATO identifier headstamp ONLY were it being procured for actual military use. Wal-Mart is not a military supplier. While the VQI ammo is no doubt good stuff, it probably does not have the extensive manufacturing quality control used by military ammunition manufacturers.

By the way, the latest current U. S. military 5.56mm round is NOT the M855, but the M855 A1 which has a lead-free bullet with penetrator. There is also a much improved 5.56 round for long-range use fielded by the Navy called the MK 262, made by Black Hills using a 70 grain Sierra Match King bullet. Truly superb stuff, effective out to almost 1000 yards with astounding grouping capability.

I just found a box of ZQI in 7.62x51. Indeed, it says MKE on the headstamp, but it does not have a NATO cross. Anybody hear anything bad about this? It was only about 50 cents a round, which for this size round, seems to be a good deal.

Shot a box of 5.56 through my old Bushmaster V Match a couple days ago and see no difference from other 62gr ammo that I've tried. It shot 1.5 groups for 5 shots and ran just fine so last night I went back and bought 5 more box's, what's not too like.

My WM seems to jump back & forth between 2 offerings of the ZQI 5.56.
One version is in a pale Green box 5.56 x 45MM (SS109) that actually states "NATO 62 grain FMJ Boxer Primed, Non-Corrosive" in the bottom left corner.
The other version is a plain White box 5.56 x 45MM (no SS109 marking) that simply states "NATO Stanag 4172" in the bottom left corner.

I've shot both offerings and haven't really noticed any difference (accuracy-wise, or recoil) between the two

Not really, it's just a brass magnet.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

The 5.56x45 is magnetic. The 7.62x51 is not magnetic.

When you run the numbers you can't really can't load 62gr ammo for the price WM is selling this 5.56 ammo for.

Huh I'm checking like 8 diff Wally's mostly 4 on a somewhat regular basis but all I have ever bought was the White Stanag 4172 box.

Saw it the other day in an LGS for $25 a box.

If ZQI's printing on their ammo boxes are correct, then the ammo is made or being made to NATO STANAG standards. This doesn't mean that this ammo is NATO qualified, thus sans the NATO symbol on the headstamp.

Ah, that makes sense.

Took my one box to the range today and it all fired flawlessly. I'll be buying some more.

My local Wally world sells it for $9.97/box of 30 rounds, I have shot over 200 rounds of it and it shoots great, I have also tried the 9 mm ammo and it seems a bit dirtier than that of others but since my Walmart got in aluminum case Federal Champion 9 mm 50 round at 9.97 and my XD shoots it really well. I also shoot the aluminum case in 45 by Federal at my wally world it goes for 14.97 a box of 50, not bad for plinking ammo

Dunno what to tell you about what your WM stocks, but Here ya go...
The Pale Green box was bought a couple Months ago.
The White box was bought a week or so ago.
Hopefully the printing in the Bottom Left of each box is legible.

Attached Images

ZQI Packaging.jpg (44.2 KB, 310 views)

I've bought both at WM. Haven't seen any white box ZQI for 5-6 weeks. Haven't seen the green box for 3 weeks.

I don't know if it's just my store or if the supply is drying up.

The labeling on the white vs green box is of no concern to me. Chalking it up to whiz-bang Marketing BS.

It's not just your WM, mine too. I haven't seen any more of them for weeks.

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_It was love at first shot_

3 Wallys at least had more than 10 this week. I didn't buy any I was after some nice looking winchester 9mm 124 gr nato.

I agree about box color/writing. Just had never seen anything but the white one. I'm sure it's the same stuff inside.

Went to my local WalMart and picked up 3 boxes of the 9MM. Ran a couple boxes thru my guns. All I can say is that I'm impressed. No problems whatsoever. Also the price per box was only $12.97 for 50 round box. At this price I think this will be my primary ammo for shooting.