5.56x45 NATO vs 5.45x39 ammo

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Two of the most influential intermediate cartridges of the Cold War era go head-to-head: NATO’s 5.56×45 and the Soviet 5.45×39. We walk through why militaries downsized, how each round behaves in real combat, and the tradeoffs in ballistics, controllability, penetration, and terminal performance. Whether you’re into history, rifles, or pure ammo nerding — this one’s for you. Put on hearing protection and enjoy.

What you’ll learn
Why militaries abandoned full-power battle rifle rounds.
How the 5.56 and 5.45 were designed to perform in the field.
Real-world strengths and weaknesses (fragmentation vs. tumble, penetration, recoil).