5.56mm round

The 5.56mm round is a type of small guns ammunition found in Fallout 3 and Fallout Tactics, named after the size of the bullet's diameter.

Fallout 3
Relatively speaking, the 5.56mm round is the third most common small guns ammunition found in the game, compared to the .32 Caliber Round and 10mm Round. After The Waters of Life, the 5.56 round becomes more common as enemies will use Assault Rifles more often than Hunting Rifles. 5.56mm rounds appear as gray banana magazines (resembling the magazines from the Chinese Assault Rifle) when placed outside of a character.

Obtaining 5.56 rounds
5.56 rounds are typically found in Raider, Talon Company and Super Mutant camps. Notable areas to search include Downtown DC and the Metro tunnels underneath the Downtown area. However, 5.56 rounds appears to be scarce early in the game. Large amounts of 5.56 rounds can be acquired quickly through several means:


 * At Fort Independence, Brotherhood Outcast Casdin will trade technology items for 5.56 rounds, Stimpaks, grenades, and Rad Away. However, it is important to note that Casdin's subtitles incorrectly say ".556 ammo" instead of "5.56 ammo".


 * Uncle Roe at Canterbury Commons will allow players to invest in caravan merchants, such as Lucky Harith and Crow. By investing, the merchants will begin to sell poor quality (and thus, cheap) Power Armor and energy weapons, which can then be traded to Brotherhood Outcast Casdin at Fort Independence. This can be repeated every 48 (in-game) hours. Chief Gustavo of Tenpenny Towers also carries cheap Laser Rifles and Laser Pistols that can be traded to Brotherhood Outcast Casdin.


 * In the Fallout 3 DLC pack The Pitt, completing the quest Free Labor will unlock the the Ammo Press. Located in The Mill of The Pitt, the Ammo Press converts any firearm ammunition or Scrap Metal into any other firearm ammo, including 5.56 rounds.

Weapons that Use 5.56mm rounds

 * Assault Rifle
 * Chinese Assault Rifle
 * Xuanlong Assault Rifle
 * Infiltrator
 * Perforator

Fallout Tactics
Weapons using 5.56mm ammunition:
 * M16A1
 * Ruger AC556F