Remington UMC .223 55gr FMJ Ammo: What is UMC?

When you start looking at ammo it can be overwhelming. Those who have been in the gun world for eons may not have any problem knowing exactly what they want. But others may not know what ammo they need and having so many options only complicates the matter. If you own an AR-15 or some other rifle that shoots a .223 caliber bullet, there are lots of options. From cheap, loose ammo in bulk to high-end, box ammo, the choices are endless.

So, what ammo should you be using? Let’s revert to the traditional gun expert answer; it’s up to you. It all makes sense now, right? You can grab anything off the shelf and go with it. If only it were that simple and easy.

First of all, ammo comes in a caliber that a gun is chambered for. You would assume that a rifle made to shoot .223 ammo would handle any type of .223 ammo. But that’s not the case either. Ammo is made differently by a lot of different companies. One brand of ammo may work great in one gun and not so great in another gun. Today we are going to look at Remington’s UMC 55GR FMJ (full metal jacket) ammo.

What is UMC ammunition?

When you see “UMC” on a box, it’s a designation for a specific type of ammo from Remington. UMC, however, was not always associated with Remington. It stands for the Union Metallic Cartridge Company. Founded in 1867, the company was the result of a spinoff from an even older ammunition factory. In 1909, UMC built a tower that was 190 feet tall. This made it the tallest building in Connecticut for a short time.

At the time, UMC was owned by Schuyler, Hartley & Graham, a New York based sporting goods firm. In 1888, they purchased a firearms manufacturing company, E. Remington and Sons. They named the company Remington Arms which produced firearms for their firm. In 1912, Remington merged with UMC to become Remington-UMC. UMC ammunition was made in Bridgeport Connecticut until 1970, when it was moved to a new facility in Arkansas.

Today, Remington Ammunition manufactures ammo in its Lonoke Arkansas facility under the Remington and UMC name. For a while, the quality of Remington ammunition was not so good. They went through two bankruptcies in federal court and in 2020, the company was split up. Ruger purchased Marlin from this sale and Remington Ammunition was re-organized.

Since that time, the quality of their ammunition has improved along with their production rate. By the end of 2021, the plant was reported to be at full capacity once again. So, what is UMC ammo? UMC is Remington lower-end ammo or what others would call “range ammo.”

What is UMC ammo good for?

The short answer is, it’s good for a lot of stuff. We often focus on the quality self-defense or hunting ammo but overlook the ammo we use most. Range ammo is what we use to train with as well as testing out a new gun, magazine, or even optic. I always shoot quality ammo in any gun I will be carrying on duty or self-defense, but I train the most with range ammo. It costs too much to use high-end ammo when you train regularly.

But when it comes to range ammo, there is still a lot to choose from. Get the really bad stuff and even your training will suffer. It can be hard to find that middle ground where ammo is reasonably priced but still reliable and somewhat accurate. UMC 55GR ammo is pretty accurate for being target ammo. It’s one of the better loads I have found when your training involves shots further down the range.

If you are using some type of optic, UMC ammunition is an excellent choice. Besides working as a great range ammo, UMC can be used for some types of hunting too. With a muzzle velocity of 3,240 feet per second, the bullet is zeroed at 200 yards and -8.1 at 400 yards. This makes it a reasonable bullet for medium-range shooting with decent accuracy.

Is UMC reliable ammo or just for target practice?

Typically, people use FMJ ammo for training and practice on the range. But for those who like to stock up on a bunch of ammo for multi-purpose use, they want something cheaper than premium ammo. As I mentioned above, Remington was starting to have some quality issues with their ammunition for a while.

I remember having multiple duds on the range during qualifications with our agency. The only explanation we could get from the retailer was that Remington is having some problems. We never followed up with Remington to see what the issues were but switched ammo instead. The problems stopped after that, leading me to believe there were some quality issues.

Fast-forward a few years though and I started seeing a lot of good reviews of Remington’s ammo again. I bought some and they shot great. Since then, I have started using a lot of Remington ammo and I haven’t had any problems with it. It does seem like my guns need more cleaning after using Remington compared to some other brands out there, but that doesn’t bother me. I have purchased some cheap ammo in cases for practice on the range. It works, but accuracy suffers a lot. UMC ammo is one of the better range ammos I have used when it comes to accuracy.

Summary

For me, Remington’s UMC ammo falls in that middle category. It works great for range ammo and is still accurate out to 300-400 yards. It’s not the cheapest stuff out there but it’s also not the most expensive either. With the use of a plastic divider/holder, it’s packaged better than a lot of boxed ammo in the same price range. If you want to store ammo for the long haul, it does take up more room than ammo that doesn’t have a plastic holder.

Overall, this is great ammo for sighting in your new red dot, iron sights, or getting in some quality training without spending a lot of money. Remington has been around for a long time, and they know how to make ammo. Their quality appears to be stable now and the company has been running strong since they emerged from bankruptcy. If you are looking for that range of ammo that still carries quality and accuracy, give Remington UMC.223 ammo a try.