The term “revolutionary” is overused when describing products. But in the case of AMMO, Inc. STREAK® Visual Ammunition™, it’s definitely an apt description. Designed for indoor-range and low-light shooting, STREAK ammo lets you see the path of the bullet in real time, without the use of conventional tracers. STREAK bullets aren’t incendiary and won’t start a fire. They employ an exclusive patented technology that doesn’t generate any heat, making STREAK ammo safe to use in environments where conventional tracers are prohibited. It provides you with advantages of tracers without any of the disadvantages. And that’s a game changer.

The STREAK Difference

Conventional tracer ammo employs bullets that are constructed with a hollow base filled with a metallic fuel based pyrotechnic flare material that’s ignited when the bullet is fired. It burns very hot and gives tracers their bullet trace. The bullet trace can be in the visible or IR spectrum (the latter for use with NODs) depending on the pyrotechnic composition. They’re notorious for starting fires. Not surprisingly, they have many restrictions imposed on them. Tracers come in three main types for different applications: bright tracers; subdued tracers; and dim tracers. They’re mostly restricted to military use.

STREAK ammo.is completely different. From the outside, they look like standard rounds. But they have a secret. The secret is the unique STREAK One-Way Luminescent Technology™ (O.W.L. Technology™).  It employs a special non-toxic photo-luminescent coating on the base of the bullet that’s “flash charged” by the light emitted from the ignition of the propellant in the cartridge when the bullet is fired. The photoexcitation causes the base of the bullet to glow, providing a bright visual trace of the bullet’s path.

This provides a number of advantages. The old military saying, “tracers work both ways” doesn’t apply to STREAK ammo. The STREAK bullet trace is only visible within 30 degrees of either side of the shooter’s point of view, so it doesn’t give the shooter’s position away to a threat. Since no heat is generated, it’s safe for all indoor and outdoor shooting environments. And because there isn’t anything burning in the base of the bullet, the mass and balance of the bullet remain constant throughout its flight, which significantly improves accuracy and maintains consistent point of impact.

STREAK ammo provides immediate feedback, allowing necessary adjustments to be made in real time. It eliminates the need to pull the target back to see where your shots hit (or missed). This makes STREAK ammo an outstanding training tool. It also has practical personal-defense applications. Additionally, STREAK rounds may be loaded as the last rounds in the magazine to indicate when the magazine is almost empty, which is particularly useful in firearms that don’t have a last round bolt hold open. And, of course, STREAK ammo is a lot of fun to shoot.

The ballistic performance of STREAK ammo is identical to that of AMMO, Inc.’s standard ammo. It features the company’s proprietary HyperClean™ Technology, designed to provide complete powder burn. This allows for a cleaner and more enjoyable shooting experience. It also reduces cleaning time by up to 50%. Shoot more yet clean less. That’s certainly a win-win in my book.

AMMO, Inc. now offers STREAK ammo in two color variants: the original Red STREAK®, which has a red bullet trace and the newer Green STREAK®, which has a green bullet trace. Red STREAK has been available for a few years, so many of you may already be familiar with it. Green STREAK was introduced in 2022. Although green colors are better recognized by the human eye under brighter light conditions than red colors, in reduced light the human eye is able to recognize both about equally. If you’re running a red dot optic or red laser, you may want to go with Green STREAK ammo for contrast. If they’re green dots, you may want to go with Red STREAK ammo. The choice is yours.

Testing & Evaluation

AMMO, Inc. provided me with STREAK 9mm 124 gr Total Metal Coating (TMC) ammo for evaluation. I opted for the 9mm caliber as it dominates the self-defense market and can be found in some of the most popular pistols for concealed carry. It’s the caliber that I typically carry on a day-to-day basis. I aliso felt the comparatively smaller diameter of the 9mm bullet base would be the best test of the brightness of the STREAK bullet trace, since there’s less area for the photo-luminescent than with the larger calibers.

STREAK ammo is made for two different applications: TMC for target range use and training; and JHP for personal protection. TMC bullets are completely copper covered. There’s no exposed lead. This is important, especially for indoor range use. In comparison, conventional FMJ bullets have an exposed lead base, increasing chances of lead exposure, as well as increasing the amount of gun cleaning needed.

The STREAK ammo has performed flawlessly. It has fed and functioned without a hiccup. The STREAK bullet traces are clearly visible in typical indoor range lighting conditions, although if your eyes are focused tightly on your front sight, you may see little more than your front sight and muzzle flash. Using a weapon light will exacerbate this by illuminating the smoke plume exiting the barrel from firing. The answer is to shift your focus more to the target. It isn’t an issue in target focus shooting / point index shooting.

The accuracy and consistency of the STREAK ammo has been excellent. AMMO, Inc. makes excellent ammo. The company manufactures all of its ammo in a state-of-the art facility located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and utilizes only the highest quality components. All of its ammo is subjected to stringent quality control throughout the manufacturing process, as well as random testing.

I was initially concerned about the possibility of fouling from the bullet coating, but this concern proved to be completely unfounded. STREAK ammo is exceptionally clean. There’s very little barrel fouling to clean up after shooting, much less than with most ammo. This is a big plus, especially those of us who hate gun cleaning, and that includes practically every shooter. 

Purchasing

STREAK ammo is available in most popular handgun calibers and bullet weights. It’s currently available in .380 ACP; 9mm; .40 S&W; .44 Special; .44 Magnum; .45 ACP; and .45. Colt calibers in in two different lines: Total Metal Coating Performance Line and the Hollow Point Defensive Line. It’s not available in rifle calibers. 

STREAK ammo comes in boxes of 20; 50; and 200 rounds. It’s surprisingly affordable. A 20-round box of STREAK ammo will run you around the same price as a 50-round box of regular ammo. The TMC rounds are the most economical to shoot.

Source

AMMO, Inc.
ammoinc.com

Material Disclosure

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

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