The British Army fired 46 million bullets at the Taliban during the eight-year Afghanistan conflict at a cost of £200 million in ammunition alone . The large amount of ammunition expended during the conflict shows the intense nature of the fighting between British troops and their Taliban opponents . According to data released by the Ministry of Defence , some 27 million 5.56 rounds were fired from either the standard SA-80 assault rifle or minimi machine gun . The British Army fired approximately 10,000 rounds from their SA-80 assault rifles during Afghan conflict . Each of the 5.56mm rounds , pictured , used in the SA-80 assault rifle costs approximately 50p . Each round cost approximately 50p . A further two million 9mm rounds were fired from handguns . According to a Freedom of Information request by the Daily Mirror , at least 80,000 , 105mm artillery shells - at a cost of £1,250 each - were fired at Taliban positions . Soldiers went through an estimated £5,000 worth of ammunition for the their assault rifles every day during the eight-year conflict . A further 55,000 , 30mm rounds were fired from Apache gunships . Each of these rounds costs about £65 , but are able to go through solid concrete and can destroy a Taliban vehicle in seconds . The helicopters are able to provide vital close air support for ground troops pinned down by the opposition . SAS veteran Robert Henry Craft told the Mirror : 'The amount of ammo expended shows how British troops in Afghanistan were fighting for their lives every day . 'That so many 9mm rounds were used shows how close the fighting was at times ' . The conflict claimed 453 UK lives . One former SAS solider , not pictured , said British troops were fighting for their lives on a daily basis .
seven rounds were fired from the Army 's SA-80 assault rifles . New figures show that Some 27 million rounds were fired every minute at the Taliban . A further 80,000 105mm artillery shells were used during the eight-year war . Apache gunships also blasted 55,000 30mm rounds at the insurgents .