.223 or 5.56

[Bigjon07]

I was told that if the barrel is stamped .223 you can only shoot that round. If you shot 5.56 you would eventually damage the barrel? But if it was labeled 5.56 then you could shoot both with out worry? I look all around this site for that info and found nothing. Could be I am blind but if you could help I would be gratefull!

 

[CalebToNowhere]

Here's the thread that can answer your questions.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...he_difference_between_5_56nato_and_223_a.html

 

[esrice]

I was told that if the barrel is stamped .223 you can only shoot that round. If you shot 5.56 you would eventually damage the barrel? But if it was labeled 5.56 then you could shoot both with out worry?

Correct.

 

[Bigjon07]

Thanks!!

 

[msd]

You can shoot 223 thru a barrel stamped 5.5 or 223. But it's not advisable to shoot 5.56 thru a 223 chamber. The web is thicker on the case head of the 5.56, causing pressure spikes. You could get away with 1k of it then the 1001 rd...boom.

In other words..please take advise you've read and heard and dont shoot 5.54 thru a 223 chamber.

 

[45-70]

An exception, and there may be others, is the Ruger Mini-14. The barrel is stamped .223 but as copied from the Ruger owners manual;

The​

​

​

​

RUGER® MINI-14® RIFLES are chambered for the .223 Remington
(5.56mm) cartridge. The Mini-14 Rifle is designed to use either standardized U.S.
military, or factory loaded sporting .223 (5.56mm) cartridges manufactured in​

accordance with U.S. industry practice.

 

[msd]

An exception, and there may be others, is the Ruger Mini-14. The barrel is stamped .223 but as copied from the Ruger owners manual;


The

RUGER® MINI-14® RIFLES are chambered for the .223 Remington

(5.56mm) cartridge. The Mini-14 Rifle is designed to use either standardized U.S.
military, or factory loaded sporting .223 (5.56mm) cartridges manufactured in​

accordance with U.S. industry practice.
​

But thats standardized U.S. military. Is that the same as 5.56mm Nato?
​

 

[Mr. Habib]

But thats standardized U.S. military. Is that the same as 5.56mm Nato?
[/LEFT]

Yes, they are the same.

 

[sloughfoot]

The M193 is the 5.56mm Mil-Spec. It is not NATO adopted. It uses a 55 grain FMJ bullet.

The 5.56 mm NATO is the cartridge that was introduced about 1988. This is the M855 family of catridges including the 62 grain penetrator round.

The 5.56mm NATO must never be fired out of a 223 chambered rifle. Unless it is a Wylde chambered 223, or equivalant.

The M193 is loaded to the same pressure as any 223, 55 grain FMJ load. The brass is no different from any commercial brass.

Brass for 5.56 runs from 92 grains to 96 grains, just like commercial 223 brass does. Any reloader for High Power can confirm this.

This business about a thicker web at the base is not true. It just isn't.

If it was true, then 5.56 brass would have to be loaded with less powder than comercial brass. It doesn't. Try to tell this to all those thousands of guys that push 80 grain bullets hard out of their 223 chambered AR15's with LC or other military brass.

Most keyboard commandos have never even fired a 80 grain bullet at 600 yards, I'll bet.