.223 vs 5.56

[nova512]

car53's thread got me thinking on the differences between the 2 is there a different powder charge or are they the same? and if they are different what is the formula?

 

[Bunnykid68]

.223 Remington - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Jay]

Long read, but good info....

The Gun Zone -- SAAMI on 5.56 v. .223 Remington

 

[SSGSAD]

All good info here, THANKS .....

 

[JetGirl]

Long read, but good info....

The Gun Zone -- SAAMI on 5.56 v. .223 Remington

Absolutely outstanding! Thanks for the link. I get asked the difference quite often, and although I had the basics correct, this really clears up (and explains) the how/why of it all.
Thanks, Jay!

 

[09hemi]

So if I understand it correctly your can shoot .223 out of your 5.56 rifle but not 5.56 out of your .223 rifle

 

[teddy12b]

So if I understand it correctly your can shoot .223 out of your 5.56 rifle but not 5.56 out of your .223 rifle

That's the readers digest version of it all.

 

[Aszerigan]

So if I understand it correctly your can shoot .223 out of your 5.56 rifle but not 5.56 out of your .223 rifle

Yeppers.

 

[gcoop]

don't mean to step on toes but the cartridges are one and the same. can shoot either one in the same rifle, bolt action or ar with no harm. 5.56x45mm nato = 223 remington. i do not know of any reloading dies for this cartridge that has 5.56x45mm nato written on them.

 

[JetGirl]

don't mean to step on toes but the cartridges are one and the same. can shoot either one in the same rifle, bolt action or ar with no harm. 5.56x45mm nato = 223 remington. i do not know of any reloading dies for this cartridge that has 5.56x45mm nato written on them.

As far as length/diameter/specs for the cases, you'd be right.
It's the rating for CUP that's the snag. (.223 Rem being rated at a 50K max, while 5.56 is rated 60k. According to Jay's link, that 10k difference is sufficient to cause failure in a chamber that's only rated for .223 Rem.)

 

[Bunnykid68]

The 5.56mm NATO chambering, known as a NATO or mil-spec chamber, has a longer leade, which is the distance between the mouth of the cartridge and the point at which the rifling engages the bullet. The .223 Remington chambering, known as SAAMI chamber, is allowed to have a shorter leade, and is only required to be proof tested to the lower SAAMI chamber pressure. To address these issues, various proprietary chambers exist, such as the Wylde chamber (Rock River Arms)[11] or the ArmaLite chamber, which are designed to handle both 5.56mm NATO and .223 Remington equally well. The dimensions and leade of the .223 Remington minimum C.I.P. chamber also differ from the 5.56mm NATO chamber specification.
Using commercial .223 Remington cartridges in a 5.56mm NATO chambered rifle should work reliably, but generally will not be as accurate as when fired from a .223 Remington chambered gun due to the longer leade.[12] Using 5.56mm NATO mil-spec cartridges (such as the M855) in a .223 Remington chambered rifle can lead to excessive wear and stress on the rifle and even be unsafe, and the SAAMI recommends against the practice.[13][14] Some commercial rifles marked as ".223 Remington" are in fact suited for 5.56mm NATO, such as many commercial AR-15 variants and the Ruger Mini-14, but the manufacturer should always be consulted to verify that this is acceptable before attempting it, and signs of excessive pressure (such as flattening or gas staining of the primers) should be looked for in the initial testing with 5.56mm NATO ammunition

 

[JSeroka]

That is a very good explanation AJG!

So over-all double check your ammo with your firearm manufacturer to confirm specs. Remember SAFETY FIRST!

 

[william]

Anybody here damaged their firearm shooting 5.56 in a .223?