.223 remington, 5.56x45 whats the difference?
- Thread starter Tusk1
- Start date
Hidalgo
Well-known member
Quote:
I am wanting to buy a ar-15 and I am not sure that I fully understand the difference between the two. Can someone please explain this to me?
.223 Remington chambering will limit you to shooting .223 Remington ammo only. The 5.56 chambering will allow you to shoot both .223 Remington and also 5.56 NATO military surplus loads. It is a general opinion that a rifle chambered in .223 Remington will not perform safely shooting the higher-pressured 5.56 ammo, although it has been done on many occassions and will be done in the future I'm sure.
The 5.56 chambered rifle is more versatile, and the accuracy difference is negligible. I have both and can't tell any difference in the performance.
I am wanting to buy a ar-15 and I am not sure that I fully understand the difference between the two. Can someone please explain this to me?
.223 Remington chambering will limit you to shooting .223 Remington ammo only. The 5.56 chambering will allow you to shoot both .223 Remington and also 5.56 NATO military surplus loads. It is a general opinion that a rifle chambered in .223 Remington will not perform safely shooting the higher-pressured 5.56 ammo, although it has been done on many occassions and will be done in the future I'm sure.
The 5.56 chambered rifle is more versatile, and the accuracy difference is negligible. I have both and can't tell any difference in the performance.
NEIAPredator
New member
+1 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
jlindholm70
New member
.223 v 5.56
I have a Wylde chamber, my local HDR shop says that "most"(??) manufacturers are building their barrels in the Wylde chambering now. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
I have a Wylde chamber, my local HDR shop says that "most"(??) manufacturers are building their barrels in the Wylde chambering now. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
I have shot 10's of thousands of .223 rounds over the years and never have looked to see what the chamber was. The only difference I can see is some type of match chamber being tight. I have shot rifles with all the different chambers so to speak and not see one bit of difference yet. However, I don't and will not shoot any of the bulk mil surplus stuff in any of my rifles. This is where you might see a difference as you don't know what country loaded this stuff or what is in it.
Quote from SteveM,
"However, I don't and will not shoot any of the bulk mil surplus stuff in any of my rifles. "
But there's the rub.
Many .... and I would have included myself in that mix buy into .223 thinking it's OK.
I also don't fire mil surp .... even good stuff .... I have a big box of British ammo .... really good stuff and just use it in my AR ..... while the CZ bolt gun in .223 gets tailor made handloads or factory .223 Rem. ammo.
Three 44s
"However, I don't and will not shoot any of the bulk mil surplus stuff in any of my rifles. "
But there's the rub.
Many .... and I would have included myself in that mix buy into .223 thinking it's OK.
I also don't fire mil surp .... even good stuff .... I have a big box of British ammo .... really good stuff and just use it in my AR ..... while the CZ bolt gun in .223 gets tailor made handloads or factory .223 Rem. ammo.
Three 44s
t/c223encore
New member
I have shot 5.56 from my 223, didn't do nothing out of the ordinary. It went bang the the small rock I had my crosshairs on blew to pieces. Just out of curiosity, if 223 remmington and 5.56x45 is 2 different rounds, then how come they do not list both in my reloading manual (hornady 7th edition)? How come the service rifle it does list is excatly the same as 223 remington? I'm not sayin go shoot 5.56 in 223 cause i did it, just curious to know why hornady says they are the same round with the only diffence being the service rifle data being 68 and 75 grain bullets due to the faster twist?
t/c223encore.
t/c223encore.
Hidalgo
Well-known member
Quote:
How come the service rifle it does list is excatly the same as 223 remington?
Note the component listing. Does it say .223......or 5.56 NATO? My Hornady manual lists .223 components under the "service rifle" data. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Quote:
just curious to know why hornady says they are the same round with the only diffence being the service rifle data being 68 and 75 grain bullets due to the faster twist?
WHERE in your manual does Hornady say they are the same round? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
Hornady doesn't publish data under the category of "5.56NATO" or "5.45X45mm"....nor do any others that I am aware of. To clarify further, 5.56X45mm and .223 Remington are NOT the differences that are being discussed. 5.56 NATO MILITARY AMMUNITION is where the problem stems. That said...I have never seen any ammo marked 5.56X45mm that WASN'T military. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
What Hornady is doing is supplying load data for the 5.56 chambered rifles for those who want to load for "service rifle" competitions with the heavier bullets...using .223 components. This is likely done for 2 reasons: To publish data for the owners of "service rifles", and also to differentiate between the two rifles for LEGAL purposes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Also, did you note the paragraph that says: "Reloaders are cautioned not to reload the 5.56x45mm beyond the AR-15's operating range lest case, barrel, and receiver life will be sacrificed"?
Noting that you have fired 5.56 NATO ammunition in your .223 chambered rifle is fine, as long as you are not trying to suggest that others do the same (and I saw that you did make a note of that). Just because a guy knocked down a hornet's nest with a stick and didn't get stung, that doesn't make it a safe practice.
There is a ton of information available by doing a Google search that will advise against shooting 5.56 NATO military ammo in a .223 Remington chambered rifle.
How come the service rifle it does list is excatly the same as 223 remington?
Note the component listing. Does it say .223......or 5.56 NATO? My Hornady manual lists .223 components under the "service rifle" data. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Quote:
just curious to know why hornady says they are the same round with the only diffence being the service rifle data being 68 and 75 grain bullets due to the faster twist?
WHERE in your manual does Hornady say they are the same round? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
Hornady doesn't publish data under the category of "5.56NATO" or "5.45X45mm"....nor do any others that I am aware of. To clarify further, 5.56X45mm and .223 Remington are NOT the differences that are being discussed. 5.56 NATO MILITARY AMMUNITION is where the problem stems. That said...I have never seen any ammo marked 5.56X45mm that WASN'T military. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
What Hornady is doing is supplying load data for the 5.56 chambered rifles for those who want to load for "service rifle" competitions with the heavier bullets...using .223 components. This is likely done for 2 reasons: To publish data for the owners of "service rifles", and also to differentiate between the two rifles for LEGAL purposes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Also, did you note the paragraph that says: "Reloaders are cautioned not to reload the 5.56x45mm beyond the AR-15's operating range lest case, barrel, and receiver life will be sacrificed"?
Noting that you have fired 5.56 NATO ammunition in your .223 chambered rifle is fine, as long as you are not trying to suggest that others do the same (and I saw that you did make a note of that). Just because a guy knocked down a hornet's nest with a stick and didn't get stung, that doesn't make it a safe practice.
There is a ton of information available by doing a Google search that will advise against shooting 5.56 NATO military ammo in a .223 Remington chambered rifle.