5.56 Nato
- Thread starter bob123
- Start date
crapshoot
Well-known member
They are dang close with the 5.56 having a higher pressure.
While you can fire 223 in a 5.56 chamber safely, it is not recommended to do it the other way around (5.56 in 223 chamber) although many have done it.
Then there is the 223 wylde chamber that is a happy medium between both 223 and 5.56 that can accommodate both cartridges safely.
Clear as mud eh?
Hidalgo
Well-known member
Yes, that is correct.
Are you building an upper assembly? Buy one without the carrier?
My rule of thumb to stop this confusion is this: Never buy military ammunition. Period. Don't ever shoot it. Only feed your rifle "'223" ammunition and you will be fine no matter which chamber you might have. And don't let the naysayers tell you that 223 ammunition in a 5.56 spec chamber isn't as accurate. That's BS. I own three rifles with 5.56 chambers that shoot little cloverleafs with my 223 handholds and are under MOA with factory loads.
Are you building an upper assembly? Buy one without the carrier?
My rule of thumb to stop this confusion is this: Never buy military ammunition. Period. Don't ever shoot it. Only feed your rifle "'223" ammunition and you will be fine no matter which chamber you might have. And don't let the naysayers tell you that 223 ammunition in a 5.56 spec chamber isn't as accurate. That's BS. I own three rifles with 5.56 chambers that shoot little cloverleafs with my 223 handholds and are under MOA with factory loads.
Dultimatpredator
Well-known member
To make it more confusing I run all my 5.56 virgin Lake City brass through 223 FL die. lol. Then I trimmed the necks down to 223 minimum suggested OAL. That way I can run them and everything I own.
…after all the posts, articles, forum reads, and debates, the only thing that I’ve gotten out of the difference is the 556 military case is thicker and it has a longer case neck and can/will cause higher pressures with the same powder charges as the 223 because there’s less case capacity from 5.56’s thicker casing walls. So like always if you switch cases or if you use a 556 case work your load up from the ground up. Just remember there’s less case capacity in 556 cases so you’ll find that you’ll hit higher pressures quicker.
…after all the posts, articles, forum reads, and debates, the only thing that I’ve gotten out of the difference is the 556 military case is thicker and it has a longer case neck and can/will cause higher pressures with the same powder charges as the 223 because there’s less case capacity from 5.56’s thicker casing walls. So like always if you switch cases or if you use a 556 case work your load up from the ground up. Just remember there’s less case capacity in 556 cases so you’ll find that you’ll hit higher pressures quicker.