Will 223 work in a 5.56 chamber?

[700man]

I have been looking and studying AR's trying to figure which one to buy...

My question is, will 223 round shoot without jamming in guns labeled, 5.56.
Some AR's I have looked at say 223 or 5.56, others say 5.56.

What is the difference? Thanks

 

[NomadPilot]

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

Short answer: 223 in 5.56 ok. 5.56 in 223 not ok.

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

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

Short answer: 223 in 5.56 ok. 5.56 in 223 not ok.

I concure now read this, and know what your buying. Grant at G&R tactical has the best prices! Make and educated purchase dont belive the guncounter hype or your buddy who is a cop or military most dont know what they are buying.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pwswheghNQsEuEhjFwPrgTA&single=true&gid=5&output=html

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spr...akp2a3Y2NjMxTEE&single=true&gid=2&output=html

 

[700man]

Thanks Icanhithimman, that was helpful and very informative!

 

[drt4lfe]

I have shot 5.56 surplus ammo for years in Mini-14, my AR15's and never a problem....with .223 chamber.....

 

[webs]

I have shot 5.56 surplus ammo for years in Mini-14, my AR15's and never a problem....with .223 chamber.....

Do not listen to this guy. 5.56 runs at higher pressure and has a longer neck. And it isn't worth it to find out that your rifle can't handle that higher pressure.

 

[drt4lfe]

I'm not telling anyone to listen or to do anything.....it's his choice but, people buy surplus 5.56 ammo and use in .223 rifles.....I have not seen any failures...not saying there has not been.....I think if this was a big issue you would be seeing more about it and pics of the failures on every gun website on the internet....

 

[adnick]

Don't know but you may be buying old A1 ammo....

 

[battlestick]

Easy way to remember. 5 is bigger than 2. So 556 has higher pressure than 223.

Do other people cram 5 pounds of **** in a 2 pound rifle? Sure they do. Are you willing to chance tearing up your rifle, or face, or eyes?

If so, please post videos in case it fails. We can use that to teach the next guy.

 

[drt4lfe]

I would like to see some of those pics too......

 

[adnick]

What's the best way to say this without spending a lot of time?

It's not the projectile ( .224 in general ) It's the case/charge....

 

[Kevin Thomas]

Actually, it's the throating. The 5.56mm and 223 Rem cases are identical. The 5.56mm ammo runs higher pressures, and can be a serious problem when fired in a 223 Rem chamber. The 5.56mm NATO chamber has a notably longer throat, which reduces start pressures. Clearly, there's some misunderstanding here on just how much these throating differences can influence pressure, turning what may be a safe load in one rifle into a danger in another, with all other chamber dimensions remaining the same.

Yes, 5.56mm ammunition can be fired in a 223 chamber, and no, it won't always lead to blown primers or catastrophic failures. But it has happened, and will continue to happen so long as people choose to disregard the warnings that have been posted both here, and in Ordnance and professional circles. Citing empirical "evidence" that, "I've done it and it was perfectly fine" is a bit like dashing across a busy freeway, making it to the far side, and declaring it to be completely safe. It ain't, and it will eventually bite you.

Heed the warnings. You're issued exactly two eyes and two sets of hands. If you want to keep them in original condition and working order, then pay attention to cautions such as this.

 

[venatic]

I have not been able to find any instances where there has been a problem shooting .5.56 in a .223 but maybe I have not looked in the correct places. I do that that 5.56 ammo is shot in .223 chambered weapons all the time because I have seen it... not by me because I never use factory stuff. My .223 loads are probably hotter than the 5.56 stuff.
There is such a wide variance from chamber to chamber and throat dimensions on .223s I just don't see from a common sense standpoint how that it's a valid concern. Lawyers.

 

[Bullet bumper]

There is a few chamber dimentions that are different between the 223 Rem And 5.56 Nato .
Generally the Nato chamber has bigger diameter on the shoulder and base and longer fee bore as well as longer from base to shoulder .
So sometimes it is possible for a 5.56 Nato to not chamber or chamber tight in a 223 Rem chamber and when fired has less expansion space and shorter throat area. So that can raise pressures . How much is hard to say .
223Rem in a Nato chamber should show less pressure than they would in a 223 Rem. chamber . However the cases will undergo about .004 more stretch.
Not withstanding normal chamber variations and ammo case variations which can add upp or subtract from the whole issue .
Meaning one gun might digest everything and another will not.
However even though the max staed load pressure for a 223 is 55 000 psi modern guns are proofed at 125% of that and the 223 case can stand 62 366 psi .
The 5.56 Nato max pressure is 62366 psi also.
So if you fired a 5.56 Nato in a 223 Remington chamber it would have to develope 68750 psi to equal the proof charge and I don't think it would . I don't think it would blow up a modern gun but chambering and extraction issues could be possible in some guns.