Differences in .223s

We see/hear lots of problems with chambers not fitting the cartridges for some reason or the other.

Reamer selection can be a big issue if not done properly.

A friend is wanting to build a ,223 and was asking what reamer to use. he sent me a chart with some of the different reamer dimensions to compare.

As you can see there are many variations just on the .223 besides SAMME specifications that require a decision based on its intended use, as with ALL chambers/cartridges.

http://ar15barrels.com/data/223-556.pdf

Sometimes a Smith May be tempted to use a non standard reamer and not tell the owner (Not good
in many cases). so one of the things to clear up before starting, is the reamer he intends to use and what effects/needs related that have to be addressed when loading ammo for it.

This is just to make people aware that all reamers are created equal and chosing the right one is very important .

J E CUSTOM

Thanks for the info JE

Thanks form the heads up will have to keep that in mind when I have another done. Thanks

snox801 said:

Thanks form the heads up will have to keep that in mind when I have another done. Thanks

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You are welcome.

The reason I posted this was because I continually find "Specialty" chambers that are unknown
to the owner of the rifle.

Many people want something special/different for many reasons and the reamers can/may be used on someone else's project without them knowing it. In many cases the changes may be small and
the smith or customer may think it does not matter. IT Does !!!!

Anytime a chamber is anything other than a SAMME chamber, it should be stamped on the barrel.

I also recommend that the owner buy and keep the reamer for himself. I will keep the reamer for him but I have a special storage for "ALL" specialty reamers to avoid mistakenly using them.

This problem is not just in the 223's it is with all cartridges and can be a real problem if not identified. Some cartridges like the .223 and the .308 may have 10 to 12 different reamer configurations.

Just trying to keep people out of trouble.

J E CUSTOM

while your barrel dim. are very important in creating an accurate firearm so is barrel twist. learned this the hard way on a couple of factory purchases. had a 223 that you couldn't hit a 4ft square target at a 100yrds. factory ammo or reloads. later found that if you fed it a 63 t0 70 grain bullet it would shoot in the .2s.

MR.SWIFT said:

while your barrel dim. are very important in creating an accurate firearm so is barrel twist. learned this the hard way on a couple of factory purchases. had a 223 that you couldn't hit a 4ft square target at a 100yrds. factory ammo or reloads. later found that if you fed it a 63 t0 70 grain bullet it would shoot in the .2s.

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No doubt twist rates are very important and the right bullet can make a huge difference in accuracy.

The problem I was referring to was the difference in chamber reamers (Tight necks, short necks,
no free bore, tight throats, case diameters and many more things that can plague a rifles performance and forgiveness.

I see these differences all the time because the owner ether didn't know about it or did not understand the reason for a change from SAMME specifications and did not know how to load for it
to prevent pressure/extraction problems.

J E CUSTOM