Is 5.56mm and .223 ammunition the same, will it work in all AR-15s and all guns? I run through some of the 5.56 x 45mm NATO vs. .223 Remington ammo differences, pros, cons, and how to tell what bullet your gun is made to shoot. Whether it’s a bolt gun or an AR15, you have to know what ammo your gun is chambered for. Pressure and the chamber size are thoroughly discussed along with the semi obscure .223 Wylde chamber. The Wylde chamber is meets 5.56 and .223 in the middle for a tighter chamber with more accuracy.
Make sure you use the right ammo in your gun! For AR 15s, it’s almost always 5.56mm (5.56 NATO).
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10 years ago I called the Ruger factory and asked if I could use 556 in my Mini14 marked 223. The answer was yes. Basically implying that their barrel could handle it. And it did.
What it does to the brass for reloading is another issue.
181 series if i recall. Maybe there is some junk out there that won't handle the pressure.
Google the history of the M16-A1 and the M16-A2 and their ammo non-compatibility.
Old video would have been good to have seen back in 2015.
Sheesh! Thanks YouTube
There's no documentation of 5.56 blowing up .223 barrel.
Well my lil brother did and my AR- pistol Blew. The back or it blew off the long spring fell out. Now I can't chamber a round,
Very good information well stated thanks
So that brings up the question, what’s the difference between a 556 barrel and a 223 barrel for a AR rifle?
An AR lower can be used with .223 or 5.56, it is the upper you have to worry about (chamber, barrel, etc.)
The lower is not effected by either round. But I am sure you know that at this point.
5.56 NATO ammo is set for a higher pressure load with the powders they use. The throat is longer than the 223 and the chamber is also longer than a 223. The correct head space go gauge for a 5.56 chamber is 1.4646. The 223 go gauge is 1.4636. The Wylde throat can be as long or longer than the 5.56, but it is narrower than the 5.56 throat. A function gauge or a throat gauge from Michigan gun is how you can tell if you have a true 5.56 chamber. Many rifles marked 5,56 are not true 5.56 NATO chambers…
I did a ton of research to find out if I could shoot 5.56 out of my mini-14. I found out Bill Ruger printed the .223 so it wasn’t so military like. I bump fired a few 30 rounders and the extractor broke. I bet that’s by design by Ol’ anti gun Mr Ruger.
Check for yourself. But Google search showed me 223 averages around 25 gr of powder, and 5.56 can be 40-80 gr of powder! That's the pressure difference if true! Just pull a bullet out of each and weigh it, then you will know the difference!
So here's the deal The Guns a 556 they had to stamp 223 on the sides of it to get it into the United States the gun can easily handle the pressures of a 556 I see many videos on it, from what I'm to understand it it not go and make new barrels for this gun they just stamp 223 on the side so shoot away and don't worry about the gun blowing up in their face because it can handle the pressures
hey im new to the rifle scene. and looking at the ruger American 5.56 nato and im looking up info about maybe shooting 223 also in the 5.56. but you also mentioned bulk ammo being shipped. im living in Canada. do you know of any companies that would be able to send ammo over the boarder in bulk to a residential home ? or that's not allowed. sorry if a silly question. trying to get the most out of the buck to shoot more.
I got a 556 that can shoot 223 according to the gun seller and people on line. They said as long as you have 556, you can shoot 223, but if it's 223, you can't shoot 556
Boy oh boy say .40 cents a round now
Ammo for my .556 costs 1$+ a bullet now.
For prices (everyone is checking now but before this and most likely after) all the gun shops in my area had the price per round HIGHER on cases. The best price, even at scheels and cabelas was almost always the 150 round boxes.
Remember this. You can shoot 556/223 out of a 556 chambered rifle, you shouldn’t shoot 556 out of a 223 chambered rifle.
Get one that shoots both. Problem solved
223 will run fine through a rifle chambered for 5.56. It's when you try running 5.56 through a rifle chambered for 223..
So my AR says .223 on lower receiver but 5.56 on barrel. So I can shoot both?