Colt Match Target M4 Carbine.....Question.

[xXxplosive]

The lower has .223 Cal. stamped on it.......the barrel has 5.56NATO 1/7 stamped behind the muzzlebreak...would like to know what this rifle is actually chambered for.....????

The generic Colt booklet that came with the gun says... .223 Cal.

Thanks for the help...

 

[M1key]

Both 5.56 Nato and 223 Remington will work fine.

M

 

[xXxplosive]

More concerned about firing the NATO round.....I know the .223Cal. is minimum.....was just trying to determine what the rifle is actually chambered for.....5.56 NATO ?

 

[cfullgraf]

The chamber is a 5.56 NATO chamber which is a smidge larger here and there than a "standard" 223 Remington chamber.

223 Remington can be fired in the chamber without issues.

The 1/7 is the twist of the rifling.

Just a note to keep in mind if you reload. Cases fired in the Colt and resized in a standard sizing die may have chambering issues in another AR-15 chambered with a more conventional 223 Remington chamber. It depends on a number factors dealing with the size of the chambers and accumulation of tolerances between the rifles' chambers and the sizing die.

Not a frequent happening but it can be quite frustrating when it does.

(FYI, I have an Colt Match Target in A-2 configuration.)

 

[M1key]

Sorry, yes 5.56 Nato chambering--as are virtually all AR-15 rifles with the exception of specifically named custom ones with tighter 223 match chambers.

Bushmaster also did that years ago in their 5.56 rifles as I recall and it did lead to some confusion.

M

 

[Theohazard]

Your rifle is chambered in 5.56; go by what it says on the barrel. It's not uncommon for 5.56 rifles to be marked ".223" on the receiver. I'm not completely sure why manufacturers do this, my guess is that they want it to appear less scary by not marking it with a military caliber.

It's actually really hard to find an AR-type rifle that's chambered in .223. Almost all of them are chambered in 5.56, even most of the ones that have ".223" marked on the box and on the receiver.

 

[M1key]

I think the Ruger Mini-14 Target is .223 chambering only as per the factory manual. All other mini-14s are 5.56 Nato chambered, adding even more confusion...

M

 

[Hookeye]

FWIW some Mini 14 and Colt AR were in .222 Rem.