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Risk of shooting factory 5.56 ammo in a .223 chamber?

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I believe the risk is a catastrophic Kaboom due to the big over pressure as a result of the load spec for 5.56
 
My Mini-14 will shoot both .223 and 5.56x45.

My Remington 700 states .223 ONLY on the receiver.

Refer to the firearms manual or call the manufacturer.
 
Risk of shooting factory 5.56 ammo in a .223 chamber?

Everyone knows it will result in not just a pressure spike but something along these lines:
Ammo%20Storage.png

This comes up for discussion every now and then and actually the answer is what you choose to believe. I read it on the Internet and everyone knows they can't put it on the Internet unless it is true.

First we have this.

Then we have this.

My own bolt gun is a Remington 700 series rifle I built up in .223 Remington including a .223 Remington chambered barrel and I know it is a .223 Remington chamber because I cut it that way. I have shot countless .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO ammunition in this rifle and never a problem or more important high pressure sign. I tend to agree more with the first link I posted.

If there is concern read the manual for your specific rifle and or call the rifle's manufacturer and follow whatever you feel to be prudent for your application. There are likely a dozen threads on the subject, here is one such example. 5.56 ammo safe in Savage Axis .223 ? I guess if I really wanted to know I would call Savage and then make up my own mind.

Just My Take....
Ron
 
worldtraveler119 said:
5.56 is higher pressure than .223. everything I've read says not to fire 5.56 in a barrel stamped .223
Click to expand...
The designed pressure is not higher, the chamber measurements are not the same. The .223 Remington chamber has a shorter throat, this means ammunition designed to develop 55,000 psi in a long throat may develop higher pressure due to reduced bullet "jump".
 
I have heard, and read, that Nato ammo is loaded to higher pressures. Compounding this, Nato chambers are cut differently than 223 chambers. In the nato chamber there is a bit of space from the end of the case to the point where the bullet actually bites into the rifling. (Or the other way around!) This lowers pressures a bit, which ALLOWS the Nato ammo to be loaded to higher pressures. When you shoot Nato in a 223 chamber, that freebore is absent, and pressures can spike.

Or so they say. Can't always believe what you read and hear, but that explanation seems to make sense.
 
In theory, you're not supposed to put 5.56 ammo in a .223 chamber.

In practice I would follow that rule in autoloaders that are .223 only (which is rare), but I wouldn't worry much in a bolt gun in good condition. Most of the actions are fine up to 62K psi or higher. If you got pressure signs I'd be concerned.
 
Check with the manufacturer. Many modern guns labeled .223 have 5.56 compatible chamber and throat dimensions or can handle the pressure.

Mike
 
Internet timidity notwithstanding, I would not mind shooting First World peacetime 5.56 in a .223 labeled rifle. Assuming I did not mind squandering barrel life with cheap ammo that is probably not accurate enough to interest me. But I do mind, so I don't shoot it.

On the other hand there is some imported ammo that I would only shoot if the zombies were getting close.
 
Before the internet the 2 were used interchangeably. Yes, the 5.56 if loaded to its full potential is somewhat hotter than 223. But no more so than any other ammo cartridges. You'll see a much wider range of pressures in 30-06 than you will between 223 and 5.56. We could easily break down 30-06 loadings into 3-4 different classes but we don't.
 
I wouldn't do it.

At "best" you might get blown primers. and or very sticky extraction.

At worst, you might get a blown case.

Which IMI specifically ? I ask because Federal ammo co. sells the Independence brand 55gr FMJ that is manufactured in Israel.... UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES would I fire that in a .223 chamber....some batches blow primers even in 5.56 chambers !

There are dozens of different chamber reamers for .223 and for 5.56... the biggest difference is the throat length / freebore / leade.

See the first "chart"...NOTE, the huge difference in freebore between all of them.

http://www.radomski.us/njhp/cart_tech.htm

So unless you know exactly what you have.... don't do it.


I will also add .... the leade / throat length / freebore is a huge variable in chamber pressures.... Weatherby Brand Rifles all have massive throats to help mitigate chamber pressures.

Weatherby Freebore chart...

Cartridge Throat length ......(free bore inches)
.224 Weatherby Magnum ...... .162
.240 Weatherby Magnum ...... .169
.257 Weatherby Magnum ...... .378
.270 Weatherby Magnum ...... .378
7MM Weatherby Magnum ...... .378
.300 Weatherby Magnum ...... .361
.340 Weatherby Magnum ...... .373
.375 Weatherby Magnum ...... .373
.378 Weatherby Magnum ...... .756
.416 Weatherby Magnum ...... .239
.460 Weatherby Magnum ...... .756
.30-378 Weatherby Magnum .. .361
.338-378 Weatherby Magnum.. .361


IMHO... the potential for problems outweigh's the benefits.

Men smarter then me answered this long ago.... the SAAMI warning is still valid.

Someone else mentioned phoning the manufacturer.... that is an excellent idea.

A few minutes asking could save a lot of grief.
 
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I've never heard of a gun being mechanically damaged or destroyed from firing 5.56 in a .223 chamber on a modern firearm. Modern firearms are designed with more than enough strength to handle it, in no small part because firearms manufacturers know someone may do this and adding the little extra strength is almost an afterthought. It's not worth the potential for lawsuits or additional warranty work just because they couldn't be bothered to add the almost-unmeasurable amount of metal needed to make it safe.

That said, that does NOT mean it's good for your gun. The primary problem from shooting 5.56 in a .223 gun is throat erosion, as the 5.56 round is designed for a longer lead. It can start to wear down the early rifling in a .223 barrel, reducing its accuracy when shooting .223 as opposed to 5.56. So you'll be adding wear and tear to your barrel by doing it. In gas-operated guns, it also has a different pressure curve which can increase the pressure on the gun's piston or operating rod. Again, though, this is largely a non-factor. The primary problem you will encounter is that a steady diet of 5.56 will damage your accuracy when shooting .223.
 
An interesting study into the effects of 5.56 fired through a .223 chamber, pretty well covered.

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/5-56-vs-223/

".223 Remington ammunition is pressure tested in what is called a “SAAMI Minimum Spec” chamber – that is, a “worst case scenario” chamber in this regard, made to the smallest dimensions, which would result in the highest pressures with any given ammunition. In reality, the likelihood of encountering such a chamber outside a testing lab is incredibly small. Many .223 Remington chambers will see maximum chamber pressures which are several thousand pounds per square inch (PSI) lower than those seen in SAAMI test barrels."

"Summary: Velocities and pressures for 5.56 ammunition in a .223 barrel were not significantly higher than the same ammunition in a 5.56 barrel; in fact, they were in between the two 5.56 barrels. This doesn’t mean that your barrel will have the same results, and you should always be aware of pressure signs when holding metal objects containing 50-60,000psi of pressure only a few inches away from your face."
 
I believe the risk is a catastrophic Kaboom due to the big over pressure as a result of the load spec for 5.56
Click to expand...
That is not only wrong, it is a load of crap...right up there with 'global warming'. Use your brain fella's. 26g of rifle powder pushing a measly .22 caliber lightweight bullet down a rifle bore is going to blow up a chamber with walls as thick as they are in a rem 700 action. That is just ignorant to even think that no matter who tells you. The same crap is repeated with 7.62 51 and .308.
 
If you have ever shot 5.56 in your 223 or 223 in your 5.56 please mark the rifle as unsafe with a red rubber-band around the barrel.
Then you can ship it to me COD for safe disposal///
Shipping information will be since by PM
 
I never knew there was a difference during my first 15 years of multiple .223 rifle ownership. I must have put thousands of rounds of 5.56 through various .223 rifles and never had a single ammo related malfunction..... Not saying you should do it, but neither myself or anyone I know has ever had an issue.
 
Jackal said:
I never knew there was a difference during my first 15 years of multiple .223 rifle ownership. I must have put thousands of rounds of 5.56 through various .223 rifles and never had a single ammo related malfunction..... Not saying you should do it, but neither myself or anyone I know has ever had an issue.
Click to expand...
Same here . Put a few thousand rounds of surplus LC 5.56 down the tube of a .223 bolt action M77. Never had an issue. Figured the hype was bogus gun nanny wining.
 
What adds to the confusion that some barrels marked .223 Remington are chambered to 5.56 NATO specification to comply with laws that allow only civilian caliber firearms.

You really have to query the manufacturer and have your make, model, serial number (for production run ID) at hand.

I would not shoot 5.56 ammo with a bullet weight over 55 grains in a rifle marked .223 Remington unless I knew for sure it was chambered for bullets heavier than 55gr.
 
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