FC Posted July 9, 2018 Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 What do you think? http://humanevents.com/2011/02/15/223-remington-vs-556-nato-what-you-dont-know-could-hurt-you/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted July 9, 2018 Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 This has been going around a long time. As long as the 556 spec came out, or shortly thereafter. I have never heard of anyone hurting themselves shooting 556 ammo in a 223 chamber. I've shot a buttload of military ammo in rifles like my Colt SP1 that specifically says 223 on it. I also somehow doubt that Colt had separate reamers for their military and civilian rifles. Anyway, I just don't worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 I have a vague recollection of reading in a gun rag years ago. Ol Man Ruger was asked the 223/556 question in his then new Mini-14. Can't recall his exact remarks but it was something along the lines of bah hum bug shoot all you like of both then show me the difference. He then bragged about how many thousands of each they tested in the Mini with zero problems. My opinion, it's propaganda from ammo manufactures meant to discourage shooters from buying and shooting lower priced surplus ammo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken98k Posted September 9, 2018 Report Share Posted September 9, 2018 Has something to do with the thickness of the brass. All my ar builds get 5.56 chambers. thats the safe way to go according to DPMS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted September 10, 2018 Report Share Posted September 10, 2018 Going back to post WW2 there was BS spread about surplus ammo FMJ bullets causing premature wear on civilian barrels. IMHO the 223/556 and 308/762 difference is just propaganda to discourage shooters from using low cost surplus ammo. Starting back in the early 70's reloading 223/556. The only thing significant between the two I noticed was once fired commercial brass needed trimming more often. Rarely if ever do I recall trimming once fired mil-surp brass. Guess the difference might be significant if loading max, bench resting trying for tiny clusters or long range varmint shooting. One might need to be consistent using the same type of brass. I just can't see it being dangerous mixing both types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted September 10, 2018 Report Share Posted September 10, 2018 I loaded up a bunch of ammo in the 80's. Back then, there was no "difference" proclaimed between 223 and 556. I must have had >1K rounds loaded. It was all mixed brass, commercial and military with the crimps removed, cheapest 55gr spitzers I could get, like 3 cents each at the time, and all run through my Dillon RL550B with mid 1970's vintage RCBS 223 dies. In the mid 90's, I would shoot it from a 14" Contender. It would shoot about 1" groups at 100 off the bench. I could hit things you couldn't see at 100 yards. Pull up the 9x Burris extended eye relief and "Oh, yeah, there's the target." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 Years ago friend's son showed up on a Javalina hunt with a 223 Contendor. Using the factory irons the young guy was deadly with it. Ha never got a pig but did show up with two jack rabbits he claimed to have shot them on the run. Out of 8 of us only one pig shot with my Hi Standard 22 mag revolver I loaned to my neighbor's son. He wasn't even licensed but nailed after dad missed it with a Dan Wesson 357. Another hunter on the HAM (handgun, archery, muzzle loader) hunt. Had a Remington 221 Fireball, a strange bolt action target pistol. Best I recall the cartridge looked like a shortened 223. It didn't have anywhere near the almost flame thrower muzzle blast of the 223 Contendor but both shooters did some impressive long rang shots. I'll always remember that hunt about 1988, 30-40 miles north of border. Guy from another camp stopped by to show us an Indian grind stone and what he claimed was a meteorite he found. While hunting Javalina everybody noticed the large numbers of Quail, there were hundreds. Went back there few months later during Quail season, hardly saw any and didn't bring any home. The area is now a hot spot for drug and human trafficking, hunting and camping is discouraged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 Yeah, the flames out that 14" barrel are quite impressive. At a range, during a cease fire, people would set up next to me. The line would go hot and I'd touch off one. They'd pack up and move to the other side of the range. With a wood grip and iron sites, after 10 or 20 rounds, your hand would know you've been at it. With the big Burris scope and some Pachmayr grips, it isn't bad. I mean, literally, the 1" orange sticker dots? That's what I used for a 100 yard target with that thing. Golf balls would be no challenge at 100. That Remington was an XP100. Interesting "handgun." I forget which Remington rifle it is based on, 740 or 780 or something like that. You can customize it to any rifle cartridge. Even read a magazine article once on a guy that was determined to make "the most powerful handgun in the world." He took an XP100 and made a wildcat cartridge based on a shortened 50BMG round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted September 11, 2018 Report Share Posted September 11, 2018 Whoa!!! Handgun with a 50 BMG wildcat. Guy must have a vivid imagination, be half nuts or both. Build it maybe for 15 minutes of fame but shooting it would take a special kind of stupid or the skills of a Vegas magician. Guess anything is possible with enough determination. Article I read years ago in Gun Digest. Two guys necked 460 Weatherby down to 22. Can't remember the number but less than ten shots later. There was enough throat erosion that they had trouble getting it on paper. If im not mistaken I believe the Remmy pistol was based on the 788 rifle action. The 788 rifle was Remington's low end. The 788's 44 Mag and 30/30 action are favored by builders making cast bullet shooters building 444 Marlin, 45/70 and even 45 Colt conversions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FC Posted January 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2019 https://prepforthat.com/5-56-vs-223-ammo-in-ar-15/ Here's another claim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manureman Posted January 29, 2019 Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 I wouldn’t fault anyone for trying to stay on the safe side , but for me I’ve loaded and shot thousands of rounds of both mixed and a lot of them pushing max and I’ve never had a problem and don’t believe I will. Really the last guy pegged my BS meter if your gun won’t handle (highly explosive)LMAO 5.56 you better not be shooting it with 223 cause it’s junk and your fixing to get hurt regardless Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken98k Posted January 29, 2019 Report Share Posted January 29, 2019 here's the fix. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.223_Wylde_chamber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donmarkey Posted February 8, 2019 Report Share Posted February 8, 2019 On 1/29/2019 at 5:19 AM, ken98k said: here's the fix. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.223_Wylde_chamber I was going to ask you about that when you stated all yours are 5.56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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