Know The Difference Between 5.56 and 223 ammo

Before choosing between an AR-15 chambered in the well-liked 5.56 or.223 Remington caliber; if you plan to acquire your first one, consider the distinctions between the two before making your choice.

 

The distinction between a.223 and a 5.56 chamber always seems to cause a lot of misunderstanding. It doesn’t necessarily follow that a gun can handle any type of ammunition equally because it has 223/5.56 ammo written on the barrel.

 

The 223 Remington’s Past

 

First of all, it’s always vital to understand where a cartridge began, and like most cartridges, the 223 Rem has a parent cartridge from which the design was derived and changed. The 222 Remington, the 223 Remington’s parent round, is fairly similar; both rounds use.22 caliber bullets, but the 223 Remington performs better than its parent.

 

The Difference In Pressure Of 5.56 Vs. 223

 

One of the two main differences is that the 5.56 NATO has a higher pressure than the 223 round.

 

The 223-round pressure is roughly 55,000 psi, and the 5.56 NATO pressure is about 58,000 psi.

 

On the surface, that doesn’t seem like much—just 3,000 psi—but the case variation in the chamber causes it to increase to 10,000 psi. The shooter and the gun equipment may be at risk if this leads to barrel ruptures.

 

Case Difference: 5.56 vs. 223

 

The longer throat on the casing of the 5.56 cartridge distinguishes it from the.223 round.

 

The throat of the 5.56 NATO is.125′′ longer. This enables loading an added grain of powder into the cartridge and contributes to the renowned performance of the 5.56 NATO.

 

Can I Use My 223-Chambered Rifle To Shoot 5.56?

 

You must not.

 

The pressure is problematic when using a 5.56 round in a rifle with a.223 chambers. Yes, the round will bang, and you might not notice any problems with a single round.

 

However, the NATO chamber’s longer throat allows for pressures of 65,000 psi or more.

 

A 10,000 psi rise in pressure is unsafe and might harm the gun and the shooter because a.223 round’s typical pressure is 55,000 psi.

 

Can I Use My 5.56 Nato Rifle To Fire 223 Remington Rounds?

 

How about the opposite? Using a 5.56 rifle and a 223 Remington cartridge.

 

The opposite is completely safe whenever it comes to the pressures used to fire the round. However, just because something will work doesn’t guarantee it will perform to its fullest potential.

 

Always match your ammunition to the appropriate chamber. The optimal 55,000 psi won’t be attained, and acceleration, thermal ballistics, and performance will all suffer when you fire a.223 cartridge into a 5.56 NATO chamber.

 

Although you might not see it, its performance has declined. It becomes more apparent when you start using shorter barrels and shorter gas systems and may even prevent the rifle from cycling properly.

 

Ballistic Variations

 

When compared to the .223 Remington, the 5.56 NATO performs better, especially at longer ranges, thanks to the heavier and faster bullets.

 

When fired from guns with the same barrel length under the same climatic circumstances, the 5.56 NATO will cover a greater distance than the.223 Remington.

 

Additionally, the NATO specification has a higher chamber pressure rating.

 

The same is true for testing processes.

 

NATO employs test barrels for 5.56mm rounds to gauge chamber pressure at the case mouth rather than the SAAMI site.

 

A variation in pressure measurement may be due to this difference in the measurement site.

 

 

 

 

Price of 5.56 versus.223

 

Both 5.56 and.223 are almost equally expensive. It largely comes down to which is in stock. Currently, it appears to be simpler to locate 5.56 ammunition in stock than.223 Remington. Use any ammo you can find, whether it is.223 or 5.56 if you use a 5.56 rifle.

 

Should I Purchase A 5.56 Or.223 Remington Rifle?

 

You’ll hear from many individuals that you should purchase a 5.56 rifle because you can safely fire either a 5.56 or 223 Remington. It’s wise to pick a 5.56 caliber over a.223 chambers when ammunition is as expensive and difficult to come by as it is now.

 

Final Reflections

 

Make sure to consult your owner’s handbook or contact the manufacturer if you have any questions regarding the safe ammunition to use in your rifle.

 

Even though 5.56 NATO and.223 Remington are most frequently linked with AR platforms, several different bolt-action and semi-auto rifles are available in this caliber. It is your duty to constantly be aware of the appropriate and safe ammunition to utilize in your firearm.