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Posted: 4/4/2014 7:11:17 AM EDT
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I understand the difference between 5.56 & .223 with regards to the 5.56mm rounds actually being just a tad different and that a barrel marked for 5.56 can use either, but a barrel marked .223 should not technically be using 5.56.
My question is with regards to the ammunition itself... When shopping for ammunition it seems to me that manufacturers often use the terms .223 and 5.56mm almost interchangeably. How does one tell if you're getting the slightly lower powered, slightly different .223 or the slightly higher pressure 5.56? If all 5.56 specifically required to state "5.56" on the box instead of .223 or is there such a thing as stuff thats labelled ".223" but is really 5.56? I apologize if that sounds confusing. Most of my ammunition is Federal LC 5.56 so I know thats all 5.56 but what about some like "Wolf Gold" or many of the others that say .223 on the box? For example, shopping at Widener's, it says that "Wolf Gold" is loaded to M193 pressures. Does that mean its really 5.56? If so, I thought the brass for 5.56 was actually just slightly different shape or dimension? I apologize in advance if this post should really be in the "Ammo" section. It seemed that this could fall under "AR Basics" or "Ammo" so mods, please feel free to move it if you feel it better placed there. |
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Quoted:
Always buy 5.56 chambers and shoot either one. GTG!! It has to do with over all length of loaded round I believe. and pressure..... 5.56 seems to have higher pressure ratings that .223; although there are some high power .223 rounds that can top some of the cheap 5.56 stuff. http://thearmsguide.com/645/is-there-a-difference-between-223-and-5-56/ |
| Ammunition purchased from a reputable dealer/manufacturer should be properly marked letting you know what you are getting. 5.56 in most instances will create a higher chamber pressure due to the load. If it says it is "loaded to M193 pressures" I would interpret that to be loaded to a higher spec. which would most likely mean on line with a 5.56 load. Having said that it depends because some manufacturers load their ammo to different specs so I would go by what the particular ammo you are shooting/purchasing is labeled with. Just ensure you are shooting the proper ammo for the rifle(s) you have and you should be good to go. I hope this helps. |
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Quoted:
Ammunition purchased from a reputable dealer/manufacturer should be properly marked letting you know what you are getting. 5.56 in most instances will create a higher chamber pressure due to the load. If it says it is "loaded to M193 pressures" I would interpret that to be loaded to a higher spec. which would most likely mean on line with a 5.56 load. Having said that it depends because some manufacturers load their ammo to different specs so I would go by what the particular ammo you are shooting/purchasing is labeled with. Just ensure you are shooting the proper ammo for the rifle(s) you have and you should be good to go. I hope this helps. Thanks. This answer is the most online with the question I was attempting to ask. I understand the difference between 5.56 and .223 with regards to what my rifle should eat and why. The "Ammo purchase" part of the equation is a bit confusing though because I see some ammo plainly labelled as 5.56 XM193 which is obvious. But others are labelled as .223, like the aforementioned Wolf Gold, and sometimes described as being loaded to M193 pressures which makes me wonder if it is or isn't the same as 5.56. In addition, the info about the Wolf Gold being loaded to M193 pressures I just stumbled on at the Widener's site...if I hadn't seen it there I wouldn't have even known. The Wolf Gold seemed like a good deal but I wasn't interested in .223, I wanted 5.56. However if its .223 loaded to M193 pressures that maybe its the same thing. Very confusing. |
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Quoted:
Thanks. This answer is the most online with the question I was attempting to ask. I understand the difference between 5.56 and .223 with regards to what my rifle should eat and why. The "Ammo purchase" part of the equation is a bit confusing though because I see some ammo plainly labelled as 5.56 XM193 which is obvious. But others are labelled as .223, like the aforementioned Wolf Gold, and sometimes described as being loaded to M193 pressures which makes me wonder if it is or isn't the same as 5.56. In addition, the info about the Wolf Gold being loaded to M193 pressures I just stumbled on at the Widener's site...if I hadn't seen it there I wouldn't have even known. The Wolf Gold seemed like a good deal but I wasn't interested in .223, I wanted 5.56. However if its .223 loaded to M193 pressures that maybe its the same thing. Very confusing. Quoted:
Quoted:
Ammunition purchased from a reputable dealer/manufacturer should be properly marked letting you know what you are getting. 5.56 in most instances will create a higher chamber pressure due to the load. If it says it is "loaded to M193 pressures" I would interpret that to be loaded to a higher spec. which would most likely mean on line with a 5.56 load. Having said that it depends because some manufacturers load their ammo to different specs so I would go by what the particular ammo you are shooting/purchasing is labeled with. Just ensure you are shooting the proper ammo for the rifle(s) you have and you should be good to go. I hope this helps. Thanks. This answer is the most online with the question I was attempting to ask. I understand the difference between 5.56 and .223 with regards to what my rifle should eat and why. The "Ammo purchase" part of the equation is a bit confusing though because I see some ammo plainly labelled as 5.56 XM193 which is obvious. But others are labelled as .223, like the aforementioned Wolf Gold, and sometimes described as being loaded to M193 pressures which makes me wonder if it is or isn't the same as 5.56. In addition, the info about the Wolf Gold being loaded to M193 pressures I just stumbled on at the Widener's site...if I hadn't seen it there I wouldn't have even known. The Wolf Gold seemed like a good deal but I wasn't interested in .223, I wanted 5.56. However if its .223 loaded to M193 pressures that maybe its the same thing. Very confusing. I read the same thing about Wolf Gold, and have several boxes of it as well. I just ordered some Federal XM193 for comparisons sake. |
| To help you out OP there is a good article written on luckygunner.com in their ammo labs that lays out the particulars between 5.56 and .223 pretty well. They delve into the 5.56 chambers being slightly larger in critical areas as opposed to .223 chambers thus resulting in a lower chamber pressure. I'm no expert and all of this is my opinion(s) based on what I've read and experienced. FYI I have no connection to the above mentioned website I have just found their ammo article to be very informative. |
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Quoted:
Thanks. This answer is the most online with the question I was attempting to ask. I understand the difference between 5.56 and .223 with regards to what my rifle should eat and why. The "Ammo purchase" part of the equation is a bit confusing though because I see some ammo plainly labelled as 5.56 XM193 which is obvious. But others are labelled as .223, like the aforementioned Wolf Gold, and sometimes described as being loaded to M193 pressures which makes me wonder if it is or isn't the same as 5.56. In addition, the info about the Wolf Gold being loaded to M193 pressures I just stumbled on at the Widener's site...if I hadn't seen it there I wouldn't have even known. The Wolf Gold seemed like a good deal but I wasn't interested in .223, I wanted 5.56. However if its .223 loaded to M193 pressures that maybe its the same thing. Very confusing. Quoted:
Quoted:
Ammunition purchased from a reputable dealer/manufacturer should be properly marked letting you know what you are getting. 5.56 in most instances will create a higher chamber pressure due to the load. If it says it is "loaded to M193 pressures" I would interpret that to be loaded to a higher spec. which would most likely mean on line with a 5.56 load. Having said that it depends because some manufacturers load their ammo to different specs so I would go by what the particular ammo you are shooting/purchasing is labeled with. Just ensure you are shooting the proper ammo for the rifle(s) you have and you should be good to go. I hope this helps. Thanks. This answer is the most online with the question I was attempting to ask. I understand the difference between 5.56 and .223 with regards to what my rifle should eat and why. The "Ammo purchase" part of the equation is a bit confusing though because I see some ammo plainly labelled as 5.56 XM193 which is obvious. But others are labelled as .223, like the aforementioned Wolf Gold, and sometimes described as being loaded to M193 pressures which makes me wonder if it is or isn't the same as 5.56. In addition, the info about the Wolf Gold being loaded to M193 pressures I just stumbled on at the Widener's site...if I hadn't seen it there I wouldn't have even known. The Wolf Gold seemed like a good deal but I wasn't interested in .223, I wanted 5.56. However if its .223 loaded to M193 pressures that maybe its the same thing. Very confusing. For what its worth I have shot quite a bit of Wolf Gold and my AR loves it! Reliable feeding and great groups. |
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Quoted: Isn't the 5.56 brass a little thicker at the web? Or is there no differences? |
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Some may have a more sensitive touch than I do, but I can't tell a difference in recoil between 55 gr FMJ ammo - whether it's 5.56 Ball M193, Walmart red box Federal .223, or PMC Bronze .223. The point of impact is the exact same for all three out to 320 yards in my 16" Colt AR carbine. The Walmart Federal .223 is labeled 3250 feet per second - that's right up there in velocity for manufacturers data (probably a 20' test barrel). Good brass ammo does feed better. But there are so many manufacturers putting out so much varied product in cartridge case capacities, powders, and bullets, that I'm of a mind these days the caliber numbers are pretty much alphabet soup.
Snug15 |
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Quoted:
and pressure..... 5.56 seems to have higher pressure ratings that .223; although there are some high power .223 rounds that can top some of the cheap 5.56 stuff. http://thearmsguide.com/645/is-there-a-difference-between-223-and-5-56/ Quoted:
Quoted:
Always buy 5.56 chambers and shoot either one. GTG!! It has to do with over all length of loaded round I believe. and pressure..... 5.56 seems to have higher pressure ratings that .223; although there are some high power .223 rounds that can top some of the cheap 5.56 stuff. http://thearmsguide.com/645/is-there-a-difference-between-223-and-5-56/ Yup....to both posts. |
Just as a heads-up.....
When you have a question like this, go to the AR-15 Ammunition Forum. http://www.ar15.com/forums/f_3/16_Ammunition.html Then go to the Ammo FAQ Forum. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_16/503947_AR15_Ammo_Forum_FAQ.html Click on the second tab labeled the "Ammo Oracle". http://www.ar15.com/ammo/ It has great information about all of this stuff. |
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Quoted:
Just as a heads-up.....
When you have a question like this, go to the AR-15 Ammunition Forum. http://www.ar15.com/forums/f_3/16_Ammunition.html Then go to the Ammo FAQ Forum. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_16/503947_AR15_Ammo_Forum_FAQ.html Click on the second tab labeled the "Ammo Oracle". http://www.ar15.com/ammo/ It has great information about all of this stuff. Great answer for the OP! 
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