AR Sponsor
Posted: 2/19/2010 5:22:29 AM EDT
|
Sorry if this is in the wrong place but the ? is about ammo, so...I recently acquired a Rem 700, 223, 5R. Is it safe to shoot 5.56 TAP ?? Hornady specifically warns not to shoot 5.56 in a 223 chamber. Is the Hornady warning primarily for gas guns? Do I need to have a smith re-chamber my brand new 700 ??
I'm now confused. Somebody hep me !! 
|
|
Remington knows that these rounds interchange and they make sure it will handle it, their legal dept is on top of that...
You can test this by firing a round and looking at the brass. if it looks normal then no problem, just fire some more test rounds to be sure. if it blows the primer out then that is reason to not shoot any more. However, a bolt gun is about accuracy, right? the 5.56 loads are not so much. Look at some of the .223 loads with better bullets then the typical 55 fmj. |
|
5.56 ammo in a 223 chamber gun is not recommended.
The reason for this is that 5.56 is the MILITARY designation, and .223 is the CIVILIAN designation, for two rounds that are virtually identical to each other. HOWEVER, the 5.56 is load MUCH HOTTER (eta: meaning more gunpowder, faster bullet, SIGNIFICANTLY higher pressure) than the .223. So shooting the hot 5.56 in a rifle designed for .223 is not recommended; it could possibly cause some major malfunction, such as an explosion. 5.56 in a .223 gun: Not good. .223 in a 5.56 gun: Good to go. ETA2: While the external case dimensions are very similar, the .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm differ in both maximum pressure and chamber shape. The maximum and mean pressures for some varieties of the 5.56 mm (different cartridge designations have different standards) exceed the SAAMI maximums for the .223 Remington, and the methods for measuring pressures differ between NATO and SAAMI.[5] The 5.56 mm chamber specification has also changed over time since its adoption, as the current military loading (NATO SS-109 or US M855) uses longer, heavier bullets than the original loading did. This has resulted in a lengthening of the throat in the 5.56 mm chamber. Thus, while .223 Remington ammunition can be safely fired in a 5.56 mm chambered gun, firing 5.56 mm ammunition in a .223 Remington chamber may produce pressures in excess of even the 5.56 mm specifications due to the shorter throat.[6]
From THIS ARTICLE |
AR Sponsor