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Posted: 11/14/2009 5:44:36 AM EDT
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I'm new to AR rifles so please excuse my ignorance.
I am planning on buying an upper for my first build soon. I will be installing it on my Anvil Arms lower receiver. I understand the .223 and 5.56 round is nearly identical and sort of interchangable, but there can be some reliability issues using one with the other. I want to build a reliable rifle that is tailored for the .223 round. I will not be using 5.56. Can you suggest some brands that make uppers specifically for the .223 round? I am only interested in good quality parts. And finally, is the upper reciever the only part that needs to be specically for the .223? If not, could you please inform me as to the parts that also need to be matched for .223. Thanks for your help and suggestions. |
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Good morning 1999cutiger, all.
The barrel chamber is where all the technicallities are. There are minor length differences between the three popular chamberings: longest is the 5.56NATO chambering which will fire hot 5.56NATO rounds, midlength compromise by a fellow named Wylde who split the difference between the longest 5.56NATO chambering and the shortest .223Remington chambering. The Wylde chambering is becoming more popular because of supposed increase in accuracy over 5.56NATO yet the abilty to reliably and safely chamber surplus 5.556NATO rounds and the supposed gain in accuracy comes from a slightly tighter chamber to squeeze accuracy out of the commercial .223Remington round. I keep saying "supposed" because I'm only familar with the 5.56NATO chambering. You really open up a "can of worms" with some people around here when discussing twist rates, barrel lengths, chamberings, etc. Welcome to the forum and keep your head down. |
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This is what got me concerned....from Wiki
Using commercial .223 Remington cartridges in a 5.56mm NATO chambered rifle should work reliably, but generally will not be as accurate as when fired from a .223 Remington chambered gun due to the longer leade.[12] Using 5.56mm NATO mil-spec cartridges (such as the M855) in a .223 Remington chambered rifle can lead to excessive wear and stress on the rifle and even be unsafe, and the SAAMI recommends against the practice.[13][14] Some commercial rifles marked as ".223 Remington" are in fact suited for 5.56mm NATO, such as many commercial AR-15 variants and the Ruger Mini-14, but the manufacturer should always be consulted to verify that this is acceptable before attempting it, and signs of excessive pressure (such as flattening or gas staining of the primers) should be looked for in the initial testing with 5.56mm NATO ammunition.[15] |
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Quoted:
This is what got me concerned....from Wiki Using commercial .223 Remington cartridges in a 5.56mm NATO chambered rifle should work reliably, but generally will not be as accurate as when fired from a .223 Remington chambered gun due to the longer leade.[12] Using 5.56mm NATO mil-spec cartridges (such as the M855) in a .223 Remington chambered rifle can lead to excessive wear and stress on the rifle and even be unsafe, and the SAAMI recommends against the practice.[13][14] Some commercial rifles marked as ".223 Remington" are in fact suited for 5.56mm NATO, such as many commercial AR-15 variants and the Ruger Mini-14, but the manufacturer should always be consulted to verify that this is acceptable before attempting it, and signs of excessive pressure (such as flattening or gas staining of the primers) should be looked for in the initial testing with 5.56mm NATO ammunition.[15] shooting a .223 out of a 5.56 barrel will not be any less accurate unless you're ability with long range shooting is above the above average. And if that was the case, you wouldn't be firing factory loads anyway. I would say go with a 5.56 barrel only because it gives you more options as far as ammunition. No point in limiting yourself in the ammo department, with ammo prices as they are today. I would go ahead and look into BCM, or see what other uppers they also carry. Of if you go the building route, I tend to try Rainier Arms first just because of their selection to see what I can get my hands on. |
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