How do I tell if I have a 5.56 or .223 chamber?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How do I tell if I have a 5.56 or .223 chamber?

Posted: 7/30/2002 8:11:09 PM EDT

No, not for my AR, for my .223 Russian Saiga AK!

I called EAA (the importer), and they were very helpful. NOT. The guy in the tech department offered to guess for me.

I tested the twist myself. A good 1:9.

How do I test the chamber?

Thanks!

Posted: 7/30/2002 8:15:44 PM EDT

[#1]

I would guess... .223[:\]

Posted: 7/31/2002 2:46:02 AM EDT

[#2]

cast the chamber with cerosafe. Brownells has it. Then check the ammo FAC, it gives chamber dimensions. My guess becouse its forign made its 5.56.

Posted: 7/31/2002 4:36:10 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
cast the chamber with cerosafe. Brownells has it. Then check the ammo FAC, it gives chamber dimensions. My guess becouse its forign made its 5.56.

==============================================

aaaaaaah sir !!!

just for the benefit of those who have no idea what cerosafe is, maybe you should give those who have no clue what it is & how to use it !!

i have used it several times, the first time was a near disaster, i ended up having to boil a bucket of water & dip the receiver in it to get that crap out !!!

Posted: 7/31/2002 8:00:42 AM EDT

[#4]

What about the headspace gagues that Bushmaster sells? Since .223 has less headspace than 5.56 could I use one of those to tell me?

If that's an idiotic idea, I apologize. I don't know exactly how to use those things so I'm only guessing.

The cast method appears sound, but what a mess!

Posted: 8/1/2002 2:56:12 AM EDT

[#5]

anybody know if the gagues will work?

Posted: 8/1/2002 8:25:22 PM EDT

[#6]

MRW,

that depends on what you mean by "work"...!!

i bought a "NO-GO" gage, read the instructions..., then said to hell with it..!!

in the instructions it says that some bolts will close & lock on a "NO-GO" gage......, soooooooo, tried it in a few of my used AR-15s, locks up nice & tight........,

tried it in two NIBs, locked up one, not the other..., get a "FIELD" gage, if you get a lock up one of those..., you got problems !!!!!

Posted: 8/1/2002 9:39:48 PM EDT

[#7]

It doesn't matter-if it's a Russian-made weapon, it wont blow up like an American-made POS AR. I have shot all kinds of shit through My VEPR's with no complaints. Malaysian, Guatemalan, IMI, S&B, the infamous WOLF, everything-and it works fine. Too bad I can't say the same about my AR's.

Posted: 8/1/2002 10:58:04 PM EDT

[#8]

Hard to say on that Ruskie gun, which is yet another reason to buy domestic.

AZSheram1, The rest of us shoot thousands upon thousands of rounds out of AR15's without problems. You are screwing up bad if they won't work for you. Hope you like the VEPR, not my cup of tea. Like they say, "Different strokes...."

Posted: 8/1/2002 11:38:09 PM EDT

[#9]

5.56x45 and .223 are the same cartrage....

Posted: 8/2/2002 5:49:10 AM EDT

[#10]

Ah grasshopper (a.k.a. m60308nato) I too was young and lacked knowledge and thought 5.56x45 and .223 were the same. Then I found master AR15.com and was shown the error of my ways. Check the Oracle (a.k.a. ammunition FAQ) and you shall be enlightened.

Master Po (a.k.a. Kent)

Ya Hoo!!! Post #100.

Posted: 8/2/2002 8:56:30 AM EDT

[#11]

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?id=61558

Posted: 8/2/2002 10:12:56 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
5.56x45 and .223 are the same cartrage....

Cartrige dimensions may be the same, but they are different loadings, w/ 5.56 being hotter.

5.56 and .223 CHAMBERS are NOT the same.

As for the uncertainty of the chamber size being a reason to buy domestic, I find just as much "uncertainty" with many domestic .223 rifles. In addition, no domestic .223 AK exists, and I paid $300 for my Saiga, as opposed to $800 or more for a quality AR (which I also own), so I say the above reasons to by foreign dramatically outweigh the small uncertainty of chamber size.

but I'd still like to know...

maybe I'll find a way to email Izmash...

Posted: 8/2/2002 1:22:04 PM EDT

[#13]

Cerosafe is a low temp. melting alloy 158-190 deg.F. When you order it the fine folks at Brownells will be more than happy to make shure you know how to use it.They will even send instructions for those of us with poor memories. If your casting gets stuck you either left in the chamber too long or didn't lube the chamber before casting. Follow the instructions and you shouldn't have any problems. As far as being concerned about what ammo to shoot becouse of chamber size , I wouldn't. Commie rifles will shoot anything you feed them, at least mine do.

Posted: 8/2/2002 3:44:37 PM EDT

[#14]

well why dose a 20 round colt factory mag say 5.56mm on the bottom, when its .223?

Posted: 8/2/2002 7:52:35 PM EDT

[#15]

Well, Colt made the mags for the military, and the military doesn't use .223, but uses the hotter 5.56 load and have gone to metric nomenclature, so they don't call it a .223 mag.

Posted: 8/2/2002 8:11:35 PM EDT

[#16]

ok, thought I was possably shootin the wrong ammo, even went an checked the .223 stamped on the gun, you people scare me.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How do I tell if I have a 5.56 or .223 chamber?

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