The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Tactical Rifle & Carbine => Topic started by: WaffenAlaskan on March 17, 2009, 02:35:43 AM
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Can you fire 5.56 an .223 cambered firearm? WaffenAlaskan
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The text book answer is no
the real world answer is maybe.
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Live by the rule that if your gun is chambered .223 you shoot only .223. However, if your gun is chambered 5.56 you can shoot either 5.56 or .223. Life by that rule and you will have no issues or warranty problems is something does go wrong.
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There is a discussion on here somewhere. Do a search on 5.56.
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Basically m58 has it correct.
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There is a discussion on here somewhere. Do a search on 5.56.
everything old is new again
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everything old is new again
That is the neat thing about the forum growing - we get to keep talking about things we enjoy ... or hate. However, I have found that more and more often I can't find the thread I was yapping on yesterday ... or even this morning ... or maybe last post ???
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m58,
If you go to your profile page there is a link to your recent posts. (I have the same problem ;) )
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That is the neat thing about the forum growing - we get to keep talking about things we enjoy ... or hate. However, I have found that more and more often I can't find the thread I was yapping on yesterday ... or even this morning ... or maybe last post ???
Operator error. :)
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m58,
If you go to your profile page there is a link to your recent posts. (I have the same problem ;) )
Go where ... what problem ... huh ???
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Go where ... what problem ... huh ???
That is the neat thing about the forum growing - we get to keep talking about things we enjoy ... or hate. However, I have found that more and more often I can't find the thread I was yapping on yesterday ... or even this morning ... or maybe last post
They say that the memory is the second thing to go. ;D (any one remember what the first thing is ??? )
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Haz, it was the mewmory first but I forget the second!
Richard (I think!)
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That is the neat thing about the forum growing - we get to keep talking about things we enjoy ... or hate. However, I have found that more and more often I can't find the thread I was yapping on yesterday ... or even this morning ... or maybe last post ???
I have discovered, through several attempts recently, to search for posts and had no luck. Sometimes the search function does not work.
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I have discovered, through several attempts recently, to search for posts and had no luck. Sometimes the search function does not work.
Yeah, but you could't find yer ass with both hands and a flashlight!
;D
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Yeah, but you could't find yer ass with both one hands and a flashlight!
;D
Fixed it....gotta have one hand to hold the flashlight. ;D
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That is the neat thing about the forum growing - we get to keep talking about things we enjoy ... or hate. However, I have found that more and more often I can't find the thread I was yapping on yesterday ... or even this morning ... or maybe last post ???
Yeah, I noticed the thread on cargo pants just will not dry up and blow away!!!!
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Yeah, I noticed the thread on cargo pants just will not dry up and blow away!!!!
Has anyone ever noticed the change in the definition of "tactical pants?" When I was young and in lust the pants with the torn out crotch were considered tactical in the right crowd, but today tactical pants means lots of pockets full of too much crap ... and of course elastic waistbands and "relaxed fit" are always appreciated :'(
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I hate to get back on topic, but, my mini 14 is stamped 223, while in the manual it sez 5.56 or 223. What is up with that?
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I hate to get back on topic, but, my mini 14 is stamped 223, while in the manual it sez 5.56 or 223. What is up with that?
If it's in the manual you must be able to shot both.
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If you bought the gun new and know that it is the correct manual, I would trust it. However, if you purchased the gun used and it is possible that somewhere along the line it is a generic manual or one from another gun I'd stick with the barrel markings. Always better safe than sorry.
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When the whole 223 vs 556 started there were lots of problems with 556 from a 223. Then someone came up with a new standard 223 chamber that did both. Can't remember the name of the chamber but it became industry standard.
As stated before there is a whole thread on this subject with all of the info I just posted but with dates, names, etc.
It COULD be in a thread about 7.62 Nato vs 308.
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I read somewhere, I think in American Rifleman, that .223 marked Mini-14s are chambered for 5.56mm. Ruger knew people would use mil-spec ammo so they made sure it would work.
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When the whole 223 vs 556 started there were lots of problems with 556 from a 223. Then someone came up with a new standard 223 chamber that did both. Can't remember the name of the chamber but it became industry standard.
As stated before there is a whole thread on this subject with all of the info I just posted but with dates, names, etc.
It COULD be in a thread about 7.62 Nato vs 308.
Could it be the Wylde chamber?
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Could it be the Wylde chamber?
I think that's it.
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The Bushmaster the kids got shoots bodofum. It's marked on the barrel....or the receiver, can't 'member...
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I have a Rock River Arms LAR-15 with a stainless 1/8 twist .223 Wylde chamber. The .223 Wylde chamber is basically a comprimise that will let you shoot .223 in a 5.56 with better accuracy. At least that is how I understand it. RRA has a brief explanation of it in their catalog, but I don't know if it is on their website. A web search for .223 Wylde will come up with many results.
Every Mini-14 manual I have looked at has stated you can use milspec 5.56 in the .223 Mini-14. The Ruger website online manuals state so also. I imagine that if there were some .223 marked Mini-14s that were not capable of safely using the 5.56 there would be big warnings about it in the online manuals. A call to Ruger with the serial number will verify if you can use 5.56. Some early Mini-14s were chambered for .222 and some current ones are chambered for 6.8.
About that remembering thing CRS comes with age Can't Remember..........oh yea Shuff.
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As I posted earlier GENERALLY (rule of thumb) If it is marked 5.56 you can shoot either, if it is marked .223 shoot ONLY .223 in it. HOWEVER, as has been mentioned there are exceptions to every rule, Ruger's marked .223 are GENERALLY OK to shoot 5.56, and the .223 Wylde is chambered to take both. There may be others that are, like Ruger, marked .223 but can fire both. DO NOT ASSUME IT. If in doubt contact the Manufacturer before firing 5.56 in any .223 chambered arm.
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On the Mini-14 thing, one reason it may use both, but is marked .223 may be because (I read somewhere, AR Magazine?) Bill Ruger originally designed the Mini-14 to try to get a gubmint contract to take over for the AR-15.
When that didn't pan out the commercial market .223 was where he went, but to save tooling he kept the 5.56 size chamber but marked them for commercial .223.
I do not know this for sure, but THINK I read it in a good source......but, I've been wrong plenty of times before. ;)
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As I posted earlier GENERALLY (rule of thumb) If it is marked 5.56 you can shoot either, if it is marked .223 shoot ONLY .223 in it. HOWEVER, as has been mentioned there are exceptions to every rule, Ruger's marked .223 are GENERALLY OK to shoot 5.56, and the .223 Wylde is chambered to take both. There may be others that are, like Ruger, marked .223 but can fire both. DO NOT ASSUME IT. If in doubt contact the Manufacturer before firing 5.56 in any .223 chambered arm.
Good synopsis. I need to scoot over to Ruger and check out my Hawkeye and see if I can shoot 5.56 in it....
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I believe 5.56 burns hotter than .223 or vica versa? Can't remember right off hand.
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The one on the left.
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Thanks Don. Had a brain fart for a moment. ;D
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I hate to get back on topic, but, my mini 14 is stamped 223, while in the manual it sez 5.56 or 223. What is up with that?
There is a long and short to this.
The long answer is it's a little tricky and has to do with the difference in pressures. The American Rifleman revisited this within the last couple of years. I'll try to find the article and either post a link or an issue date. You can ask all sorts of people and look all over the internet for armchair advice. Some advice will be dead on and some will be dangerous. Some guns shoot either and some don't. While some people have shot 5.56 in their 223 barreled guns with no ill effects, that may not be the case for everyone. Some people have gone over Niagara Falls or the Golden Gate Bridge and lived, but I know better.
The short answer is to take 5 minutes and call the manufacturer. I have 2 guns that are stamped 223. A Mini 14 and a Colt Sporter Lightweight. I called both manufacturers to make sure and I can fire 5.56 in them.
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There is a long and short to this.
The long answer is it's a little tricky and has to do with the difference in pressures. The American Rifleman revisited this within the last couple of years. I'll try to find the article and either post a link or an issue date. You can ask all sorts of people and look all over the internet for armchair advice. Some advice will be dead on and some will be dangerous. Some guns shoot either and some don't. While some people have shot 5.56 in their 223 barreled guns with no ill effects, that may not be the case for everyone. Some people have gone over Niagara Falls or the Golden Gate Bridge and lived, but I know better.
The short answer is to take 5 minutes and call the manufacturer. I have 2 guns that are stamped 223. A Mini 14 and a Colt Sporter Lightweight. I called both manufacturers to make sure and I can fire 5.56 in them.
Good advice.
Especially since Ruger has four different manuals for the Mini-14 depending on serial # and date of manufacture.
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/PS-InstructionManuals-RI.html
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Just got off the phone with Ruger...yes the Mini 14 shoots both 223 and 5.56.
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Just got off the phone with Ruger...yes the Mini 14 shoots both 223 and 5.56.
Yep, I should have posted that was the answer that I got from them. Same for the Colt Sporters.
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Calling the manufacturer is the best advice I've seen on here. I have done that for history information on a couple of used guns I purchased, and I just did it with DPMS on questions due to a dealer issue. In every case I gave them the serial number and they could tell me everything I wanted to know and more about the gun.
Thanks for that advice!
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Especially when it comes to anything that may be a safety issue, always ask the manufacturer. We don't want any of our friends & family losing body parts.
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Especially when it comes to anything that may be a safety issue, always ask the manufacturer. We don't want any of our friends & family losing body parts.
AMEN, Brother.....AMEN. ;)
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Heard in the last couple of days that the newer Ruger Mini-14 Target rifle is .223 only, but have not been able to confirm or dismiss that statement. Could not find anything on the Ruger website in regards to aMINI-14 Targert rifle manual.