If you keep your eye open at Walmarts, about every three months, they’ll get a 30 CAL ammo can of Olin Federal (Lake City XM855s) .....
420 rounds on strippers, was $175 now $199. I got two cans over a 4 month period.
As I always caution myself, .233 is not 5.56 mm, especially vice versa.
http://www.thegunzone.com/556v223.html
I think the jam has been kicked loose. Whether it was caused by mass buying/hoarding, or “scalping” (buying out retailers, then reselling at higher prices to those who didn’t get to the retailers quickly enough), or DHS buying up all the .22LR (even my fevered brain cannot credit that one), local stores from Cabela’s to the Pop* shop up the street seem to have examples of everything. Some quantity limits still apply.
*No evidence of Mom being involved :)
Back in late July the wife picked up 1,000 rds of .223 for me at Cabela's in Northern Wisconsin for $399. Picked up another 1,000 of 9mm for around $275 (I think......) so am pretty well supplied.
The good news is: Ammo's finally becoming readily available back in the market, and that's the good news. (Prices aside.)
Be aware: .223cal fires at 40,000psi, while 5.56mm fires at 70,000psi internal pressures.
You can fire .223 from a 5.56 rifle, but should not fire 5.56mm from a .223 rifle. Different internal pressures and fps, too.
A lot of stores mix-up the ammo to unwary customers. I have and do work PT for an FFL.
Check the rifle and see what you have. It’s not the same ammo.
Mine are all 5.56, especially the Class III units.
I always assumed AR-15 owners knew that, but I saw a few at the range while firing my Beowulf .50cal last Thursday, loading 5.56 into a .223, and had to stop and warn them.
Sorry, don’t mean to offend anyone.
http://www.ar15armory.com/forums/topic/22582-556-vs-223-ammunition-and-chamber-dimensions/
&
http://cheaperthandirt.com/blog/?p=27893
Price was $700 a few days ago. Good news is that some ammo is hitting the shelves, but at high prices. Blazer 9mm at $17 a box is robbery. My local Walmart has only .40 S&W and 2 boxes of .38 Special. I’m still in shock that I can play a round of golf plus lunch for less than I/2 hour at the range.
Interesting side note, the bastids at Cheaper Than Dirt come in at 40 cents/rd. Think they miss seeing their old customer base?
I just bought 1000 rounds of Lake City (Federal) XM855 62gr 5.56 NATO green tip penetrator rounds for $460.00 with coupon and shipping. This is current 2013 US Military issue. If they are out of stock... you may be able to backorder or have them notify you when available. The notified me and I ordered it right away... had it three days later.
LLS
Sorry...
www.sportsmansguide.com
$.50 plus for mil spec ammo is still too much. If we let the sellers of ammo hold on to it long enough, they will find it will sell nicely at the old $.35 or so per round and not sit around. It’s obvious there is plenty of .223 and 5.56 nato around now but the retailers like CTD and Natchez are hoping to capitalize on the remnants of the hording epidemic.
I say “let them try and make sandwiches out of it.”
Here is a very well researched article on .223 vs 5.56 concerning pressure and dimensions and velocities. It will correct some misconceptions in this thread.
http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/5-56-vs-223/
He summarizes each section, here is one:
Summary: The majority of the experts I consulted over the course of my research did not feel that there was a major difference between .223 and 5.56 chambers in terms of pressure.