Posted on 11/07/2020 3:59:24 PM PST by jagusafr
Mine - she finally wants to take the handgun course so we’ll pick one out for her. She’s shot the LCP (didn’t like it).
If you have time to find one and the $$ for it ($2400 or so), the Barrett REC7 / REC10 are good options. Awesome machines.
Otherwise, there’s tons of other suggestions already in here :p
Armslist has just gone pay-per, at least in my area.
The memberships for private individuals aren’t outrageous, $6.00/month for credit-card memberships, $4.00 per month memberships by way of pay-pal & other ACH accounts.
Spose it had to happen but it’s a bummer after all these years.
I was watching the Ruger Mini-14s over the last year. Didn’t really need one, but...what the heck. Went from the low $800s to now in the $1100-1200 range.
Oh well.
Where can I find a bayonet for 25 bucks? Having a pointy edge on the rifle ought to help.
Nice! I’m considering such a set up in 357 magnum since I’ve covered all the other bases.
I understand and wasn’t trying to put anybody down.
It’s a bit late to be in a hurry to get an AR Rig. I was putting things together based on comment of dirt/debris. AR’s tend to dislike such things, AK’s could care less about cleanliness and might be easier to locate both Hardware and Ammo.
Saw a couple on ebay last week, looked again just now, best I saw were a couple with bidding at around $30.
The inference in your question is correct, most were 2-3 that.
My bad!
The other figures are accurate; for the upper, lower, mags, sight and ammo as of 2-3 weeks ago.
Now, who knows?
Your choices are now extremely limited. Buy what you can.
If you are wedded to an AR platform, get a stripped lower receiver with serial number, buy an upper, lower parts kit, stock, optics, then hope to be on back order for ammo. I just purchased a few more large capacity AR magazines, but lots of places are sold out.
Actually there is a difference, but in most newer AR platform rifles, they can shoot either round safely. If you really want to know the difference look up the history of the .223 Wylde.
“....223 Wylde rifle has identical chamber angling as a 5.56×45 rifle but also brings a .2240 freebore diameter. Freebore is the space between a rifle's chamber and the rifling in the barrel. Tighter freebore size in a 223 Wylde rifle allows you to shoot .223 ammo with relatively strong accuracy from it than a 5.56×45 rifle......”
While your assessment is correct, one would be hard pressed to find an AR with a true 223 rem chamber, the industry has moved away from that dilemma about 15 years back, with exceptions.
Either a 556 NATO chamber or a 223 Wylde most likely.
Firing 556 NATO spec ammo in a 223 rem chamber can produce excess chamber pressure.
Is 5.56 the same as 223?
These two bullets have raised controversy in many areas. Some shooters claim the bullets are interchangeable while another group disputes these claims. The truth is that although they are almost similar, slight differences in the make of the 223 allow it to perform differently from the 5.56. It is important that you note the 5.56 is a military grade ammo while the 223 is civilian issued sporting ammo.
What’s the Difference Between 223 and 5.56 Ammo?
The first difference that is evident on the two bullets are the inscriptions on the bullets’ casing. The 5.56 only has a date and an additional symbol. The casing on the 223 has 223 Remington inscribed on the base. The military grade 5.56 base also has a crimp around the primer pocket unlike the 223.
5.56 vs 223
The 5.56 has a higher pressure measuring at 58,000 psi as compared to the 233’s 55,000 psi. Going by SAAMI standards, the lower pressure 223 can be used in the 5.56 chamber, but the 5.56 cannot be used in the lower pressured chamber for the 223 Remington.
The 5.56 also has a longer throat with a difference of .125 inches in length when compared with that of the 223 Remington bullet. The longer throat allows more holding capacity for gun powder in the 5.56, thus implying that it has a higher performance as compared to the 223 Remington.
The 223 bullet has dimensions that seal the contents tighter as compared to the 5.56 bullet. This compensates for the pressure difference in the two when fired from the same case. The smaller gun powder capacity on the 223 bullet, however, means that the 223 have lower power as compared to the 5.56.
223 Ballistics
External Ballistic tests on the 223 using a standard 55gr bullet leaving the barrel at 3,215fps reveals that the 223 fps slows down by less than half of the velocity at a 500-yard distance. The energy loss at this point is about 1000 pounds. The bullet also drops about 64 inches due to gravitational pull. All this happens in .741 seconds.
These ballistics stats mean that the 223 is accurate and has less jump. The accuracy is enhanced by the shorter lead when the bullet moves from the case to the barrel.
223 vs 556 Ballistics
Although they are of the same size, the two bullets have different results when shot from a rifle. Note that the 5.56 cannot be shot on a 223 chamber but the 223 chamber can be shot from a 556 due to the pressure difference.
The 556 packs more pressure and gun powder, meaning that it travels faster and is more accurate. Although the 223 can be shot from the 5.56 chamber, it will attain a lower speed due to its lower pressure.
The 556 is also a little heavier, which means that the effect of the atmosphere on its trajectory is less than it is on the 223 trajectory. This means the 5.56 travels a longer distance when the two are shot in the same atmospheric conditions.
223 vs 5.56 Stopping Power
The 223 Remington bullet is lighter and has less pressure in its chamber. The 5.56 is slightly heavier. Comparing the stopping power of the two bullets when fired from a 5.56 barrel means reviewing the impact of the velocity at which the bullet is travelling at when it stops. Leaving the guns’ barrel at the same speed will see the heavier 5.56 bullet drop faster than the 223. The 5.56 also maintains the higher velocity for longer, thus implying that the 5.56 velocity has a greater stopping power as compared to the 223 velocity.
In simpler terms, the stopping power means that the 5.56 will leave a larger bullet wound on the victim or target as compared to the 223 when they are fired from the same point.
223 vs 556 Ammo Trajectory
Testing results have proved that firing a 223 bullet from a 5.56 barrel alters the trajectory. This is attributable to the resulting higher jump and lead on the 223. Some barrels can compensate for these differences while others cannot.
Generally speaking, the trajectory change depends on the barrel on the rifle you will use. The barrel’s capability to compensate for jump and pressure changes will determine by how much the trajectory will be altered.
Highest Grain 223 bullet
The 223 has a wide range of bullet sizes that can fit in the chamber. You need to choose what is best for you under the conditions and what you are aiming at. Statistics have it that over 90% of bullets fired in the United States are for recreational purposes. For such situations, a typical 55-grain bullet would suffice. Higher grain bullets are available with the Remington having in stock 77 grain –OTM rounds that are typically used for military marksmen.
However, some 223 bullet weight can go up to 80 grains. These higher grain rounds do require use in a “throated” barrel due to their longer overall length. They simply can’t be run in a normal semi-automatic 223 rifle and instead must be used in bolt-action single shot rifles.
5.56 NATO Bullet Drop
The bullet drop on the 5.56 over a range of 500 yards is 54.2 inches. The start sees the bullet drop a little to about 1.75 inches and maintains this height up to 300 yards where it drops a further 8.3 inches. At 400 yards out, the drop is 24.56 with the 500-yard mark, making for the 54.2 inches drop.
5.56 NATO Dimensions
The 5.56 bullets measure 2.260 inches in overall length with the case measuring 1.760 inches. The bullet has a diameter of 0.224 with the neck measuring 0.253 in diameter.
The base of the bullet has a diameter of 0.377 inches. The case capacity for packing firing powder on the 5.56 is 28.5 gr. The bullet packs pressure of up to 54,114 psi.
Like I said earlier, my Colt rifle says 5.56 on the rifle and .223 on the factory box it came in. Serial numbers on the box and rifle match.
Then you can use both.
Just got one for $40 on eBay, free shipping plus sales tax, about $43.
dang. good score. i’ll go check out ebay. thanks for the previous post.
I definitely need sharp steel for the rifle.
Awful lot generalities in that cut and paste.
In a nutshell, 223 rem and 556 NATO cartridge dimensions are identical for all intents and purposes.
The NATO chamber is a bit more generous in dimensions, and the free bore is wider and loger, the throat shallower.
556 in a 223 chamber can produce pressures well above sporting arms max, about 75k psi. Good news is proof load is above that, so not likely to be dangerous in the one off situation. But, not wise to routinely do so.
Magazine length for ARs is NMT 2.26 inches.
75/77 grain bullets are about the heaviest/ longest useful for magazine feeding. However, high power shooters routinely use 80 to 90 grn bullets loaded longer than mag length for 600 yards and longer, loaded into the chamber one at a time for slow fire prone shooting. I personally use 80 grn bullets loaded to 2.550 inches in a National Match service rifle AR15A4, 223 AMU chamber.
Anyway. The ubiquitous 556/223 hybrid AR15.
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