Posted on 12/26/2016 6:32:02 AM PST by US Navy Vet
Ok, what is the difference between .223 ammo and 5.56 NATO ammo?
Ruger Mini-14 goes both ways. (Uh, what? LOL!) There are several guns out there that will digest either one but double check to make sure with any weapon to be safe. My Armalite does both.
My mini-14 is stamped 5.56.. shoots either round safely and accurately.
The first Mini-14s (1970s) had a light weight on the operating rod which was soon made heavier with all later versions. The light weight caused a pounding of the rifle pretty hard.
Many of these rifles were sent to France for police use which is why they disappeared from American shelves back in the late 1970s. I will assume the French were using Nato ammo in their rifles at that time.
Don’t shoot 5.56 unless your rifle is stamped on the barrel for it. 5.56 develops greater chamber pressure than a .223.
If you’re curious, get a couple of head space gauges. One for .223 and one for 5.56. There are “fields”, “Go” and “No Go” but there are differences in the neck case lengths. I have a full set of both.
Direct from Ruger customer service:
Can I shoot 5.56 NATO ammunition in my Mini-14 or Ranch Rifle?
With the exception of the Mini-14 Target Rifle, which accepts only .223 Rem. ammunition, .223 Rem. and 5.56 NATO can be used in all Mini-14 rifles and Ranch Rifles.
Here’s a rather definitive answer from the very experienced and knowledgeable Gun Blue:
Use of 5.56 NATO in 223 Rem. Chambers - “Finally, “Can I Use 5.56 NATO in My Mini-14?”
The reason that there is so much misinformation about the subject is that misinformed people like yourself keep adding their tripe to the pile.
Cartridge shell cases are not annealed to harden the neck. Just the opposite! Neck annealing is done to eliminate residual stresses in the neck and shoulder so that stress corrosion cracking will not occur over time. The annealing process actually softens and weakens the neck.
Most all rifle bottle neck shell cases are neck annealed which discolors the mouth and shoulder in the process.
Commercial ammunition manufactures typically removed the discoloration with a vigorous wash to make the shell case bright and shiny. Military shell cases are required to leave the discoloration to visually prove that the shell cases were in fact annealed. The "leade" in in the firearm chamber and nothing done to the shell case affects to rifle.
Please do not post misinformation on this forum.
The only way to be sure is to look for the stamp on the barrel. Depending on the manufacturer it will be stamped somewhere on the barrel near the chamber. If it is stamped 223 Rem then you should NOT use the 5.56 NATO ammo. If it is stamped 5.56 then you may use either round.
I also have a RRA with a 16” barrel and Wylde chamber. Works great with either.
Okay. I agree on the annealing, but there is a difference in the overall length. Take a look at the SAAMI diagrams. Likewise this will affect headspace.
Same here ...I own a RRA Fred Eichler with the cool coyote track forearm. .223 Wylde is one of the most accurate chambers for AR platforms IMO and experience.
“The .223 Wylde chamber was designed as a match chambering for semi-automatic rifles. It will accomodate both .223 Rem and 5.56mm NATO ammunition. It is relieved in the case body to aid in extraction and features a shorter throat for improved accuracy”
My recomendation to you is to not, repeat, DO NOT rely upon any advice from anyone online, including but not limited to this forum. Pick up a handloading manual, they are easy to get, start a process of educating yourself. The reality is there is very little difference in the ammunition you are discussing.
I checked this on the Ruger website a while ago. They said that almost all of their rifles were chambered for 5.56 and could shoot either safely. The exception was TARGET rifles chambered for .223 which should only use .223.
Your Mini 14 is not a target rifle and either is good to go.
The first sentence of that is complete gibberish. It has no real meaning.
The second sentence is true.
Actually, annealing softens the brass so that working the brass when sizing the case won’t cause cracking. That’s what creates a discoloration of the cases.
” Can I use them interchangeably? “
Nope! Nein ! Non !
Annealing actually softens the case. Allowing it to expand slightly and seal the chamber better.
.223 cases are usually annealed also, but are polished after annealing to produce a more appealing cosmetic finish. NATO specification requires visual proof of annealing which is why they are not polished.
It is not possible to anneal the "leade" which is a dimension and not a piece of material.
I don’t recommend it. Not so much for the difference in leade or ammo pressures but for the primers. Nato spec seems to use harder primers. I’m a police armorer and I seem to remember during gulf war 2 that getting ammo for requals was damn near impossible. Out of sheer desperation we took a shipment of 5.56. Within the first 4 hours of using it I had to replace 5 firing pins on our mini 14’s due to hard primers. YMMV
CC
What’s stamped on the rifle is what it is. Ignore the box.
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