M&P15 can I use .223cal.
I just bought a new M&P15 and it is stamped 5.56 NATO and people have told me I could use the .223cal. ammunition in it. So I checked with smith and wesson and they say only use 5.56 what can one of you tell me?
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from wikipedia (for what that's worth):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.223_Remington
The .223 Remington is a sporting cartridge with almost the same external dimensions as the 5.56x45mm NATO military cartridge. The name is pronounced either two-two-three or two-twenty-three. It is loaded with a 0.224-inch (5.7 mm) diameter, jacketed bullet, with weights ranging from 40 to 90 grains (2.6 to 5.8 g), though the most common loading by far is 55 grains (3.6 g). When loaded with a bullet that expands, tumbles, or fragments in tissue, this cartridge is capable of delivering devestating terminal performance, including remote wounding effects known as hydrostatic shock.[2][3][4]
While the external case dimensions are very similar, the .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm differ in both maximum pressure and chamber shape. The maximum and mean pressures for some varieties of the 5.56 mm (different cartridge designations have different standards) exceed the SAAMI maximums for the .223 Remington, and the methods for measuring pressures differ between NATO and SAAMI.[5] The 5.56 mm chamber specification has also changed over time since its adoption, as the current military loading (NATO SS-109 or US M855) uses longer, heavier bullets than the original loading did. This has resulted in a lengthening of the throat in the 5.56 mm chamber. Thus, while .223 Remington ammunition can be safely fired in a 5.56 mm chambered gun, firing 5.56 mm ammunition in a .223 Remington chamber may produce pressures in excess of even the 5.56 mm specifications due to the shorter throat.[6]
It doesn't make much sense to ignore what S&W says, and I can't speak to that rifle specifically, but I have always used 223/556 interchangeably in my AR's (chambered for 5.56)0 -
You're not supposed to run the 5.56x45 NATO military type ammo through commercial .223 type chamber.
But I've never heard of anyone having a problem using .223 ammo in the military type 5.56 guns.
If your gun is a 5.56 NATO gun, you should be fine using either type of ammo.
This is from a 2001 Press release by Winchester, and it really sums up the situation well:
quote:Law Enforcement News and Press Releases Details
News and Press Releases
.223 Rem VS 5.56mm
Paul Nowak
5/4/2001
There are a lot of questions about these two cartridges. Many people think they are identical - merely different designations for commercial and military. The truth is that, although somewhat similar, they are not the same and you should know the differences before buying either cartridge.
The cartridge casings for both calibers have basically the same length and exterior dimensions.
The 5.56 round, loaded to Military Specification, typically has higher velocity and chamber pressure than the .223 Rem.
The 5.56 cartridge case may have thicker walls, and a thicker head, for extra strength. This better contains the higher chamber pressure. However, a thicker case reduces powder capacity, which is of concern to the reloader.
The 5.56mm and .223 Rem chambers are nearly identical. The difference is in the "Leade". Leade is defined as the portion of the barrel directly in front of the chamber where the rifling has been conically removed to allow room for the seated bullet. It is also more commonly known as the throat. Leade in a .223 Rem chamber is usually .085". In a 5.56mm chamber the leade is typically .162", or almost twice as much as in the 223 Rem chamber.
You can fire .223 Rem cartridges in 5.56mm chambers with this longer leade, but you will generally have a slight loss in accuracy and velocity over firing the .223 round in the chamber with the shorter leade it was designed for.
Problems may occur when firing the higher-pressure 5.56mm cartridge in a .223 chamber with its much shorter leade. It is generally known that shortening the leade can dramatically increase chamber pressure. In some cases, this higher pressure could result in primer pocket gas leaks, blown cartridge case heads and gun functioning issues.
The 5.56mm military cartridge fired in a .223 Rem chamber is considered by SAAMI (Small Arm and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute) to be an unsafe ammunition combination.
Before buying either of these two types of ammunition, always check your gun to find what caliber it is chambered for, then buy the appropriate ammunition. Most 5.56mm rounds made have full metal jacket bullets. Performance bullets - soft points, hollow points, Ballistic Silvertips, etc. - are loaded in .223 Rem cartridges. Firing a .223 Rem cartridge in a 5.56mm-chambered gun is safe and merely gives you slightly reduced velocity and accuracy. However we do not recommend, nor does SAAMI recommend, firing a 5.56mm cartridge in a gun chambered for the .223 Rem as the shorter leade can cause pressure-related problems.
Winchester Law Enforcement Ammunition East Alton Illinois
Copyright 1997-2005 Winchester Ammunition, East Alton, IL 62024"0 -
Simple answer. Yes it is fine. 0 -
I question the fact to whether or not they even made the barrel to even advise you of any thing as the barrel is usually stamped for what can be used. Yes .223 is fine in a 5.56 but not the other way. 0
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