Weird AR-15 ? For me anyway

[Engalwood]

How am I to tell if I can shoot 5.56 and .223 from my barrel and gun???

 

[Mad Anthony Wayne]

Common question. Your receiver should be marked 223, 5.56, or multi caliber. If not marked on the receiver check your barrel for 223 or 5.56. If it's marked 5.56 or multi caliber you should be fine shooting 223 or 5.56. If it is only marked 223 you better stick to 223. Most available ammo is 223 anyways which isn't a whole lot different than 5.56. 5.56 is a little faster, but 9 times outta 10 it's FMJ ammo only since 5.56 is a military round. A 223 round in soft or hollow point is not at a disadvantage to 5.56 IMHO.

 

[dukeboy_318]

Common question. Your receiver should be marked 223, 5.56, or multi caliber. If not marked on the receiver check your barrel for 223 or 5.56. If it's marked 5.56 or multi caliber you should be fine shooting 223 or 5.56. If it is only marked 223 you better stick to 223. Most available ammo is 223 anyways which isn't a whole lot different than 5.56. 5.56 is a little faster, but 9 times outta 10 it's FMJ ammo only since 5.56 is a military round. A 223 round in soft or hollow point is not at a disadvantage to 5.56 IMHO.

Lower receiver markings have nothing to do with whether your chamber is spec'd for 5.56 or .225 pressures. Look at your barrel. If it says .223 only, then ONLY run .223. If it says 5.56 or has both 5.56/.223 listed, you can run 5.56 AND .223.

 

[DanVoils]

Check the stampings on the barrel. You nay have to remove the hand guard but it should be marked. Since the lowers are interchangeable, as are the barrels, it's best to check the barrel itself.

 

[dukeboy_318]

The Gun Zone -- SAAMI on 5.56 v. .223 Remington

check that out

 

[Leo]

The SAAMI spec posting above is good information. Also note that they are talking about 1979. That was a long time ago. It will be few and far between to find rifles from the eary 70's that do not have well worn barrels. Many that were produced then also have slow twist, like 1 in 12 barrels, that really do not do a good job of stablizing heavier bullets anyway.

National Match shooters put thousands of round every year through their AR's. Nobody loads wimmpy ammo for the 200-300 and 600 yard course of fire. There are 10's of thousands of National Match competitors. The only guy that I ever knew to blow one up was shooting rounds that his wife made with WIN 296 magnum pistol powder instead of 748 rifle powder. The rifles are pretty durable. I would not be afraid to shoot one or two rounds of regular 5.56 nato spec ammo in any rifle, and then read the brass. If there are no pressure signs, I would proceed with confidence.

In addition to Leade, true major and minor bore diameter, rifling edges, throat wear, the wear on the chamber reamer at the manufacturer, etc. play into the factors affecting pressure. In the 70's there were basically two reamer patterns for that round. Commercial and military. If you look at the Clymer catalog there are now 8 to 10 "Standard" chamber reamer patterns. Even at that, I had one custom ground for my design, and I am not the only one who ever had a custom reamer made. By the late 1980's the AR was growing in popularity and people wanted more ammo flexiblity. I have never seen a commercial built AR that would not pass with a go/no go gauge and that had excessive pressure signs with factory ammo. The Bushmaster DCM (Non chrome lined Match barrel) is pretty tight when trying to handload for maximum velocity but shoots NATO ball fine.

If you have some freakish odd AR with pressure signs on the brass with 55 gr UMC .223 ammo, there is no point experimenting up.

This is my opinion, I am an old guy who I still has 10 fingers and no scrapnel in my face. Use your own judgment

 

[Engalwood]

Thanks so much for the help guys! Love learing something new everyday!

 

[Engalwood]

I do have a marking on the barrel which reads this M1s 1-9 HG

 

[03A3]

I do have a marking on the barrel which reads this M1s 1-9 HG

That may be : Model 1 Sales, 1:9" twist.
I have no idea about the "HG". I'm not up on their models and specs.

 

[I am the cheese]

223 lower pressure when the cartridge is discharged.
5.56x45 higher pressure when the cartridge is discharged.
You need to find the 5.56 or 223 on the barrel. If your are not sure, for the time being I would only fire 223 ammo. Don't forget that bullet weight works in unison with you twist too.

 

[Taylorz71]

Good advise so far.

You might give model 1 sales a call so you know the specs on it. In the mean time I would just shoot .223 ammo just to be safe. It is less expensive and a little easier to find right now, although it is all crazy expensive at the moment.

good luck and happy shooting.

 

[jb1911]

I just got a Daniel Defense barrel and this is what's stamped on it:

Yours should have a caliber on it somewhere. Did you take off the handguards and look underneath?

 

[Colt556]

It's a Model 1 1/9 twist bbl that is hard chromed (HC). I think most M1S bbls are 5.56 cal.

 

[Engalwood]

No I have not takn barrel off yet... You guys are very helpful and I'm glad I have joins INGO.. On another note can I post a video on here? Got something fun I wanna show everyone

 

[42769vette]

Ya, just host it on youtube, and link it over

 

[Engalwood]

I know been everywhere tryn to find meyier Walmart etc..... Sux that employees might been gettn first dibs lol... So Colt556 I will check into it later today. But I could shoot either if it is right?

 

[dukeboy_318]

I know been everywhere tryn to find meyier Walmart etc..... Sux that employees might been gettn first dibs lol... So Colt556 I will check into it later today. But I could shoot either if it is right?

If your barrel says 5.56, then yes you can shoot either. if it says .223, then only shoot .223

 

[Engalwood]

Humm never posted anything on YouTube ha. Guess I could learn

 

[Engalwood]

Ok , so I have been trying non stop to try n call Model1 too find if I can shoot 5.56 and its busy non stop like they put the phone off the hook :-0

 

[HamsterStyle]

No I have not takn barrel off yet... You guys are very helpful and I'm glad I have joins INGO.. On another note can I post a video on here? Got something fun I wanna show everyone

Don't try to take the barrel off. Just take the handguards off. Its really easy if they are held on by the springs like a standard handguard or magpul moe stuff.