5.56 m855 penetrator in a .223 rifle?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Never hear of a .223 rifle having a kaboom with 5.56 ammunition. Cant' say the same about using .223 ammo in .223 chambers. Winchester Ranger law enforcement ammo destroyed four SWAT AR-15 rifles during a training session. Looks like Winchester does not test every lot.


http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/20...ster-ranger-223-ammo-recall-explained-almost/

Attention Law Enforcement Agencies, this Police Department is seeking any similar incidences with the .223/5.56 style rifles.

On 02/14/11 an officer was attending an M4/MP-5 class and during a shooting session, the .223 rifle (Stag Arms) experienced a catastrophic failure resulting in an upper receiver cracking and the bolt being pushed into the bolt assembley.

During a SWAT training day on 02/23/11, three more M4 style rifles experienced a catastrophic failure at the same time. All three rifles experienced the bolts being pushed into the bolt assembly, the upper receivers were cracked and / or broken apart, and the lower receivers were bowed outward. The ammunition we used in all the rifles were Winchester RA223R2 Ranger 64 gr. Power Point.

The Rifles were: 1-Colt, 2- Bushmasters and 1 – Stag Arms
Click to expand...


OFFICIAL RECALL NOTICE

East Alton, IL – Olin Corporation, through its Winchester Division, is recalling six (6) lots of its RANGER 223 Remington 64 Grain Power-Point (PP) centerfire rifle ammunition (Symbol Number RA223R2). Through extensive evaluation Winchester has determined the lots of RANGER Law Enforcement ammunition listed below may contain incorrect propellant. Incorrect propellant in this ammunition may cause firearm damage, rendering the firearm inoperable, and subject the shooter or bystanders to a risk of serious personal injury when fired. To determine if your ammunition is subject to this notice, review the Lot Number . . .

If the last four characters of the Lot Number are DK01, DK11, DK21, DK31, DK41 or DK51 immediately discontinue use and contact Winchester toll-free at 866-423-5224 to arrange for replacement ammunition and free UPS pick-up of the recalled ammunition.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
i like this quote from The War Wagons link:


(The following is just a generalization to demonstrate the concept. DO NOT hold me to the exact numbers as they are not correct and they ignore the difference due to the different methods used to measure chamber pressure.)
Click to expand...
 
Coltdriver said:
I have both calibers. I have shot hundreds of of 5.56 rounds from .223's. But there is one thing you really should pay attention to.

That is the chamber on your .223. I have found the ogive on most 5.56 ammo to have a shorter radius making the fat part of the bullet stick a bit further into the chamber.

If you have a tight .223 chamber you may very well engage the lands in your .223 with the 5.56 bullet. This will cause excessive pressure.
Click to expand...

Thank you Coltdriver, I suspected as such but I never heard it stated by another. The thing I wrestled with was that the cartridge dimensions are the same, and the heavier bullets could not make the overall length longer and still be in spec (or even fit in the magazine). But it still puzzled me because the same chubby bullets would be loaded in .223 cartridges as well as the 5.56 NATO.

Then I read the link provided by The War Wagon and it all fell together. Basically, the difference in leades produces lower pressure in the 5.56 NATO chamber and as a result the military is able to spec higher pressure loads.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

K
  • Locked
5.56 ammo safe in Savage Axis .223 ?
2
Replies
30
Views
29K
Robert
Robert
E
  • Locked
M995 5.56mm AP ammo question
Replies
5
Views
1K
HorseSoldier
H
K
  • Locked
Savage Axis and 5.56
Replies
10
Views
3K
dprice3844444
D
sarduy
  • Locked
The $158 Rifles?
2 3 4
Replies
79
Views
5K
vzenmn
V
R
  • Locked
Everyone! 223 is not the same as 5.56!
2 3
Replies
56
Views
3K
PvtPyle
P
Back
Top