5.56 ammo safe in Savage Axis .223 ?

[Art Eatman]

See Post #4. What it basically says is that the shorter leade in a .223, coupled with a longer ogive GI bullet, CAN cause an over-pressure problem.

The earlier Vietnam-era GI ammo used a lighter, shorter bullet, so it was not a problem in a .223 chamber. That was then; this is now.

If you want safety for using 5.56 current-production ammo in your .223 rifle, get a gunsmith to lengthen the leade to 5.56 spec. That's easy enough.

 

[Reloadron]

Guys, you can argue that 5.56 NATO is safe in most guns marked .223 Rem, and it might be. However, there is 5.56 NATO ammo like Mk 262 Mod 1 that's walking the line of safe pressure in a 5.56 NATO chamber. Put that in a .223 Rem chamber that's cut to actual SAAMI spec and it WILL be dangerously over-pressure. It only takes one time for someone to get hurt.

Why take the risk when .223 Rem ammo is so widely available?

I agree. My main argument is constant claims as to lead, bullet jump or freebore. While it is true a military cut chamber has a longer freebore that isn't always the case that a commercial chamber won't. You shoot whatever the manufacturer says to shoot and that keeps you on the safe side.

Ron

 

[nastynatesfish]

The 556 DOES have a longer neck. A few thousands is all. Unless you have a 223 match chamber which a axis does not you can shoot it just fine. I've shot hundreds of 556 through a few 223 rifles with no I'll affects what so ever.

 

[Willie Sutton]

"The 556 DOES have a longer neck"

Prove it and you can collect Willie's crisp $100....

Nobody seems to be willing to break out the micrometer and 100 pieces of brass from the same manufacturer (Winchester or Federal), 50 of each in .223 headstamp and .5.56 headstamp, to prove it it... something about "money talks and.... " Come on guys, my money is waiting for you to scoop it up offa the table...


"Over stressing a guns chamber over time can cause it to just let loose one day."

Then since this common "error" has been done literally millions of times by folks, it should be easy to come up with an example of such a failure, bearing in mind that providing evidence of such a failure is another way to walk off with Willie's crisp $100. (hint... your proposition is flawed, see "elastic versus plastic deformation in steel" and note that from an engineering standpoint, PROOF LOADS stay well within elastic deformation limits, meaning that you can literally shoot proof loads continuously without incurring structural damage to the action).


For those who want to think about lawyers, rather than about engineering tolerances: Does anyone *seriously* think that *any* manufacturer of el-cheapo mass-market boltguns (like the Savage) *really* cut the chambers so tightly on their .223 "made for Bubba and not a match rifle" products that they would even come anywhere *close* to setting up any sort of "overstress" situation using the most commony available cartridge that chambers in the rifle?

I mean... really?


Willie

.

 

[Laphroaig]

Another issue is what chamber do you really have?

I bought a ".223" chambered barrel from an established company a few years ago to replace my Wylde chambered RRA Varmiter with 4100 rounds. Measuring the COAL to the lands with a 80 SMK gave 2.520" my old barrel. My Smith suggested that I measure the new chamber before I took it to him to change it out. My new alleged ".223" chamber measured 2.538".

When I called the company to complain, their response was if the barrel was stamped .223, then it is a .223 chamber. They did refund my money.

FYI a true .223 chamber should measure about 2.420" with a 80 SMK. I suspect the 2.538 chamber was actually a 5.56.

Laphroaig

 

[Robert]

OP, to really know the specs of your chamber have a cast done. That will tell you exactly what your rifle is able to handle. I'd rather be safe then have a over pressure issue. Those can end poorly.

With that said we are done here. Take this information research the issue and see where you land. SAMMI tens to know what they are talking about but the world is run by lawyers so only you can determine the amount of risk you are willing to accept.