Savage Axis .223

[LHRGunslinger]

Will the Savage Axis chambered in .223 safely feed & function with a steady diet of 5.56?

 

[jmr40]

Yes

 

[Tempest 455]

Yes but not recommended per mfg. That being said I have done it.

 

[jim243]

You may flame cut the thoat of the chamber with the hotter ammo.

Jim

 

[Inebriated]

You could always throw a 5.56 barrel on for a couple hundred bucks.

 

[243winxb]

If rifle is chambered for 223 Rem. Dont fire 5.56mm Military ammo

UNSAFE FIREARM-AMMUNITION COMBINATIONS http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/SAAMI_ITEM_211-Unsafe_Arms_and_Ammunition_Combinations.pdf The Nato ammo is loaded hotter & should be avoided.

 

[Blackrock]

Why shoot Mil Surp ammo in a rifle designed for accuracy using quality hunting ammo?
Mine shot sub moa out of the box with Hornady 55g and I got even tighter groups with 55g Hornady bullets and H335 powder.

Chamber a mil surp 5.56 and pull the trigger and it wil go BANG but accuracy may suffer.

 

[LHRGunslinger]

Thanks! I was just concerned that if I did that it'd kaboom on me

 

[jim243]

It won't go kaboom on you, but you will burn out the barrel faster. The shoulder on the two rounds are slighly different and the 5.56 will not seal in the chamber exactly like a 223 will, so more hotter gases will be going back into the chamber of the rifle and wearing it down faster.

Jim

 

[adelbridge]

5.56 will not seal in the chamber exactly like a 223 will

the shoulder is south of the chamber so if there were truly sealing issues it wouldnt be the bore that got burned.

Its a $300 gun, shoot what ever you want out of it.

 

[jmr40]

Same ammo, different name. The fact that the military ammo "MIGHT" be loaded to slightly hotter specs means nothing. If you were to measure the chamber pressueres on ANY centerfire round in ANY chamberings you will find a wide range of pressuers depending on the manufacturer.

Worst case. If you have a semi auto with a 223 chamber the hotter 5.56 might not cycle reliably. In a bolt rifle you will never know the difference.

 

[hardluk1]

You could buy a mossberg mvp as it is chamber for 5.56 allready so 223 is fine and use's AR mags from 5 to 30 rounds.
http://www.mossberg.com/products/rifles/centerfire/mvp-varmint

 

[LHRGunslinger]

I could but the Savage is about $200 less than the MVP

 

[KansasPaul]

5.56 ammo is generally not "HOTTER" than .223. In fact, some commercial .223 cases have a larger powder capacity than do 5.56 cases. The difference in the chambering of the two cartridges is that most .223 chambers have a shorter leade (throat area) and headspace. This can lead to increased pressure if a 5.56 cartridge is fired in the rifle chambered for .223. The 5.56 chambers are more generous and allow 5.56 cartridges to operate at a lower pressure. Additionally, .223 conforms to SAMMI specs whereas the 5.56 does not (regrading pressure limits).

While many people think nothing of interchanging the two rounds, it is not advisable to shoot 5.56 in rifles designed for .223 - most all manufacturers warn of this in the manuals that accompany their rifles.

Blessings.

Paul

 

[T Bran]

Buds guns lists this rifle as both 5.56 and .223 on their website. Not sure what Savage has in the owners manual regarding this.
Best bet is to ask the folks who made it.

 

[LHRGunslinger]

I would but they don't list a stinkin e-mail on their site.

 

[mcdonl]

LHRG, the axis will take a model 10 barrel as long as it is the same threading on the lug... in this case I assume it would be.

And they are pretty cheap if you are not looking for a heavy barrel. I got a quote to have my .243 axis switched out to a 20" HB and it was only about $250... a regular sporter barrel would be less than $200 I believe... just something to think about. They are nice rifles for the money.