556/223

[wyofool]

I shoot on a dry lake bed and the is always a lot of brass (steel and everything else) on the ground out there so naturally I pick it up. When sorting it out, to my untrained eye, the 556/223 all look the same. Is there an easy/quick way to tell the difference? I know I can look up head stamp info online but was hoping someone could give me an easy way to do it. Or!! does it make any difference?
Thanks

[M-Tecs]

Doesn't make a difference.

[Bzcraig]

The easy visual clues are both on the headstamp, you can see the crimp marks from the primer crimp and military headstamps will more often than not have the manufacturer mark, a 2 digit year mark and a plus symbol with a circle around it.

[toallmy]

Outside dimensions same , inside dimensions all over the place with different brands . But military brass has good quality control and is very uniform .

[6bg6ga]

Just make sure your rifle has 5.56 stamped on the barrel and if it DOESN"T don't shoot any factory 5.56's thru it. Picking up empty 5.56's and reloading them is ok.

[Travelor]

Guys, 223 and 5.56 are the same. Just one being designated military and the other sporting.

I know the military round is supposed to be "hotter" but just shoot them and everything will be OK.

We used to collet pull the FMJ bullet from the 5.56 military rounds and replace them with a Sierra Match King and they shot VERY WELL.

[6bg6ga]

Guys, 223 and 5.56 are the same. Just one being designated military and the other sporting.I know the military round is supposed to be "hotter" but just shoot them and everything will be OK.We used to collet pull the FMJ bullet from the 5.56 military rounds and replace them with a Sierra Match King and they shot VERY WELL.This is the kind of information that blows up guns. The chamber is different in a 5.56 and the 5.56 is a higher presure round and I have seen .223's blown up by trying to shoot 5.56s in them. Check it out.....the military 5.56 is hotter and information out there will say the same as I have written here.

[Electric88]

If you reload to 223 specs (which most do), it makes no difference.

[6bg6ga]

Gun barrels are marked for the proper cartridge to be used in them. If they say 223 then 223 it is and NOT 5.56. The barrels marked 5.56 can be used with either .223 or 5.56

[6bg6ga]

Yes, you can load 5.56's that are used to .223 loading specs....that is a given.

[bangerjim]

Just check the published case dimensions. Simple.

And don't shoot 5.56 factory loads in a rifle marked ONLY 223. Could be a very interesting day at the ER.

I reload 223 and 5.56 brass all the time to 223 load data for cast and FMJ.

[matrixcs]

Head stamp is the only method that tell it is... lots of work but can pay off if consistency of performance is your goal.

[toallmy]

Long seated bullet + short throats = high pressure , no matter who made it . But can I ask have you all noticed any difference in L C brass of different years like case capacity , neck thickness , hardness and such in 5.56 .

[Scharfschuetze]

Chamber dimensions and headspace are about the same for the .223 and the 5.56mm. What is different is the length of the throat or leade. The longer throat of the 5.56 allows for a slightly hotter loading. This is particularly true for the new lead free M855A1 5.56mm ammo which operates at higher pressure than the previous M196 (56gr) and M855 (63 gr green tip) ammo when compared to civilian .223 ammo.

When collecting military brass for reloading, you probably already know that the primers are crimped in and than you'll need to either swage or cut the crimp out before seating your primers. It's a one time operation.

I'd also segregate the military brass by the arsenal where it was made. You'll find a plethora of different head stamps for both US manufacture and for foreign manufacture. That will help with the uniformity of your brass as there are variations in weight between manufacturers. Those variations in weight will result in slightly different velocities and pressures between the heaviest and the lightest cases due to internal volume differences.

[toallmy]

Yes I believe NATO specs is used loosely by other countries , but U.S. L C seams to be high quality .

[popper]

Some are brass plated ? steel so use a magnet on them.

[wyofool]

Thanks for all the info. I knew about the crimped primers but it just didn't click. These things are all pretty dirty so I'll give them a good wash first then sort them out. The magnet is a good idea.

[mdi]

Commercial brass will have ".223 Remington" and the manufacturer's name on the headstamp. Military usually has the manufacturer's initials (most of mine say LC) a two digit number and will have a NATO cross in a circle. Way easier to identify than looking for a primer crimp.

I sorted all my .223/5.56 brass by headstamp year of production (I was bored one day) . I have 900+ LC 13 and 14 and a bunch of R-P .223...

[M-Tecs]

Some great info here:

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/5-56-vs-223/

http://saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20644

http://www.6mmbr.com/223rem.html

[toallmy]

Thanks, M- Tecs

[edwardware]

. . .Or!! does it make any difference?

My AR loads are all mixed headstamp, and it's never bothered me.

On the question of .223 vs 5.56, I've run military surplus 5.56 through my .223 Rem700. Primers were not hot, velocity was not that much higher than a hot .223 load. . . nothing to write home about.

Generally I think far too much is made of the distinction. The difference in pressure generated by the shorter throat is well-within the margin of safety in any modern rifle.

[mdi]

My AR loads are all mixed headstamp, and it's never bothered me.

On the question of .223 vs 5.56, I've run military surplus 5.56 through my .223 Rem700. Primers were not hot, velocity was not that much higher than a hot .223 load. . . nothing to write home about.

Generally I think far too much is made of the distinction. The difference in pressure generated by the shorter throat is well-within the margin of safety in any modern rifle. Good to see it worked for you. Several years ago I tried surplus 5.56 ammo in my single shot .223 Remington. I got pierced primers and stiff extraction. I thought it might be a headspace problem or some other unknown condition and sent the rifle back to the factory. Gun came back with a new barrel, but still 5.56 primers consistently showed over pressure, piercing and flowing. I tried some factory .223, and my mild handloads, no signs of pressure, no pierced primers, and much better accuracy...

jes sayin'.

[NyFirefighter357]

Ruger Mini-14 is the one exception. Taken directly from Ruger FAQ / Rifles; Can I shoot 5.56 NATO ammunition in my Mini-14 or Ranch Rifle?

With the exception of the Mini-14 Target Rifle, which accepts only .223 Rem. ammunition, .223 Rem. and 5.56 NATO can be used in all Mini-14 rifles and Ranch Rifles. Please note that "Military Surplus" 5.56mm NATO can vary greatly in its quality and consistency.

[Digital Dan]

Arsenal brass is often spec'd for thicker case walls, thus higher pressure will result with a given load when compared to SAAMI standard specs.

[M-Tecs]

Arsenal brass is often spec'd for thicker case walls, thus higher pressure will result with a given load when compared to SAAMI standard specs.

That is generally true with 308 and 30/06. Not the case with 5.56/.223.

[S.B.]

This is the kind of information that blows up guns. The chamber is different in a 5.56 and the 5.56 is a higher presure round and I have seen .223's blown up by trying to shoot 5.56s in them. Check it out.....the military 5.56 is hotter and information out there will say the same as I have written here.

Can you document this, please? I'm not talking cheap foreign made guns.
Steve