Is milsurp 5.56mm NATO ammo safe in hunting rifles?
I've read that military surplus 5.56mm NATO ammo may be unsafe in standard bolt action hunting rifles chambered for the .223 Remington cartridge. Any truth to this? I'm checking out a Stevens model 200 for my son but want to shoot surplus and economy ammunition in it. Is there anything to be concerned about such as pressures, cartridge length, bullet weight or bullet seating depth? Will the Stevens shoot milsurp safely and without jamming the rifle?
NOT recommended
The primary difference between .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm is that .223 is loaded to lower pressures and velocities compared to 5.56mm. (Conversely .308 commercial has a higher standard pressure than it's 7.62x51 NATO counterpart)
.223 Remington ammunition can be safely fired in a 5.56mm chambered gun, but the reverse can be an unsafe combination. The additional pressure created by 5.56mm ammo will frequently cause over-pressure problems such as difficult extraction, flowing brass, or popped primers, but in extreme cases, could damage or destroy the rifle. Chambers cut to .223 Remington specifications have a shorter leade (throat) area as well as slightly shorter headspace dimensions compared to 5.56mm "military" chamber specs, which contributes to the pressure issues.
Military cases are made from thicker brass than commercial cases, and the NATO specification allows a higher chamber pressure. Mil-spec chambers also have a longer leade, which is the distance between the mouth of the cartridge and the point at which the rifling engages the bullet. To address these issues, some proprietary chambers exist, such as the Wylde chamber (Rock River Arms) or the Armalite chamber, which are designed to handle both 5.56 mm and .223 equally well.
Using 5.56 mil-spec cartridges (such as the M855) in a .223-chambered rifle can lead to excessive wear and stress on the rifle and even be unsafe, and the SAAMI recommends against the practice. The manufacturer should always be consulted to verify that this is acceptable before attempting it, and signs of excessive pressure (such as flattening or gas staining of the primers) should be looked for in the initial testing with 5.56 mm ammunition
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