# Firing 5.56 through a barrel marked 223?



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

I was asked to hep a friend build a "low cost" Ar-15 he said found something and asked 
if would look at it for him. The sight is "Classic Arms" they have a Ar-15 lower that's cheap.
In the description it reads ,,

" The barrels are chambered in the highly desireable .223 Wylde and therefore chambered for and suitable for firing either the Nato 5.56 designation or the .223 Remington commercial round."

There is a close up of the barrel in the lower part of the ad. It reads "223 WYLDE 1:9 USA

I thought to shoot the 5.56 you needed a 5.56 barrel. Am I reading the ad wrong?

https://www.classicfirearms.com/bearcreekarsenalupperar15assbly


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Advice to the Youngsters;

Shoot what the barrel is stamped.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Slippy said:


> Advice to the Youngsters;
> 
> Shoot what the barrel is stamped.


Yes I agree 100% but is this ad misleading or just wrong or what?

I reason he spotted this was because I told him he would be better off with a gun that would run on 5.56.
Then could run ether in a pinch

I don't want a "223 only" at my place I'm afraid I might get the wrong ammo in it.


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## Suntzu (Sep 22, 2014)

" The barrels are chambered in the highly desireable .223 Wylde and therefore chambered for and suitable for firing either the Nato 5.56 designation or the .223 Remington commercial round." 
^Exactly That
It's half way between the chamber dimensions of the two, and built to withstand even higher pressures than 5.56 NATO.
Can't go wrong with that.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Suntzu said:


> " The barrels are chambered in the highly desireable .223 Wylde and therefore chambered for and suitable for firing either the Nato 5.56 designation or the .223 Remington commercial round."
> ^Exactly That
> It's half way between the chamber dimensions of the two, and built to withstand even higher pressures than 5.56 NATO.
> Can't go wrong with that.


OH,,,,,,,Ok I was just concerned because the only numbers on the barrel were 223 
But the word wylde means it will work with ether? Shouldn't it also say 5.56 also?

It's just I was taught that if it wasn't on the barrel it doesn't go in the chamber


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## SecretPrepper (Mar 25, 2014)

In short, it is a "wildcat" that will run both.


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

I would not do it or even think about it! If you have even one seed of doubt then don't try it!


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## cdell (Feb 27, 2014)

223 wylde is halfway between the two as stated above. It was created to handle either 223 Rem or 5.56 nato. Better accuracy for 223 then when fired out of a 5.56 chamber but meant to handle the pressure of a 5.56.


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

i have not heard of a .223 wylde -always got to come out with something different can never just let something be.
I do know that the 556 is a higher pressure round -but I would ask classic, and then ask them again, then ask them how good their lawyer service is.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

My old Ruger Mini 14, built in 1981, will safely fire both .223 and 5.56. It's not unusual.


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

ok is it marked .223 wylde?


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

It's marked .223. The manual states it's safe to fire 5.56. You cannot fire 5.56 through all of the Ruger's .223s, however, the Target Model for one.


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

that doesn't answer my question does it? so i'll take it as a NO.
like I said I have never heard of a wylde that's why I asked.
and the older mini 14s were designed for LE/ military use just never caught on.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

No, it's just marked ".223". No wylde designation.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The Wylde chamber was like a cross over. When the 5.56 first came around the Wylde was created to fire both. Yes it will fire the 5.56 or .223 just fine. they way it is offered would make sense . The cases are the same out side The 5.56 is thicker causing more pressure. If fired in a .223 it could expand and stick in the chamber. It did not last long and was soon passed by with barrels all being made for both

"The .223 Wylde chamber was designed as a match chambering for semi-automatic rifles. It will accomodate both .223 Rem and 5.56mm NATO ammunition. It is relieved in the case body to aid in extraction and features a shorter throat for improved accuracy."

The 1 in 9 was more for punching paper than real world defense use. Before anyone gets nuts yes you can kill bad guys with a 1 in 9. The 1 in 9 was designed for lighter rounds in a 16 inch barrel . The common 62 grain green tip is right on the edge of passing what it was designed for. 62 to 77gr is ok just not it's best . That does not mean it won't shoot the heavier rounds.
At one time it was cool to strut around the range repeating yea mine is a Wylde chamber.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

Yes. the .223 Wylde barrell can shoot 5.56. It is becoming popular, my son had one built and that was the first thing he researched.


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## dsdmmat (Nov 9, 2012)

Here is a good article to read. There is a chart in the article which shows the dimensional differences in the .223 Rem, 5.56 NATO and .223 Wylde.

5.56 vs .223 - What You Know May Be Wrong - LuckyGunner.com Labs

I run 223 Wylde chambers in all of my ARs, I run a 223 Rem in my Bolt action. 1-9 twist is ok 1-8 would be better for almost all the bullet weights you will run across.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

dsdmmat said:


> Here is a good article to read. There is a chart in the article which shows the dimensional differences in the .223 Rem, 5.56 NATO and .223 Wylde.
> 
> 5.56 vs .223 - What You Know May Be Wrong - LuckyGunner.com Labs
> 
> I run 223 Wylde chambers in all of my ARs, I run a 223 Rem in my Bolt action. 1-9 twist is ok 1-8 would be better for almost all the bullet weights you will run across.


 Took him a long time to say what really counts.
Summary: Buy a well-made rifle with the chamber you want based on your needs, shoot the right ammo in it, and have fun. For most people, especially those not sure of what type of shooting they'll be doing, a 5.56mm chamber is the best all-around choice. It is my fervent hope that this article has helped you better understand the topic at hand.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

dsdmmat said:


> Here is a good article to read. There is a chart in the article which shows the dimensional differences in the .223 Rem, 5.56 NATO and .223 Wylde.
> 
> 5.56 vs .223 - What You Know May Be Wrong - LuckyGunner.com Labs
> 
> I run 223 Wylde chambers in all of my ARs, I run a 223 Rem in my Bolt action. 1-9 twist is ok 1-8 would be better for almost all the bullet weights you will run across.


Good article dsdmmat.

Another reason to buy your ammo from Lucky Gunner! Cheap Ammo For Sale | In Stock Ammunition For Sale


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## dsdmmat (Nov 9, 2012)

Slippy said:


> Good article dsdmmat.
> 
> Another reason to buy your ammo from Lucky Gunner! Cheap Ammo For Sale | In Stock Ammunition For Sale


I reload almost everything I shoot. Lucky gunner is a pretty good source though.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Without getting into a long ballistics summary, depending on the rifle you could have a pressure issue. As a rule of thumb a barrel marked 5.56 will shoot both, but I would stick to .223 in a barrel marked as such.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

What I have seen happen with barrel that are .223 only older ones and good 5.56 ammo it the case will stick and not eject soon as it cools a bit it comes right out. This could cause issue in rapid fire. 
I hesitate to post this only because it does not tell the whole story on what happens to a body when hit with the rounds and the difference in punching holes in paper . The effect on the Body with the round in it range is why Military went with 1 in 7 twist. here goes anyway A general statement not a detailed study of the difference.
Give me a true m16 20 inch barrel .223 55gr with good rounds and DISTANCE and accuracy wise I will smoke any of my 5.56 Ar15's. The reason are weapon related but another thread.
The chart is good but comments are not. And some what senseless . And uninformed.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Suntzu said:


> " The barrels are chambered in the highly desireable .223 Wylde and therefore chambered for and suitable for firing either the Nato 5.56 designation or the .223 Remington commercial round."
> ^Exactly That
> It's half way between the chamber dimensions of the two, and built to withstand even higher pressures than 5.56 NATO.
> Can't go wrong with that.


^^^ THIS!!!! ^^^
Exactly Right!

223 Wylde isn't a round - it is a chamber that splits the fractional differences in case dimensions between 223 and 556. The idea was that either round would work flawlessly in it so there would be no need to create a round for 223 Wylde, you would just use 223 Rem or 556 Nato.

Just to be sure we are clear here...
When I say round, I'm talking about the size, shape, power, and most importantly physical dimensions of a fully assembled case and bullet.
When I say chamber, I'm talking about the hole at one end of the barrel that you stick the bullet in.

That's what makes Wylde so desirable.


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## ReignMan (Nov 13, 2015)

Slippy said:


> Advice to the Youngsters;
> 
> Shoot what the barrel is stamped.


Yep, Slippy is spot on. Shoot what the barrel is stamped or you're just asking for trouble. Barrels are stamped with calibers for a very good reason.


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