What if- 55.6 in .223?

[1894cfan]

For the sake of a what if scenario, say the supply of 223 is vastly reduced and all that is available is 55.6. What is the best safest way of modifying 55.6 for firing in a rifle chambered in .223? Reseating the bullet down enough to chamber and fire in a .223 rifle? And if so, would that increase the chamber pressure enough to make it unsafe to fire in said rifle? PLEASE jump in BEFORE I do something stoopid and try that!
OR would it be best to pull the bullet, dump the powder, resize the neck and reduce the powder charge and seat the bullet to .223 length?

[Bronco]

IMHO
Pull bullet and reload! If the situation allows it! In case of imminent death, pull trigger and hope for the best.

[1894cfan]

Thanks, Bronco. Have a Mini14 that was re-barreled THREE decades ago with a bull barrel and chambered in .223. Made the mistake of shooting 55.6 in it and broke the bolt! Was able to get a replacement off fleabay and got it back up and running. Have a Wolff extra power recoil spring in it now. Just don't want to ruin another bolt, hence the first post.
Have a Lee Loader in .223 and thought that IF just seating the bullet deeper would do it, I'd just give it a wack to seat the bullet deeper.

[1894cfan]

Just had a thought, probably the best way of going about it is to pull the bullet, dump the powder and reset the RCBS Uniflow powder measure to throw a grain or two less and reseat the bullet to .223 length. IF I have the time to do all that!
I'm just thinking on keeping the Mini running for as long as possible.
Looks like I just answered my own question.

[AJMD429]

.
Maybe re-ream the chamber...??? Should be an easy job not requiring much high-tech experience, unless you're demanding match-grade accuracy.

I believe there are a number of 'compromise' chamber dimensions out there like Wylde and so on.

https://americanmadetactical.com/gun-te ... ifference/

Also - I'd guess it depends highly on the ogive - maybe the longer heavier bullets the bigger problem...???

[765x53]

No modification needed. Trust "Gun Jesus" as well as Bill Ruger. ---- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fmcdaAOkY4
Besides I don't think any .223 barrel would have enough diameter to ream to 55.6".

[Blaine]

Thanks, Bronco. Have a Mini14 that was re-barreled THREE decades ago with a bull barrel and chambered in .223. Made the mistake of shooting 55.6 in it and broke the bolt! Was able to get a replacement off fleabay and got it back up and running. Have a Wolff extra power recoil spring in it now. Just don't want to ruin another bolt, hence the first post.
Have a Lee Loader in .223 and thought that IF just seating the bullet deeper would do it, I'd just give it a wack to seat the bullet deeper.

Was it a reload?

[1894cfan]

Ian makes sense in that regard. HOWEVER, the Mini14 I have was re-barreled a long time ago and chambered in .223, likely to match specs. A couple years ago when ammo was getting kinda hard to find, I picked up some from wally world that was labeled 5.56 (there, got the name correct this time) and proceeded to fire some in my Mini14, whereupon the bold was broken! Since then I've loaded EVERYTHING to .223 specs to run through both my AR (chambered in 223 Wylde) and the Mini, hence my first posting to this thread!
NOW you know my reasoning behind this thread. Just want to keep my Mini14 running for as long as possible without breaking anything, again!

[Rockrat]

If rebarreled with a match type throat, then using 5.56 ammo, I could see where you might break a bolt because of the gun being overgassed/too much port pressure. If a tight throat, shouldn't be any problems going with a 5.56 throat to help lower pressures. The Wylde chamber would be a good option and might be the best for you.

[1894cfan]

Modifying the firearm is a no go at this point. Modifying the ammo is, and the cheapest. That is why I started this thread.

[Ray]

Deleted.

[new pig hunter]

I'm absolutely no expert on the topic, so my comment is "memory related."

I recall reading years ago that the danger of using 5.56 in a .223 firearm is Overpressure. My "memory" recalls that 5.56 operates at a higher pressure, and therefore if used in a .223 chamber, there is the potential to Overpressure and break (i.e., explode) the chamber.
------ Hence, the article said, "Don't never ever use 5.56 in a .223 rifle" ....... or words to that effect.

So in reading just above what Ray posted, I certainly have no answer.

I do however have a personal thought: I prefer to err on the safe side. And what is the safe side for me ?? I don't use 5.56 in my .223.

[1894cfan]

Pig Hunter, makes sense to me. Thanks. With that being said, I think I'll go with plan B, pull bullets, reduce powder, re-seat bullets to proper depth. I hope I NEVER have to go that route!

[jeepnik]

As I recall, using .223 in a 5.56 chamber is okay. I have often used .223 in a 5.56 to effectively fire form brass for reloading to 5.56 specs. Here's a pretty good explanation. Take a close look at the section on pressure ratings and testing. That section explains the reason for the confusion.

https://ultimatereloader.com/2018/08/05 ... and-myths/

[ollogger]

Maybe you could make a trade with some one for 223 ammo?
other wise i would pull the bullets a dump at least 2 grains less powder back in the case
Hornady manual says 223 at 55,000 psi & 5.56 at 60.000 psi with a longer throat



ollogger

[1894cfan]

I'm in Kalifornication, so trades are not likely to happen. Besides, I've got SOME .223 stocked up with more on the way as long as the primers, powder and bullets hold out. With the Mini and an AR in 223 Wylde in the rack I should be good for a while. I was wondering about the feasibility of modifying the 5.56 ammo to conform to .223 specs.

[Sixgun]

The .223/5.56 fiasco started when the military went to the 62 grain bullet……..before that, there were no issues.

You have an issue concerning whether or not you should “conform” your ammo. I don’t see why not, as you’re only moving in .020 or whatever it is.

Take a 5.56 factory round and color the bullet with black magic marker and let it slam home…..if there’s marks, seat it until you don’t see those marks….it won’t be much or enough to raise pressures that much. If it is a fair amount I’d get rid of the rifle or buy .223 specific ammo. I don’t have time for that as I want my ammo to fit whatever I have.

I’ve worked with Mini 14’s and unless you have a smith who knows what he’s doing they are good for what they are, a short to medium range varmint/self defense gun. Have the chamber opened up, you don’t need a match chamber on a gun that will not deliver match accuracy.

Personally, I would not have a .223 chamber unless it was for a specific use. 55 and 62 grain bullets are not much good after 300 yards anyway……

In the picture you will see U.S. military 62 gr. ammo, then Remington factory .223 ammo and then my match ammo, an 80 grain Sierra that’s beer can accurate at 546 yards or 500 meters out of a stock Colt AR with a 16” barrel…..single loaded.——-006

[1894cfan]

FYI, the ammo that broke my Mini14 bolt was WINCHESTER 55gr FMJ 5.56 200 rd. bulk factory ammo! Only got 2 boxes of that stuff.

Sixgun, just blacked some green-tip 5.56 rounds and had NO rifling marks, before AND after seating the bullets TEN THOUSANTHS deeper! I think I'm going risk it and try running FIVE rds. through it and see what happens. Maybe, just maybe, I'll have no issues with mil-spec ammo! I HOPE!

Then again, why bother. Most all the ammo I have is to 223 specs anyway.

[Sixgun]

That’s all a new one on me….with the broken bolt………and I’ve been in the .223/5.56 game since it started. I had one mini that I tried to shoot loose…..ripping them out as fast as I could and as many as I could…most all hand loads…..the gun ran great and was accurate until it got hot……maybe 15 rounds………I beat that rifle like a house wife who doesn’t listen the first time.

Maybe you just happened to have a flawed bolt……I believe these warning are because there are a lot of match grade .223’s out there with tight necks and/or no leads for the short bullets that were popular for the .223 in the early days.——006

[1894cfan]

Sixgun, it was a re-barrel! 17.5" bull barrel with 1/9 twist with a Choat night firing flash suppressor/front sight. Likely the company that did it took the 223 cal on the receiver to heart and chambered it JUST for that cartridge! Too late to do anything about it now, it was some 35 years ago, and I don't feel like having it redone at this point in history! Besides, I've got a 223 Wylde chambered AR I can shoot just about anything in that's a heck of lot lighter than the Mini.

[Sixgun]

Oh….that explains it…….my fault for reading too fast and not absorbing the important parts……

That must have been a job……..yea….keep it to the side and use the AR…. those things eat everything……

[1894cfan]

Oh….that explains it…….my fault for reading too fast and not absorbing the important parts……

That must have been a job……..yea….keep it to the side and use the AR…. those things eat everything……

Yup, I know about the AR. I've got a 300BLK upper that I've run everything from Hornady's 86gr 30 Mauser bullets to RCBSs 30-180-FN through without a bobble! That Night Firing flash suppressor does a really good job of reducing flash at night! It's too bad nobody else uses that pattern! I'd like to find one to stick on the end of the AR barrel!

[samsi]

My experience has been that the Mini will digest ammo that won't even chamber in an AR (custom chamber notwithstanding). I bought a bunch of ammo one time that included a couple 30 rd mags that had been loaded for so long that the cases were oblong instead of circular in cross section - it was visible to the naked eye. Mini didn't care.

I have blown primers shooting 5.56 in a 700V. That was on me, I wasn't paying attention to what I was stuffing into the rifle.

[1894cfan]

Samsi, did you read my response to Sixgun about the re-barrel? If not, read it! It explains the reasons I was having the problems that I was.

[samsi]

Yes I did, figured that I'd acknowledged that by adding parenthetically "custom chamber notwithstanding".

I have heard of broken Mini bolts before but it's been attributed to battering from the notoriously over-gassed stock gas system. The only other 5.56 issue I've had was with the Norinco ammo imported about 20 years ago. Way overpressure, it ran at 22-250 speeds and blew primers. Luckily I was running it in a carbine with a rifle spring and heavy buffer. Closest I've come to a Kaboom, showed evidence that the cases were still expanding at the base while unlocking - they looked like little belted magnums!

[1894cfan]

My problem was that when I was shooting the Win 5.56 ammo, I didn't recognize that there was a problem that the Mini wasn't cycling like it normally was and kept shooting until it broke, then had to go to fleabay to get another. Since then, been trying NOT to do it again!