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AR 15 ammo (I'm a newbie)

AnemephistusAnemephistus Member Posts: 4 ✭✭
edited February 2009 in Ask the Experts
I'm buying a Colt AR-15 .223 competition Match Target. I am told that .223 ammo and 5.56 ammo a very similar and can be interchanged in the military M-16 safely. Is this also true for the civil Model AR-15 ?
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Comments

  • leeblackmanleeblackman Member Posts: 5,303 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes, yes, yes and yes....

    Only thing you need to worry about is having enough money to feed that monster...
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  • Wehrmacht_45Wehrmacht_45 Member Posts: 3,377
    edited November -1
    As long as it is chambered for 5.56 NATO you can shoot both. Not all AR15 guns are. Some are chambered for .223 which will not shoot 5.56 NATO ammo in them.

    There are subtle differences in the cartridges.
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  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Soft points may jam on feeding. HP and FMJ bullets feed best.
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  • AnemephistusAnemephistus Member Posts: 4 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hmm... How do you tell if the gun is chambered for 5.56 ? It says .223 on the action but I am told that that is not the only factor.
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  • shoff14shoff14 Member Posts: 11,994 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If its a true colt upper and lower, then look at the barrel. The problem lately is people are getting screwed because people are putting crap uppers on top name lowers and passing them off as that brand of rifle. Colt marks all their barrels. New barrels are marked with the chamber and twist rate.

    DSC00411.jpg

    thats a piss poor picture, but it says C MP 5.56 1/7
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  • Wehrmacht_45Wehrmacht_45 Member Posts: 3,377
    edited November -1
    it should state it on the barrel. All 4 of my AR guns do.
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  • tsavo303tsavo303 Member Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    your colt will be fine with either
    never had a problem with softpoints either
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  • AnemephistusAnemephistus Member Posts: 4 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks a whole bunch guys. I don't have to worry that the gun has had any after market upper put on it. It is coming from a close friend that got it factory new. I'm really looking forward to using it. I just really needed to know what was safe to shoot through it. (and what my ammo budget was going to look like.)

    Thanks Again

    Anemephistus
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  • shilowarshilowar Member Posts: 38,811 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Can I just brag for a minute!!! Town Police Supply in Collinsville VA is awesome! I just bought a Colt 6721 still sealed in the box for $1249.00 at the LEO price....considering what they go for on GB I should go back to tomorrow, buy another handful and give the guy a big sloppy kiss!...not in a gay way...but a damn your the chit kinda way!
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  • chumchumchumchum Member Posts: 847 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hi on a true match chamber the tolerance are very might. Do not use 5.56 in it. Use only .223. My Les Baer IPSC tells you specifically to only use 223 in the rifle. I would not take a change on messsing up a tight chamber on a match rifle unles it stated using 5.56. Why take the chance. If you want a lead spitter their are plenty of AR to buy that will shot 5.56.
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