Similar but not the same...

5.56mm v. 223 Remington

Deconfusing the issues of a couple of differences...

Almost a quarter of a century ago, SAAMI recognized potential problems with shooters assuming that the 5.5 mm cartridge was identical to the commercially a!ailable .""# $emington round. %ere is their #& 'anuary &()( release, with some minor errors corrected* +ith the appearance of full metal ,ac-et military 5.5 ammunition on the commercial Mar-et, it has come to the attention of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers. Institute /SAAMI0 that the use of military 5.5 mm ammunition in sporting rifles chambered for 1aliber .""# $emington cartridges can lead to higher2than2normal chamber pressures and possible hazards for the firearm, its user and bystanders. 3ests ha!e confirmed that chamber pressures in a sporting rifle may be significantly higher in the same gun when using military 5.5 mm ammunition rather than commercially loaded 1aliber .""# $emington cartridges, according to SAAMI. SAAMI points out that chambers for military rifles ha!e a different throat configuration than chambers for sporting firearms which, together with the full metal ,ac-et of the military pro,ectile, may account for the higher pressures which result when military ammunition is fired in a sporting chamber. SAAMI recommends that a firearm be fired only with the cartridge for which it is specifically chambered by the manufacturer.
In Rifle Chambered For 223 Remington Do Not Use These Cartridges 5.56mm Military 222 Remington 30 Carbine

Additionally, SAAMI.s Unsafe Arms and Ammunition Combinations Technical Data Sheet page states* 3he .""# $emington is rated for a ma4imum of 55,555 167 while the 5.5 mm is rated for 5,555 167. 3hat e4tra &5,555 167 is li-ely sufficient

to cause a failure in a chamber that.s only rated for the 8sporting8 .""# $emington. 3he .""# $emington and the 5.5 mm 9A3:, when chec-ed with a chamber ream from a reliable manufacturer of each, also ha!e discernable differences in the areas of freebore diameter, freebore length /leade0 and angle of the throat.
SAAMI
Technical Office: P O !o" ##$ !ranford CT %&'%()%##$

/Ironically, gi!en the nature of the on2line confusion e4hibited by .#5 caliber shooters, no similar SAAMI ad!isory is gi!en concerning ). " 9A3: beyond the fact that those who ha!e rifles chambered in 8#5; +inchester8 shouldn.t attempt to shoot cartridges mar-ed 8). "4#(8 or 8#55 Sa!age.8 +ell, duh<0 %owe!er, the estimable 1lint Mc=ee of >ulton Armory, has thoughtfully pro!ided a brief monograph, 3he difference between 5.5 mm and .""# $emington chambers in the A$2&5?2type rifle, which e4plains this issue in greater /but quite readable0 detail. :lin.s +inchester Ammunition site, in "55&, addressed this matter as well, in a concise monograph by 7aul 9owa-.

urther !ie"s on #Differences#

At the :ctober "55& IA@A>I 1onference in $eno, 9e!ada, Biles Stoc-, retired from 7hoeni4 7olice Department after "5 years ser!ice, discussed the differences between the .""# $emingtonCSAAMI and 5.5 mmC9A3: rifle chambers. 3he long2time range master for handgun, rifle, carbine and shotgun at Bunsite and de!eloper of the acclaimed Biles 3actical Sling suggested that, as a general rule, recreational rifles ha!e the former, and military rifles the latter... but there is some o!erlap, most notably in the popular Sturm $uger Mini2&D which has been offered in both specifications< 9A3: chambers ha!e a long leade1. SAAMI chambers are tighter and ha!e a short leade. SAAMI chambers are designed for increased accuracy, but will yield dangerously high pressures in guns using military ammunition andCor which are sub,ect to high !olume shooting. 6nder such high pressures, a primer may bac- out completely, drop into the action and cause the firearm to stop wor-ing.

It has been suggested that an autoloading rifle utilizing a SAAMI2spec chamber may increase ris- of o!erpressure due to the tighter, shorter leade which retards the pro,ectile somewhat as it is attempting to e4it the case. @ea!e the SAMMI chambers to the a bolt action and single2shot rifles.

$inchester #$hite %o&# Confusion

3his has been ma-ing American shooters nuts for a number of years now... particularly in the immediate aftermath of && September "55& when there was a ma,or run on 5.5 mm ammunition. +inchester.s 8generic8 or 8budget8 USA, or 8white bo4,8 brand of ammunition actually has two different 552grain >M' rounds, and one has to loo- closely at the 8small print8 to discern the difference. >or openers, in addition to the A3=2operated @a-e 1ity plant2, +inchester is also a primary supplier of M&(# to the 6.S. military. 3hat particular E""#$& round is commercially a!ailable in the white 6SA bo4 product encoded 8F#&#&.8 +hat few realize is that Israeli Military Industries /IMI0, the sole supplier of ammo to the Israeli Defense >orce /ID>0, also supplies their M&(# as a subcontractor for +inchesterG that round is often made a!ailable in the 6SA white bo4es mar-ed 8F#&#&A.8 Hy most reports, qualitati!ely, it is the same round and performs !irtually the same as the home2grown !ariant.
*.2 Leade is the distance the pro,ectile of a chambered round must tra!el upon ignition before it enters the bore of a barrel. It is measured in thousandths of an inch, and is a datum of considerable interest to benchrest shooters. +.2 3he go!ernment2owned, contractor2operated @a-e 1ity Army Ammunition 7lant /@1AA70 in Independence, Missouri, is the largest /D5; buildings on #,(#5 acres0 small2arms manufacturing plant in the world.
>ounded in &(D&, 8@a-e 1ity8 manufactures and proof2tests small arms /5.5 mm 2 "5mm0 munitions. It was initially operated by $emington Arms 1ompany until &(;5 when :lin 1orporation bid and was awarded the contract to operate the facility. In &(((, Alliant 3echSystems /A3=0 in con,unction with >ederal 1artridge 1orporation won a ten2year contract to assume the operations. A3= subsequently acquired >ederal 1artridge from Hlount Sporting Boods Di!ision.