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223 5.56 question


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Dont be nervous, you are simply a victim of of internet forum expert testimony from 3rd, 4th, 5th hand info.

 

I have shot everything from wolf to some winchester softpoints and they all ran through it fine.

 

I have used federal brown box MX 193 and it seemed to like it well. Dings the brass pretty good though on ejection.

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  • 4 weeks later...
I bought some Federal XM193 to try in my Saiga because I heard so many good reports at the

AR15.com forum

 

I have not tried it yet, and now I'm a little nervous about giving it a try.

 

Has anyone else fired the Federal XM193 ammo in their Saiga?

 

Thanks

 

Moonlitin

 

 

I ran about 40 rounds of XM193 through my Saiga without any problems. I did notice that it seemed a little hotter. Of course, I assumed that it was safe to use. It probably is, but like Vjor indicated, it's your personal risk.

 

I stick to .223 now. I still have a bit of XM193 around, but I'm saving it for a rainy/post hurricane/roving-gangs-of-looters/stuff-hits-the-fan day. ;)

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I'd like to reiterate a previous peice of advice regarding this. Look up some information about reloading. You should be able to find examples of "high pressure signs" in many places, complete with pictures. Use these as guidelines when examining fired brass and make your descision based on that.

 

You may also want to implement a new cleaning protocol: wear inspection. Every time you strip your rifle for cleaning, make sure to inspect the contact areas of your rifle for wear, and make notes of what you find. If you ever find something that makes you nervous (cracks, warping of metal, etc.), have it inspected by a gunsmith. This may not give you immediate feedback regarding the ammo you use, but it might save you some trouble in the long run.

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Its possible to have problems with any ammo in any gun. Dont be surprised if malfunctions or high pressure signs show up in a new box of ammo. I dont worry about the x51 and 308 thing but I have heard of problems with military ammo in 223 rifles with minimun chambers. Its also true that the military brass is thicker than commerical but you can find variations in both. You will notice that the reloading manuals usually specify brass maker. With the military brass it is best to allow a 5 per cent reduction in maximun powder charge and always start with the listed starting load. Concerning the "they could use our ammo and we couldnt use theirs" thing that wasnt true with the rifle calibers. However, with the mortors the 81mm us round would work in the 82mm mortors but not the other way around. Also the 50 cal MG US round would probably work in the 51 cal MG as the 50 was only slightly smaller in bore and shorter in length.

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  • 2 months later...

There is a difference between 223/5.56 and 308/7.62. But do you know what...... many rifles marked 223 or 308 are actually built for 5.56 or 7.62..... Yes... Do you really believe that an AR15 will "Blow up and shower everyone with a mile with bits of receiver" if you fire 5.56 through it? It was designed for 5.56. The only real difference between an M16/M4 and an AR is the trigger group (and twist rate on some rifles). Most civilian versions of military weapons function fine with 5.56 or 7.62. The rifles you don't want to use 5.56/7.62 in are ones like the Mini14 that are not a civilian version of a military rifle.

 

Before anyone brings it up… yes there was a government model of the Mini14 used by the 504th in Vietnam… but those are rare and they were built specifically for 5.56. Another thing the twist rate on some civilian ARs will not affect the chamber pressure

 

The Saiga 308 & 223 are chambered for 7.62 & 5.56. If you don't believe me look here on the Izhmash web site. http://www.izhmash.ru/eng/product/saiga.shtml

Scroll about 2 3rds down the page to "Specifications"

Edited by icarus
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The biggest problem I've heard of with commercial ammo in a CETME is that some of the softer brass (especially on "match" ammo) can get stuck and rip the case to pieces.

 

Everyone knows my take on the 5.56 vs. 223 business: Unless you've got a match rifle, bugger off! You've no business discussing this as anything more than an intellectual excercise.

 

Besides, the companies that make these rifles (and the ammunition makers for that matter!) are usually happy to answer questions about specifications. Call them. It's bad business to have customers die, even if it is the customer's fault.

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The biggest problem I've heard of with commercial ammo in a CETME is that some of the softer brass (especially on "match" ammo) can get stuck and rip the case to pieces.

 

Everyone knows my take on the 5.56 vs. 223 business: Unless you've got a match rifle, bugger off! You've no business discussing this as anything more than an intellectual excercise.

 

Besides, the companies that make these rifles (and the ammunition makers for that matter!) are usually happy to answer questions about specifications. Call them. It's bad business to have customers die, even if it is the customer's fault.

 

CETMEs were made for diff ammo; not 7.62. It was some weird Spanish round. It is not made anymore, but it is very similar to 7.62.

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