[Vincine]

Originally Posted by billt

The problem with all of this is you can find .223 handloads to 62,000 in a lot of older manuals, and similar 5.56 MM loads that barely top out at 55,000.

I suppose. Anybody want to fire one or two thousand rounds of 5.56 out of a .223 bolt action to see what happens?

EDIT: Look what I just found: (Scroll down to diagram.)

http://ammo.ar15.com/ammo/project/hist_diff.html

[billt]

Originally Posted by Vincine

Anybody want to fire one or two thousand rounds of 5.56 out of a .223 bolt action to see what happens?

I do it all the time out of my CZ 527. I don't even bother to segregate my brass any longer when I handload the two. The slight difference in case thickness isn't anything to worry about, as is the freebore. I have never seen a rifle that was destroyed because it was fed 5.56 MM instead of .223. There are threads about this all over the Internet, so you would think there would be an example of it somewhere. There isn't. As I said, older manuals are full of .223 data that exceeds current 5.56 MM published data. I've used it with satisfactory results. All of this started after the legal profession invaded our sport. And law schools began producing lawyers like chickens lay eggs.

[Vincine]

Originally Posted by billt

I do it all the time out of my CZ 527. I don't even bother to segregate my brass any longer when I handload the two. The slight difference in case thickness isn't anything to worry about, as is the freebore. I have never seen a rifle that was destroyed because it was fed 5.56 MM instead of .223. There are threads about this all over the Internet, so you would think there would be an example of it somewhere. There isn't. As I said, older manuals are full of .223 data that exceeds current 5.56 MM published data. I've used it with satisfactory results. All of this started after the legal profession invaded our sport. And law schools began producing lawyers like chickens lay eggs.

Well, there you go. Frees to get a .223 when I'm ready for it.