i’m sure its been asked before, but i could not find what i was looking for using search function
After i ordered my first AR (BushMaster BCWA2F16), only to realize that i did not do enough homework prior to ordering my gun.
I was under impression that .223remington and 5.56NATO is same, but i now come to find out that its NOT the same.
hearing 5.56NATO can NOT be shot through .223 Remington SAAMI-spec chambers, due to possible stractual damage. Simple enough. I guess Iwill not get those bulk Mil surplus ammo.
BUT i was not planning to use Whinchester whitebox ammo (Common in walmart), but then i was told that common Winchester “white box,” brand of ammunition actually has two different 55-grain FMJ rounds, and I have to look closely at the “small print” to discern the difference. Since Winchester is a one of primary supplier of M193 to the U.S. military. That particular X223R1 round is commercially available in the white USA box product encoded “Q3131.”
And to make things even more confusing, I guess there are white boxes marked “Q3131A.” available as well, which is something to do with Israeli Military Industries (IMI), the sole supplier of ammo to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), also supplies their M193 as a subcontractor for Wincheste
For my gun - Which only states its chambered for ".223 Remington caliber ", what should I shoot? Can i shoot 5.56NATO out of it? if so, then I guess this Q3131 and Q3131A is of no concern, but if not, then I have to start looking for other cheap ammo…
Congratulations on buying an AR!
There are differences between 5.56 and .223. However, unless things are really bad on one end or the other, the problems w/ 223 chambers are they are tight (there seems to be little consistency in chamber dimensions among some makers) and may manifest itself in FTE because the case will not/ cannot be extracted routinely from the chamber when it is hot (harsh firing strings).
The BM seems to be mainly forgiving here. Run it. If it doesn’t run properly, find someone with a Ned Christensen reamer and have them clean it up (I wind up doing several chambers in a class).
Don’t buy into the isreali hype. Q3131A is extremely poor ammunition. The QC issues run from dimension problems to pressure problems. There are those in the business that believe they are foisting this garbage on us for a wide variety of reasons, but primarily because they have rejected it for use in their country.
In the US, M193 is an obselete round. I am not aware if it is being made/ supplied to the US military anymore- and not for a long time. Maybe someone else can chime in that knows more about it, but what makers put on ammo boxes is like what gun makers stamp on barrels, and is suspect.
Also note that “XM” ammo is also rejected ammunition. Be careful in what you buy.
About the Q3131 v. Q3131A, USA223R1, Winchester White Box, and Wal-Mart (objection, compound question)
I haven’t seen any Winchester White Box .223 FMJ in any Wal-Mart for months. Sure, WWB in .38, .380, 9mm, .357 SIG, .40, .45, 7.62x39mm, and even .22-250 are around, in either Wally World or Gander Mountain where I live; just not the one we really want. Wal-Mart does stock Remington 55FMJ for about 35 cents/round, not too bad these days but you can do better. Maybe stores in your area have .223 WWB. I just checked at MidwayUSA and they are slap out of .223 WWB, no backorder, and everybody else seems to be too.
You wouldn’t find Q3131 or Q3131A in Wal-Mart anyway, even if they come in white boxes. I don’t believe Q3131, the American-made version, is currently available for sale to normal people, although quantities have been released in the past and some of it turns up for sale now and then. I looked just now and everybody who lists it in their site is out of stock. I have a stash of Q3131 that I got last October at a gun show. The boxes are marked “5.56MM” so you can tell them instantly from “mere civilian” .223, and the brass is Lake City not Winchester. I’ve fired maybe 100 rounds without trouble but that is far from a scientific sample. I haven’t shot any Q3131A and would defer to Bro. Pat’s experience on that stuff.
True, M193 (all M193 is 55 FMJ but not all 55 FMJ is M193) is an obsolete load, so that is why they issue it to law enforcement! :rolleyes: Our department gives us 50 rounds of Winchester 55 FMJ, part number USA223R1, which is not as high-pressure as M193. USA223R1 or 2 is IIRC what you used to could find at Wal-Mart, and please Lord it will be back on the shelves someday at some reasonable price. I can hit what I need to with it, and am glad to have a patrol carbine at all–some departments near me don’t authorize them. Might scare the taxpayers, you know.
Sorry at work and can’t take more time with this. Here’s some stuff i found since I couldn’t find what I was going to originally send you. As always take anything off the net with grain of salt and double check it.
Originally Posted By cckw:
I would save the XM193 for sure, for additional storage buy Black Hills on those small occassional buys and shoot the other for practice. No hurry to shoot the rest of course. By the time you get through it you should have a nice pile of BH built up.
I am very bias toward US made ammo. If I can steal someone elses line “If you wouldn’t drink the water, why would you trust the ammo?”
Good idea! BTW, how is the tap water in Israel? Might there be a difference in what they pipe into Gaza?
