.223 Rem in AR

bronko22000 · 09-07-2008, 07:32 PM

OK guys, I have a question. I have a few hundred .223 rounds in 55 gr and 60 handloaded.Cases are FL sized and trimmed. I have no problem chambering them and firing them in my bolt action or my Mini 14. However, I took some with me today to try in my new AR-15 style rifle and could not get them to fully chamber.
My question is this - Do I need to get a small base sizing die in .223 or can I get a 5.56 die? I think there is some minor difference in the shoulder dimensions.

Briman · 09-08-2008, 06:04 AM

Is the AR a match or varmint varient? Standard 556 chambers tend to be long compared to .223 chambers.

I would just buy new brass for the AR (winchester brass), and use it seperately in the AR. Use a head and shoudlers guage to adjust your sizing die to keep headspace to a minimum, and use a standard FL sizing die (A SB die will not hurt though!)

FWIW, I fire very hot handloads though my White Oak match chambered AR barrel and have not had a problem with cases not chambering while using a properly set FL die.

bronko22000 · 09-08-2008, 06:16 AM

Thanks - its a shame though, as I already have about 500 additional empty brass already sized and primed and ready to load.
Maybe I can get a small base die and remove the decapping pin and run them through. What do you think?

RLoving1 · 09-08-2008, 09:16 AM

It is recommended to use small base dies for semi's.I don't use them but I have a special shell holder that serves same purpose,it is about .10 shorter than stock.Also make sure the case length is correct and the overal loaded length too.

bronko22000 · 09-08-2008, 03:09 PM

I've been doing a good bit of searching on this and found that some guys even shave a bit of the shell holder back a bit so the die can push back the shoulder a little more. I don't think I want to do that. I called my local gun shop and ordered a SB die.
I am going to try to resize a couple that I already have sized and primed and see how they chamber. I know I will have to remove the decapping pin first.

Briman · 09-09-2008, 09:19 AM

Quote:

I've been doing a good bit of searching on this and found that some guys even shave a bit of the shell holder back a bit so the die can push back the shoulder a little more. I don't think I want to do that.

Nooooo. If you have the 556 chamber, the chamber length is likely to be near maximum headspacing- The barrels/barrel extensions are not matched up to the bolts on mass produced rifles so the chambers are cut long not only for better functioning with a dirty chamber but also so that any bolt out of the parts bin will not headspace too short. With my factory 556 barrel I was getting the shoulder pushed forward by 0.007" from virgin brass. On my match barrel, its only about 0.003." A bolt action rifle might be tighter considering that it will have a .223 chamber.

bronko22000 · 09-09-2008, 12:44 PM

I see what you are getting at Briman. That's what has me baffled. I cannot understand why these same reloads will function smoothly in my .223 bolt, yet fail to fully chamber in the AR? If what you are saying is true (and I don't doubt you), it seems that if these rounds should chamber easily my .223 botl , they should also chamber in the 5.56 chamber.?!?!

devil dog · 09-09-2008, 07:46 PM

bronco, have you tried shooting any other ammunition through the rifle yet to make sure you dont have a chamber issue?, alsoI load for two different AR set-ups, one is a .223 chamber in my varmint gun and a 556 chamberin my match rifle,COAL for the 223 is 2.260 "with 70gr Barnes TSX" with the bullet being .015 off the lands, that same bullet in my match rifle will not let the bolt close, a 69gr Nosler Custom Comp. bullet loaded for the 556 has a COAL of 2.255 .003 off the lands and works fine for both. All brass is prosessed the same for both rifles, sized with a sb fl die and trimmed to the same length, so it is possible just the bearring surface of the bullet is touching the lands and not letting the round chamber. An easy way to check is to use a COAL gage or you canput magic marker on a bullet and seat it partway in a fired case, put it in the chamber and ease the bolt home, extract it and measure the marks and seat the bullet a couple of thousands deeper.

bronko22000 · 09-10-2008, 02:55 PM

Devildog - Youhave a valid point. But I checked the OAL and I am .070" off the lands with this bullet. I did shoot several different brands of factory ammo.
At the range I did attempt to chamber a round and it did not chamber. Upon extraction, I reinserted it into the mag and tried again. The second time, it chambered. Upon firing, the rest of the magazine full of handloads functioned flawlessly. Probably because there was a little more force closing the bolt during cycling.
I am so close to having them chamber that I think the SB die will do the job.

bronko22000 · 10-02-2008, 10:26 AM

Problem solved guys. I got a SB sizing die. Removed the decapping pin and sprayed some cases with Hornady One Shot and ran them through. I loaded them up and took them to the range today. Not a single misfeed or misfire. Now I just need to resize all the other cases and load them up.