Well got me an AR15 @ last.

[Frogbones]

Ok, Finally got me one. I was going to get a small 357sig pistol, but happened on a private sale @ a gunshow for a Olympic Arms AR for $650, very clean, two mags and a hundred rounds of ammo. The fore grip that has a rail system with a VFG.

Question

Now, on the lower, stamped into the magwell it says "cal. multi 2005" and on the barrel right near the front sight it says 556.

Now I'm sure it can....... but I want to confirm... can it shoot both nato 5.56 and rem.223?

I know you can shoot both if it's a 5.56, but you can run into problems if it's rem.223 and you shoot nato 5.56 through it. right?

Pics:

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[BAC]

Eh, general rule of thumb: ignore what's on the barrel. It means nothing.

I won't rehash anything previously stated about Olympic Arms. I will say that if you plan to shoot a large amount of 5.56 NATO ammo through it, you probably want to have someone run a reamer. Otherwise I'd strongly consider sticking to SAAMI-spec .223 Rem ammo. SAAMI max pressure specs are considerably lower than NATO specs, so yes, it can be a problem shooting 5.56 NATO pressure ammo in .223 Rem SAAMI-spec chambers.


-B

[nutz4utwo]

Eh, general rule of thumb: ignore what's on the barrel. It means nothing.

I won't rehash anything previously stated about Olympic Arms.

I have never heard this before? The barrel is the correct place to identify what type of ammo is safe to fire!?!?

Olympic Arms, Inc. - How do I identify my Olympic Arms barrel?

Is this some sort of specific quality control issue with Olympic Arms?

[ScubaDuba]

Why do people cover the serial numbers in their pictures?

[noonan]

If the lower is stamped 5.56 you can shoot .223 out of it. If it says .223 you can use 5.56 but it is not advised!

[Chooie]

If the lower is stamped 5.56 you can shoot .223 out of it. If it says .223 you can use 5.56 but it is not advised!

FWIW, the stamping on the lower often has nothing to do with the shape of the chamber. I would have a gunsmith ream the chamber to 5.56 NATO just to be sure.

[BAC]

I have never heard this before? The barrel is the correct place to identify what type of ammo is safe to fire!?!?

This isn't an Olympic Arms specific problem. It's something a lot of companies do; barrels that say "5.56" still see significant amounts of metal come out when a 5.56 reamer is run in them. DPMS, Olympic Arms, RRA (new ones might be marked Wylde, but I'm not sure), Stag, most of the really big ones. A growing number of companies, however, are taking their markings more seriously (BCM, CD Defense, Colt, Daniel Defense, LMT, Noveske's non SS barrels).

Having a smith run a true 5.56 NATO reamer through the chamber is cheap insurance if you plan on running .mil ammo (M193, XM193, Q3131 and its variants, M855, etc.). Seeing how accurate some NATO-chambered rifles have been (honest 1/2 MOA at 100 yards with M855... ), I'd have the barrel reamed even if you didn't plan on shooting .mil ammo. Just in case.


-B

[dukalmighty]

Caliber markings on a lower receiver mean absolutely nothing,you can replace the upper with any number of different calibers available,so make sure you know what calibre the barrel is

[Frogbones]

What the heck? Why mark ANYTHING if the damn markings mean nothing.......I don't get it.

So a barrel marked 556 isn't for 556 rounds? WHAT?

SO If I go and shoot 556nato and damage the gun I can send it in and have them fix because they gave me false specs stamped ON THE BARREL.

So every lowers stamping should be considered false...or bull? Then why stamp it....uugh.

If I buy ANY full upper I should spend another 100 bucks or so to have it reamed just because the markings/stamps on the barrel don't have any credit? That's just stupid.

This is all I'm getting from you guys. I'm at a loss if I can't trust anything stamped on AR15's.


I apologize if I'm coming across either naive, or ignorant.

What's the use of specs when they mean nothing.....either on the gun, on paper, or the some web page...even if it's from the manufacturer.

[Chevy-SS]

I'm no AR15 expert, but it seems like a lot of the guys here are - AR15.Com

I would try asking over there.

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[RebelRabbi]

............and so your kerfuffle with the Stoner Rifle begins. Anybody ever wonder why there are so many issues and fixes available for the AR? Best Poor Mans Assault Rifle? Mini-14 or AK. PERIOD.

[BAC]

............and so your kerfuffle with the Stoner Rifle begins. Anybody ever wonder why there are so many issues and fixes available for the AR? Best Poor Mans Assault Rifle? Mini-14 or AK. PERIOD.

Frogbones, if you do shoot factory 5.56 NATO ammunition out of a rifle chambered for the same that damages the rifle, then either the rifle manufacturer or ammo manufacturer are paying to get it fixed.

One of the problems raised by a manufacturer a while back (I forget who) was that there are many different ".223 Rem SAAMI-spec" chambers... while there's only one 5.56 NATO chamber. Yes, the fact that the stamps say the weapon is chambered for a particular caliber, but the weapon might not quite be, is frustrating as hell. However, consider the similarities between the .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO. They're so close dimensionally that they're almost the same round; NATO ammo's loaded a little hotter (higher pressure) and has a slightly different chamber to compensate, but that's about it. Only one other caliber shares this problem (albeit in a different way). Since the AR is the most popular rifle chambered in .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO...

All of this being said, there's a reason I mentioned the companies that I did - they're well-known entities with solid reputations for producing good guns. Their markings mean what they say they do. It's disconcerting to run a 5.56 reamer through a ton of 5.56-marked barrels from a particular company to find every single one of them pulls metal out. Certain companies (like those I mentioned previously) don't share that problem.

Give ADCO or MSTN a call or send them an email requesting a quote to have the barrel reamed. They're both great companies who can work magic with metal. I'd be awfully surprised if it was $100. You can also head over to M4Carbine.net where you can get a more technical answer and maybe find someone near you in Texas who can ream your barrel's chamber for free.


-B

[Frogbones]

Thanks BAC.

Anywoo. I thinks it's a good start for me....cheap, and something for me to learn and build on.

Off to piddle with it.

[Frogbones]

I'm no AR15 expert, but it seems like a lot of the guys here are - AR15.Com

I would try asking over there.

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Can't...my email isn't good enough for them.

[Chooie]

Registering on ARFCOM can be kind of a pain... besides, I've found M4Carbine.net to be a friendlier site.

Check out these threads, maybe they'll help you understand why reaming a chamber is sometimes necessary and a desired trait in a fighting rifle.

Now I'm an AR15 owner, now what? - M4Carbine.net Forums

Comparison Chart of Major AR Brands - M4Carbine.net Forums

"Oh No! I bought a BM/RRA/Stag before I knew better!" - M4Carbine.net Forums