223 Ammunition

History of 223 Remington Ammunition

The .223 Remington cartridge was introduced to the civilian market in January of 1964. In February of 1964, the United States Air Force adopted the cartridge as the 5.56x45mm for use in their new M-16 rifles. The .223 was the released to the civilian market as a rifle cartridge to be used as a varmint and predator hunting cartridge.

This mild recoiling cartridge would prove popular among several shooting disciplines and firearms applications. Varmint and predator hunters were the initial focus of the .223 Remington. The flat shooting and excellent accuracy of the cartridge were admired by the hunters who found it effective on small vermin up to medium size predators, such as coyote, out to 300 yards. Some hunters use it on game as large as deer, but several jurisdictions do not allow the .223 to be used for deer hunting noting the bullet diameter or muzzle energy are not sufficient for a humane harvest.

The .223 Remington is also popular among competitive shooters as it can be found at Service Rifle and F-Class matches. Here it is used for precision shooting at ranges up to 1000 yards. The .223 is also popular among 3-gun shooters where the mild recoil allows for light rifles with high magazine capacity to be used for fast and accurate shooting.

Law enforcement agencies have also found the .223 Remington to be a valuable addition to their firearms cache. It can be found in patrol cars and used in place of the 12 gauge shotgun when a longer or more precise shot is needed. In addition to patrol duties, some departments have also found it to be useful for urban sniping operations.

The .223 Remington is actually a .224 diameter bullet. Its bullet weights commonly range from 36-77 grains. The muzzle velocities from a rifle span 2700 to 3700 feet per second, with muzzle energies from 1100-1300 foot pounds of energy. Since the .223 Remington is one of the most popular cartridges in America, firearms manufacturers are regularly expanding and refining their products chambered for the .223.

No discussion of this caliber would be complete without a mention of the AR-15 type rifles that are wildly popular. Some of these rifles are chambered for the .223 Remington, while others are chambered for the 5.56x45mm. The two cartridges are not the same. Due to different case dimensions, the 5.56 throat and case are designed in a way that if they are fired in a rifle chambered for .223, it will result in potentially dangerously high pressures. These pressures could damage the firearm and or the shooter. With that being said, the .223 ammunition can be used in firearms chambered for the 5.56mm with no ill effects.