If you found your way to this article, you have most likely heard of the .223 Remington (Rem) and 5.56 NATO cartridges. These are the rounds that feed America's Rifle, the AR15. While many people group these two rounds together, they are indeed different. Let's break down the difference, as well as where .223 Wylde fits into this conversation. What is .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO? Before we cover anything, we must briefly discuss the origins of .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO. In the 1950s, famed firearms designer Eugene Stoner designed the Armalite AR10, a lightweight battle rifle in 7.62 NATO
. While the original AR10's success in America was limited, it was picked up by a few foreign militaries. By the mid-1950s, the US government tasked Armalite with scaling down the AR10 to the smaller AR15
rifle. The existing .222 Rem cartridge served as a base for the new AR15 round. However, designers lengthened .222 Rem to hold more gunpowder, which boosted muzzle velocity.

The .222 Rem cartridge that started it all.

After design tweaks, the enhanced .222 round became .223 Rem. By the late 1950s, Armalite
sold the AR15's rights to Colt. The US military adopted the AR15, designated the M16 in the mid-1960s. Remington's .223 cartridge became 5.56 NATO in military service. The .223 Rem cartridge carried on as a commercial caliber, which is still in use today. .223 Remington vs. 5.56 NATO Chambers As we stated earlier, the .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO rounds usually get lumped together. Externally, these two rounds are nearly identical; however, there are some clear distinctions. The .223 Rem
round is a slightly lower-pressure sporting cartridge compared to 5.56 NATO. Additionally, rifles chambered in .223 Rem have a tighter chamber to aid in additional accuracy. Conversely, 5.56 NATO is a higher-pressure round to generate extra muzzle velocity. Since .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO
cases are the same external size, parts of the 5.56 NATO chambers need to be slightly larger to operate safely with the additional pressure.

The Federal American Eagle XM193 5.56 NATO is very close to the original 55gr 5.56 loading.

Generally speaking, it is safe to fire .223 Rem in a 5.56 NATO chambered firearm, since it's designed for higher pressure anyway. However, the opposite is usually not true, and 5.56 NATO rounds should not fire in a .223 Rem chamber. Also, shooting each cartridge in their purpose-designed chamber typically yields the highest accuracy. Naturally, consult a qualified gunsmith if you are not sure which chamber your firearm uses. What is .223 Wylde? Alright, now that we've hashed out the differences between .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO, let's get down to the topic at hand. Don't worry, .223 Wylde is not some new wonder caliber you missed. .223 Wylde
is actually a distinct chamber design created by Bill Wylde, a gunsmith experienced with building precision rifles. After looking at the chamber dimensions of both .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO, Wylde designed a new chamber specification to safely accommodate each round equally. Is .223 Wylde Better than .223 Rem or 5.56 NATO? Even after learning about what .223 Wylde is, one might still wonder: what's the point? .223 Wylde is nearly a do-all chamber, swallowing up .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO with equal ease. Better yet, it usually shoots both calibers with comparable accuracy. Many folks with 5.56 NATO AR15s shoot .223 Rem in their rifles due to the cheaper cost per round. As we covered earlier, .223 Rem is usually slightly less accurate out of a 5.56 NATO rifle. Firearms with a .223 Wylde
chamber fix the accuracy variation between .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO.

.223 Rem is an economical solution for shooting in your 5.56 NATO chambered firearms. When used in a .223 Wylde chambered firearm, it's even better.

  Conclusion The AR15 is so prevalent in the US that it's gained the term America's Rifle. While most manufacturers standardize on a 5.56 NATO chambering, the .223 Wylde chamber design provides more flexibility and capability with a wide variety of ammunition. Explore our long guns chambered in .223 Rem/5.56 NATO
and .223 Wylde
. Also, don't miss out on our selection of .223 Rem/5.56 NATO
and .223 Wylde
handguns.