223 Wylde vs 556 barrel

T

TrueBlue711

New member
So I'm confused. My understanding is that the point of a 223 Wylde barrel is to be able to safely shoot both 223 and 5.56 in it. But we can already shoot both safely in a 5.56 barrel. So what's the difference between a 223 Wylde and a 5.56 barrel? Why would you want a 223 Wylde over a 5.56?
 
Supposedly its a bit less spacey and a bit more accurate and still allows the combo shooting of 5.56 or .223
 
The main difference between the typical .223 Remington chamber and the 5.56x45 chamber is the length and volume of the leade, or throat space. The 223 chamber is tighter with a shorter leade cut at a steeper angle compared to the longer leade of the 5.56 chamber which is cut at a shallower angle. The freebore diameter of the 223 Rem chamber is also about .002" less than that of the 5.56 chamber.

I said "typical" because there is no absolute uniform standard for either chamber dimension as multiple different reamers have been used by different barrel manufacturers.

The more generous chamber throat dimensions of the 5.56 were necessary to accommodate some of the longer military projectiles such as tracer ammunition without causing an over-pressure situation. But the larger chamber does result in some potential loss of accuracy when .223 Remington ammunition is shot in 5.56 chambered barrels. A tighter chamber will generally provide better accuracy so long as the chamber is not so tight as to result in over-pressure with the intended ammunition or interfere with feeding and extraction.

The 223 Wylde chamber is a hybrid between the 223 Rem and 5.56 chambers. It has the longer leade of the 5.56 chamber so 5.56 ammunition can be shot without resultant potential over-pressure. But it has the tighter .2240" freebore diamter of the 223 Rem chamber. The result is a potential gain in accuracy when shooting 223 Remington ammunition, or even the more common 55 and 62 grain 5.56x45 ammunition.

I say "potential" accuracy gain because there are a lot of other factors that will determine accuracy of a barrel apart from exact chamber dimensions.
 
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pblanc said:
The main difference between the typical .223 Remington chamber and the 5.56x45 chamber is the length and volume of the leade, or throat space. The 223 chamber is tighter with a shorter leade cut at a steeper angle compared to the longer leade of the 5.56 chamber which is cut at a shallower angle. The freebore diameter of the 223 Rem chamber is also about .002" less than that of the 5.56 chamber.

I said "typical" because there is no absolute uniform standard for either chamber dimension as multiple different reamers have been used by different barrel manufacturers.

The more generous chamber throat dimensions of the 5.56 were necessary to accommodate some of the longer military projectiles such as tracer ammunition without causing an over-pressure situation. But the larger chamber does result in some potential loss of accuracy when .223 Remington ammunition is shot in 5.56 chambered barrels.

The 223 Wylde chamber is a hybrid between the 223 Rem and 5.56 chambers. It has the longer leade of the 5.56 chamber so 5.56 ammunition can be shot without resultant potential over-pressure. But it has the tighter .2240" freebore diamter of the 223 Rem chamber. The result is a potential gain in accuracy when shooting 223 Remington ammunition, or even the more common 55 and 62 grain 5.56x45 ammunition.

I say "potential" accuracy gain because there are a lot of other factors that will determine accuracy of a barrel apart from exact chamber dimensions.
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Great answer and absolutely correct.
 
Somebody once did chamber casts on a number of different barrels.
It seemed not to make much difference whether they were stamped .223, 5.56, or Wylde; actual dimensions were all over the place.
Sorry, I don't have a link.
 
So in short, it's more accurate. Thanks for the info!

I was looking to replace my current 16" 5.56 barrel with this 18" Wylde barrel. Price is good and the reviews are good too. Only problem is the build is a lightweight build and the current 5.56 barrel is pencil profile. The Wylde barrel will add about 1/2 pound to the rifle. Maybe I should make a seperate upper? The 5.56 upper for ultra lightweight and the Wylde upper for more accuracy focused shooting?
 
When asked why they use a .223 Wylde chamber in some of their AR-15 rifles, Rock River Arms, Inc. explained, "The .223 Wylde was designed as a match chambering for semi-automatic rifles. It will accommodate both .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO ammunition. It is relieved in the case body to aid in extraction and features a shorter throat for improved accuracy."
 
I would be more concerned with the twist rate of the barrel than if it is a Wylde or a 5.56 NATO cut chamber.

I have two extremely accurate 5.56 NATO rifles.

My brother has a 220 Swift that when you look into it you will cringe. Years of being in a truck in a humid climate, you can easily see pits on the inside from rust. It still shoots amazingly well so much so that no one cares about the "looks" because the function is just fine.

The twist rate is something you have to live with. The chamber and barrel can usually be matched to a good load.
 
TrueBlue711 said:
So in short, it's more accurate. Thanks for the info!

I was looking to replace my current 16" 5.56 barrel with this 18" Wylde barrel. Price is good and the reviews are good too. Only problem is the build is a lightweight build and the current 5.56 barrel is pencil profile. The Wylde barrel will add about 1/2 pound to the rifle. Maybe I should make a seperate upper? The 5.56 upper for ultra lightweight and the Wylde upper for more accuracy focused shooting?
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NO! Do not buy an AR-Stoner barrel. There are no hits, and a lot of misses. There are plenty of good barrels in the same price range.

I have one 5.56 chambered barrels, and the rest are all Wylde chambered. I am one of the people who actually loads long range match ammo to the higher pressure 5.56 specs and it is so much more accurate in the Wylde chambers than in the 5.56 chambers.
 
+1 on the Green Mountain tip. I've used several over the years and have always had fast shipping and excellent quality out of them. I'm not the best reloader, but I can't tell the difference between GM and White Oak.
 
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