223 Wylde vs 556 barrel

TrueBlue711 · December 19, 2018, 12:42 PM

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?

RC20 · December 19, 2018, 01:23 PM

Supposedly its a bit less spacey and a bit more accurate and still allows the combo shooting of 5.56 or .223

pblanc · December 19, 2018, 01:29 PM

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.

LineStretcher · December 19, 2018, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pblanc

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.

Great answer and absolutely correct.

Jim Watson · December 19, 2018, 02:43 PM

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.

Mobuck · December 20, 2018, 07:06 AM

I see no reason NOT to use a WYLDE chamber but I doubt most users will see any diff vs a 5.56 chamber

TrueBlue711 · December 20, 2018, 10:38 AM

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?

dgludwig · December 20, 2018, 02:02 PM

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."

sirgilligan · December 20, 2018, 02:10 PM

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.

MarkCO · December 20, 2018, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueBlue711

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?

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.

TrueBlue711 · December 20, 2018, 03:43 PM

Quote:

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.

Like what?

MarkCO · December 20, 2018, 04:23 PM

Bergara, Faxon, Ballistic Advantage, Green Mountain Barrels. All of them have a few that are under $100 up to over what you probably want to spend.

Bergara placed everything "out of stock" until January 5th, just FYI. Faxon and BA look to have several out of stock too.

This looks the closest from Green Mountain: http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/gm-m18-...wylde-chamber/

10-96 · December 21, 2018, 04:05 AM

+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.

Zen Archery · December 21, 2018, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrueBlue711

Like what?

Weird mine is .0125 accurate
https://youtu.be/5KupeqRP6TI

Plinking at 700 yds.
https://youtu.be/bYHB3Silp-Q

kymasabe · December 21, 2018, 08:06 PM

I'm running a nitride Anderson barrel, 1:8 twist in .223 Wylde, and it's scary accurate for a $103 barrel.

December 19, 2018, 12:42 PM	#1
TrueBlue711 Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2011 Posts: 489	223 Wylde vs 556 barrel 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?

December 19, 2018, 01:23 PM	#2
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	Supposedly its a bit less spacey and a bit more accurate and still allows the combo shooting of 5.56 or .223 __________________ Science and Facts are True whether you believe it or not

December 19, 2018, 01:29 PM	#3
pblanc Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 697	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. Last edited by pblanc; December 19, 2018 at 01:34 PM.

December 20, 2018, 02:02 PM	#8
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	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." __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

December 20, 2018, 02:10 PM	#9
sirgilligan Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2009 Posts: 614	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. __________________ SirGilligan - "If you find your back is up against a wall, maybe you have been backing up for too long." iOS Apps: BallisticsGL Gun Log Gun Log SPC WatchForce

December 19, 2018, 02:43 PM	#5
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	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.

December 20, 2018, 07:06 AM	#6
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	I see no reason NOT to use a WYLDE chamber but I doubt most users will see any diff vs a 5.56 chamber

December 20, 2018, 10:38 AM	#7
TrueBlue711 Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2011 Posts: 489	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?

December 20, 2018, 04:23 PM	#12
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,308	Bergara, Faxon, Ballistic Advantage, Green Mountain Barrels. All of them have a few that are under $100 up to over what you probably want to spend. Bergara placed everything "out of stock" until January 5th, just FYI. Faxon and BA look to have several out of stock too. This looks the closest from Green Mountain: http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/gm-m18-...wylde-chamber/ __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

December 21, 2018, 04:05 AM	#13
10-96 Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2005 Location: Tx Panhandle Territory Posts: 4,159	+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. __________________ Rednecks... Keeping the woods critter-free since March 2, 1836. (TX Independence Day) I suspect a thing or two... because I've seen a thing or two.

December 21, 2018, 08:06 PM	#15
kymasabe Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2005 Location: SW Florida Posts: 2,747	I'm running a nitride Anderson barrel, 1:8 twist in .223 Wylde, and it's scary accurate for a $103 barrel. __________________ God's creatures big and small, eat them one, eat them all.