5.56 vs 2.23

[Kruse]

Okay,
Clearing out the garage, I found a sealed ammo can of 5.56 that I'd kinda forgotten about. I know the difference between 5.56 and .223, but there are some markings on it that I need clarified.
First off, inside there are 20 round white boxes that say:
20 BUTIR
5.56 MM
Ball M193
LOT: 46
MAL 8-83

The ammo can also has the same markings with the extra word: KARTON on the side of it. It's been closed and I had to cut the bread wrapper and lead seal to get to it.

Okay, I know what the 5.56 MM is, and I know there are 20 rounds per box, but what is BUTIR? Is that he manufacturer? The lot number I really don't care about, and the 8-83 is I assume the manufacturing date, but what is MAL? Is it Malaysian? Also, I always assumed that 5.56 or .223 was non-corrosive, but somebody told me (the person who wants to have it all in his possession) that it could be corrosive.
Yea, I know about the pressures this could have vs. the .223.
Also, somebody shoot me a (ball park) market price on this. I probably should have gotten rid of it six months ago.
BTW, it's nothing special, just copper bullets.
TIA.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Butir MAL markings I think mean Kampong Butir, Malaysia where they were made.

Ammo prices are all over the world right now. With the current situation I'd say higher than lower.

I doubt it is corrosive.

Take care, bill

 

[Familyguy]

I'd hit up a forum more geared towards gun owners for more info. It's hard to say if Asian ammo is corrosive or not without knowing where and when it was manufactured. About 15 years ago, I picked up a few cases of PMC (Korea) surplus ammo for my AR-15 and it turned out to be corrosive, even though the gun shop owner swore up and down it wasn't.

 

[JustinC25]

I don't know enough about it. All I know is that you can use .223 in a 5.56 but not the other way around, because the chamber pressures are too high. I'd try an AR forum if you can find one. I also saw some talk about 5.56 ammo on Glocktalk last year.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: JustinC25
I don't know enough about it. All I know is that you can use .223 in a 5.56 but not the other way around, because the chamber pressures are too high.


Yea, a couple of sites that I googled said something like 60K PSI barrel pressure for 5.56 ammmo and 50K PSI for .223 ammo. As far as being corrosive, it was the potential owner of the stuff who suggested that. I thought that was odd, because the percent of NATO rounds being corrosive is pretty low.
Thanks everyone.

 

[Steve S]

I would bet it is non corrosive . Nato 5.56 is way hotter of a load around 300 fps faster than 223.I think of it as Weatherby .223!!!

 

[Shannow]

Freebore is greater on a 5.56 IIRC than on a SAAMI .223.

My Czech bolt action rifle can have a 62 grain military projectile out of the case before it touches the lands.

 

[Aquaticentipede]

Quote:
All I know is that you can use .223 in a 5.56 but not the other way around.

+1

 

[MarkC]

Much like the difference between 7.62x51 and .308.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: JustinC25
I don't know enough about it. All I know is that you can use .223 in a 5.56 but not the other way around, because the chamber pressures are too high.


Huh? Can you cite a reference for that? I've never heard that 5.56 NATO is any hotter than a comparable .223 Remington civilian load.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: JustinC25
I don't know enough about it. All I know is that you can use .223 in a 5.56 but not the other way around, because the chamber pressures are too high.


Huh? Can you cite a reference for that? I've never heard that 5.56 NATO is any hotter than a comparable .223 Remington civilian load.


True. The 5.56 *can* be high pressures.

Scroll down to "5.56mm NATO versus .223 Remington".

5.56 vs .223

And;

Another .223 vs 5.56


Take care, bill

 

[bsmithwins]

I've shot 5.56 Malaysian before. It wasn't real accurate but it wasn't corrosive either.

Now my Yugo M67 7.62x39, THAT is corrosive!

Check gun-deals.com to get an idea of what 5.56 is going for these days. BSW

 

[Tempest]

I've shot 5.56 in a .223...and vice versa.

I've shot .308 in 7.62...and vice versa.

None of the guns seemed to care.

 

[Pete C.]

Originally Posted By: Tempest
I've shot 5.56 in a .223...and vice versa.

I've shot .308 in 7.62...and vice versa.

None of the guns seemed to care.


~*~*~*~*~*YET! *~*~*~*~*~

 

[mountravlr]

If the primers aren't blowing out, or the bolts not sticking with the 50,000+ CUP pressures, then maybe not a problem in certain guns?

 

[Nitrox]

Originally Posted By: Tempest
I've shot 5.56 in a .223...and vice versa.

I've shot .308 in 7.62...and vice versa.

None of the guns seemed to care.


Yea, probably not a good idea in the long run.

 

[paulo57509]

Originally Posted By: Kruse
Okay,
Clearing out the garage, I found a sealed ammo can of 5.56 that I'd kinda forgotten about. I know the difference between 5.56 and .223, but there are some markings on it that I need clarified.
First off, inside there are 20 round white boxes that say:
20 BUTIR
5.56 MM
Ball M193
LOT: 46
MAL 8-83

The ammo can also has the same markings with the extra word: KARTON on the side of it. It's been closed and I had to cut the bread wrapper and lead seal to get to it.

Okay, I know what the 5.56 MM is, and I know there are 20 rounds per box, but what is BUTIR? Is that he manufacturer? The lot number I really don't care about, and the 8-83 is I assume the manufacturing date, but what is MAL? Is it Malaysian? Also, I always assumed that 5.56 or .223 was non-corrosive, but somebody told me (the person who wants to have it all in his possession) that it could be corrosive.
Yea, I know about the pressures this could have vs. the .223.
Also, somebody shoot me a (ball park) market price on this. I probably should have gotten rid of it six months ago.
BTW, it's nothing special, just copper bullets.
TIA.


You didn't buy the stuff from this guy, did you?:

http://www.thehighroad.us/showthread.php?p=4262126

More from a Google search:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=16&t=432764

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=336213

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=362698

 

[bubbatime]

5.56 is definately hotter than US spec .223.

You didn't mention how many rounds were in the ammo can, but if it is 1000 rds, I would put a value on it between $280-$325.

 

[Samilcar]

That vintage of Malaysian surplus is reliable and non-corrosive. You should be able to get somewhere in the range of $400-$500 per 1K rounds. Seven years ago it was only going for around $200 per 1K rounds.

 

[Tempest]

Originally Posted By: Nitrox
Originally Posted By: Tempest
I've shot 5.56 in a .223...and vice versa.

I've shot .308 in 7.62...and vice versa.

None of the guns seemed to care.


Yea, probably not a good idea in the long run.

7.62 is a FAL. Go to HERE and see what it takes to destroy one. It won't notice the difference in a .308.

Look at the barrel profile of a 5.56 pencil barrel AR and the profile on most all .223 sporting guns. The barrel and chamber are MUCH thicker on sporting guns. Most all .223 sporting guns are based on actions designed for .308. The barrel/chamber will be THINNER on the .308 due to the larger round. The .223 with be THICKER because it has to fit into the same action.

I'm not worried.