Thread: Reaming 223 chamber to 5.56 or .223 Wylde

Has anyone done this or know a smith with reamer ?
Will need to get a bolt gun soon and have a fair bit of 5.56 ammo, I know there's not much difference but I remember a while back I gave a mate some of my heavy 75 bthp hand loads and couldn't get them to feed in his 223 ruger and assume most bolt rifles are 223 chamber?

Can't help with the re-chamber question, but it might pay to hold off getting the work done.
If there is going to be a buy back of rifles there will likely be a buy back for ammo and other items related too them.

5.56 rifles have more room in the chamber for reliable extraction. 223 is on the minimum thats the only difference basically. mill surp ammo works just fine in 223.

Yes I know about the slight chamber differences and didn't used to think anything of it untill had some of my ammo not load in a bolt rifle, some do some don't.
With the confiscation I'm a little skeptical on the compensation as government is going to be a little shocked at bill. Its going to be much, much, much larger than their current forecast.
They seem to be following Thorpe report suggestions so far and that includes all accessories that can only be used with banned guns.
This starts to really add up, they haven't treated shooters well so far and seem happy to play media to us being the bad guys.
Have feeling they will run a media campaign on compensation, and that is actually the real battle ahead.
What are we going to do?

I'd try it before spending money on a gun smith

Originally Posted by jackson21

Has anyone done this or know a smith with reamer ?
Will need to get a bolt gun soon and have a fair bit of 5.56 ammo, I know there's not much difference but I remember a while back I gave a mate some of my heavy 75 bthp hand loads and couldn't get them to feed in his 223 ruger and assume most bolt rifles are 223 chamber?

The 556 chamber dimension is the same the leade is longer, setting the projectile back fractionally should fix it

Yeah, thinking that. Liked the seating out longer if can though with the heavier projectiles is not a bad thing if can do it was my thinking to ream that wee bit extra.

so you would be sort of giving it the Weatherby freebore treatment...... the Rossi single break open .308s have a very long freebore assumably so either or ammo can be used safely. Ive used lots of 5.56 ammo through a bolt action without issue.

Bought a 223 Tikka Varmint today, fed some of my loads that gave the trouble in a Ruger bolt gun and bolt closed and round chambered fine in the Tikka, so all good!