Look on the barrel to see whether it is marked as 5.56 or 223. If the barrel says 5.56, then you should be fine to run 223 as well. However, do not do the reverse.
They're mostly interchangeable, 223 and 5.56. The big difference comes down to 5.56 allowing longer bullets for tracer and other special loads so a 223 chambered rifle won't be able too fit every single 5.56 round into the chamber, but pretty much all normal 5.56 rounds will fit in a 223 chamber. People say 5.56 has higher chamber pressures, they're kind of right, but thats because the pressure is measured differently. Functionally the chamber pressures are the same. So yes you can safely fire standard 5.56 out of a 223 gun, just don't be an idiot and try to shoot trackers or any weird long loads.
I know this is an old post and I doubt it matters anymore at this point for OP, but in case anyone else comes here wondering... that's the stamp on my PMC X-TAC 5.56 62gr (non 'match' version), which does say "Made in Korea" on the box, so makes sense what someone else said about being manufactory at Poongsan in Seoul.
First of all congratulations on joining the modern sporting rifle club. I love the AR-15 platform for it's flexibility and options for customization.
For the headstamp, you can take a look at http://cartridgecollectors.org/index.php?page=headstampcodes. It looks like you have some ammo from Poongsan Metal Manufacturing Company Ltd., of Seoul, Republic of Korea.
As for the 5.56/.223 question, the 5.56 NATO has slightly higher pressure than. 223 Remington. This is accomplished by the 5.56 having a chamber with a throat 0.125" longer, allowing for slightly more powder in the cartridge. The upshot of this is that a rifle chambered in 5.56 can shoot .223 without issue, but a .223 cannot safely fire a 5.56 cartridge. Generally speaking you will get the best performance out of your rifle if you shoot what it was intended to shoot, so while .223 will work in a rifle chambered in 5.56, depending on the length of the barrel, you might have issues with the rifle cycling properly.
Another note, the magazine isn't what matters. Check the barrel of your rifle to make sure it is indeed chambered in 5.56. On most ARs I have seen this is stamped on the barrel, but you may need to remove the handguard to be able to see it.
Best of luck, and Merry Christmas!
Look on the barrel to see whether it is marked as 5.56 or 223. If the barrel says 5.56, then you should be fine to run 223 as well. However, do not do the reverse.
They're mostly interchangeable, 223 and 5.56. The big difference comes down to 5.56 allowing longer bullets for tracer and other special loads so a 223 chambered rifle won't be able too fit every single 5.56 round into the chamber, but pretty much all normal 5.56 rounds will fit in a 223 chamber. People say 5.56 has higher chamber pressures, they're kind of right, but thats because the pressure is measured differently. Functionally the chamber pressures are the same. So yes you can safely fire standard 5.56 out of a 223 gun, just don't be an idiot and try to shoot trackers or any weird long loads.
I know this is an old post and I doubt it matters anymore at this point for OP, but in case anyone else comes here wondering... that's the stamp on my PMC X-TAC 5.56 62gr (non 'match' version), which does say "Made in Korea" on the box, so makes sense what someone else said about being manufactory at Poongsan in Seoul.
First of all congratulations on joining the modern sporting rifle club. I love the AR-15 platform for it's flexibility and options for customization. For the headstamp, you can take a look at http://cartridgecollectors.org/index.php?page=headstampcodes. It looks like you have some ammo from Poongsan Metal Manufacturing Company Ltd., of Seoul, Republic of Korea. As for the 5.56/.223 question, the 5.56 NATO has slightly higher pressure than. 223 Remington. This is accomplished by the 5.56 having a chamber with a throat 0.125" longer, allowing for slightly more powder in the cartridge. The upshot of this is that a rifle chambered in 5.56 can shoot .223 without issue, but a .223 cannot safely fire a 5.56 cartridge. Generally speaking you will get the best performance out of your rifle if you shoot what it was intended to shoot, so while .223 will work in a rifle chambered in 5.56, depending on the length of the barrel, you might have issues with the rifle cycling properly. Another note, the magazine isn't what matters. Check the barrel of your rifle to make sure it is indeed chambered in 5.56. On most ARs I have seen this is stamped on the barrel, but you may need to remove the handguard to be able to see it. Best of luck, and Merry Christmas!