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The table below gives a list of firearms that can fire the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge, first developed and used in the late 1970s for the M16 rifle, which to date, is the most widely produced weapon in this caliber.
NameTypeCountryImage1984–presentBullpup assault rifle1985–presentBullpup assault rifle2015–present1989–presentThe 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, commonly pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, and SS111 cartridges.
- 5.56×45 Origins and AR-15 Initial Reviews
- The AR-15 Wading Through The Muck
- Questionable Results and A Breakthrough
- More Modifications to The AR-15
- Problems in Vietnam
- 5.56×45 and NATO
- Moving Towards Modernization
- 5.56×45 Modern Era
- 5.56×45 Going Forward
We are not going to follow the full genealogy of the 5.56×45 NATO back to its origins. Instead, we are going to begin this story with the .222 Remington Cartridge. The .222 was the first rimless cartridge to be produced for civilian use in the United States in January of 1950. And while there is a lot of history leading up to the design of this car...
We are going to spend a significant amount of time on this section of history for the AR-15 and .223. It is quite the story of politics, feet dragging, and ineptness that at times seems to be akin to a court drama of renaissance Kings. One of the main reasons we want to dive into a bit more detail here is to give you a better sense of the chaos tha...
With so much promise in 1961 and 1962 for the rifle, it turns in the opposite direction as 1963 rolls around. As at the end of 1962, the publishing of reports testing the AR-15 and other rifles in use or being developed for infantry continue to pour in. At the start of 63’, the Army publishes several reports on their testing of the AR-15 and M14 ...
The .223 Rem ammunition that was currently in use had some issues and was pointed out at a meeting between representatives from the US Air Force and Army. It is stressed that the Remington .223 cartridges in use suffer several deficiencies, one of which is light powder charge. It is agreed upon that the rifle and its ammunition need a standard mili...
In 1965, the now labeled M16 (more specifically, it is the XM16E1 with the forward assist bolt closure device) and 5.56 round (M193) were being deployed in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Division. Initially, the reaction from soldiers towards the rifle was excellent with the ranking officers in the region stating that the rifle is far superior to ...
Up to 1967, the AR-15 and M16 along with the 5.56mm M193 were still relatively confined to use in the US military. As we know it today, the M16 and the 5.56×45 NATO round is prevalent in a multitude of allied nations. This section, regarding dates, is going to overlap a little with the previous and forthcoming section. We still felt it was necessar...
During this period, both the rifle and the ammunition became and remain a staple in the shooting world. A lot of changes came about as well as the number of options for both the rifle and ammunition. Because of this, we would be looking at a couple of pages if we were to attempt to list everything that occurred. So, we are just going to summarize s...
There are still changes being made to both the 5.56×45 platform as well as ammunition itself, though not as dramatic of changes as we saw in the early days. What we see a lot of in this period is the continued modification and adoption of several light machine guns and carbines chambered for the 5.56×45 NATO rounds. We also see the US Navy moved to...
The 5.56×45 NATO has a rich history of innovation, combat use, congressional teeth pulling and a little bit of luck in its long tenure. The rifle platform that chambers the .222 special to the .223 Rem all the way to the multiple variations of the 5.56mm round to today’s currently used ammunition and rifles is an incredible achievement in the fir...
People also ask
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Tactical. AR-15 Basics: .223 vs. 5.56×45 NATO. Patrick Sweeney. - January 12, 2017. 1. At GunDigest, we independently review products. However, we may earn a commission when you purchase through links on our site. Learn More. If it is newer than M855 (the mid-1980s) and it is military, you can be sure it is 5.56 and should be treated accordingly.
Jul 11, 2017 · Gun Review: Colt AR-15 SP1 rifle in 5.56×45mm NATO. 07/11/2017 08:22 PM | by Francis Borek. “I’m still in a dream, Snake Eater!” (Photo: Francis Borek) In 1976 the United States celebrated ...
Nov 28, 2014 · NATO agreed in 1977 to accept the 5.56×45 round as a NATO standard, with some minor variations in loading and bullet design. The acceptance of the M16 and its 5.56×45 cartridge was not without controversy. Initially, the rifle was criticized frequently after its introduction to the battlefield in RVN.
Mar 4, 2013 · The main differences are that 5.56x45 mm NATO operates at a higher chamber pressure (about 60,000 p.s.i. versus 55,000 p.s.i. on the .223 Rem.) and the 5.56’s chamber is slightly larger...
