.223 Remington

.223 Remington
A variety of .223 Remington cartridges with a .308 Winchester (right) for comparison
TypeRifle
Place of originUnited States
Production history
DesignerRemington Arms
Designed1962
Produced1964–present
Variants5.56×45mm NATO
Specifications
Parent case.222 Remington
Case typeRimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter0.224 in (5.7 mm)
Neck diameter0.253 in (6.4 mm)
Shoulder diameter0.354 in (9.0 mm)
Base diameter0.376 in (9.6 mm)
Rim diameter0.378 in (9.6 mm)
Rim thickness0.045 in (1.1 mm)
Case length1.76 in (45 mm)
Overall length2.26 in (57 mm)
Case capacity28.8 grain H2O (1.87 ml)
Rifling twist1 in 12 in (305 mm) (military-style rifles use 1 in 7 in (178 mm) to 1 in 10 in (254 mm) to stabilize longer bullets)
Primer typeSmall rifle
Maximum pressure (SAAMI)55,000 psi (380 MPa)
Maximum pressure (CIP)62,366 psi (430.00 MPa)
Maximum CUP52000 CUP
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
36 gr (2 g) JHP 3,750 ft/s (1,140 m/s) 959 ft⋅lbf (1,300 J)
55 gr (4 g) Nosler ballistic tip 3,240 ft/s (990 m/s) 1,265 ft⋅lbf (1,715 J)
60 gr (4 g) Nosler partition 3,160 ft/s (960 m/s) 1,325 ft⋅lbf (1,796 J)
69 gr (4 g) BTHP 2,950 ft/s (900 m/s) 1,338 ft⋅lbf (1,814 J)
77 gr (5 g) BTHP 2,750 ft/s (840 m/s) 1,301 ft⋅lbf (1,764 J)
Test barrel length: 24 inches (61 cm)
Source(s): [1][2]

The .223 Remington (designated 223 Remington by SAAMI[4] and 223 Rem. by the C.I.P.[5]) is a rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire intermediate cartridge. It was developed in 1957 by Remington Arms and Fairchild Industries for the U.S. Continental Army Command of the United States Army as part of a project to create a small-caliber, high-velocity firearm. The .223 Remington is considered one of the most popular common-use cartridges and is used by a wide range of semi-automatic and manual-action rifles.

  1. ^ "223 REM". federalpremium.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-06. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. ^ "223 Remington". black-hills.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference SixmmBR - Throating .223 vs 5.56mm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Voluntary Industry Performance Standards for Pressure and Velocity of Centerfire Rifle Ammunition for the Use of Commercial Manufacturers" (PDF). Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  5. ^ "223 Rem" (PDF). Commission internationale permanente pour l'épreuve des armes à feu portatives. Retrieved 19 December 2023.