how ammo picky are 556 ARs in general?

Jayne

Jayne

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I'm sure they're like regular rifles in terms of each having a preference for a certain bullet/weight/whatever for accuracy, but what about reliability?

Are 556 ARs like pocket 380s where they're really picky about what goes in the chamber or are they like full size 9mms where anything vaguely shaped like the ammo printed on the barrel will work?

I want to stockpile some 223/556 but don't want to have to worry if it's going to go BANG and cycle my AR without testing each and every batch.
 
Jayne said:
I'm sure they're like regular rifles in terms of each having a preference for a certain bullet/weight/whatever for accuracy, but what about reliability?

Are 556 ARs like pocket 380s where they're really picky about what goes in the chamber or are they like full size 9mms where anything vaguely shaped like the ammo printed on the barrel will work?

I want to stockpile some 223/556 but don't want to have to worry if it's going to go BANG and cycle my AR without testing each and every batch.
Click to expand...

My opinion:

Stockpile a version of the M193 load. 55 grain FMJ, lead core, brass case. This should be reliable in all AR variants and is also typically the cheapest to buy unless you go russian steel case.

And nearly everyone makes a version of this load.
Federal, IMI, Fiocchi, PMC, etc.

The only problem I've ever had is when I switched out my trigger springs to reduced power springs and got light strikes but that was due to the springs. Went back to full power springs and the problem went away.
 
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never had one. My buddy has - a first run Ruger AR556. He promptly sold it and build a PSA midlength one with my help. It's not picky either.

However the gentlemen who purchased his Ruger (his F-I-L) cannot shoot any steel cased ammo at all. It's a jam-o-matic.
 
My Ruger SR556 is the same way. Does not like steel cased stuff, but eats anything brass cased.
My Sig 566 SBR isnt ammo picky at all...just mag picky. It wont run reliably with Pmags but runs like a scalded dog with metal GI mags.
 
none of mine are picky, and when I find one that is picky when I feed it steel case, I'm gonna replace it with one that isn't picky
 
Mine run anything I put through them. All parts builds.
 
I've had no issues with any type of ammo in the 10+ AR's I've had/have. I've shot most variants of steel ammo, many brass, and usually shoot steel.
 
Climberman said:
My opinion:

Stockpile a version of the M193 load. 55 grain FMJ, lead core, brass case. This should be reliable in all AR variants and is also typically the cheapest to buy unless you go russian steel case.

And nearly everyone makes a version of this load.
Federal, IMI, Fiocchi, PMC, etc.
Click to expand...

I'm pickier than my AR's are but this ^^^^ is what I do/have done, with some 62 grain thrown in as well. That said, my Bushmaster's & Colt readily digest all the above including some wolf gold I once bought.
Many people run steel case thru their AR's with no issues but I prefer to avoid trouble rather than repair it so I don't run steel case in any of my AR's. But with AK's, that's an entirely different matter. I only run steel case in those.
 
Only problem I have ever had was with shooting Lacquer coated steel and brass cased in the same shooting session. The steel cases don't expand in the chamber as well as brass and some of the lacquer is left in the chamber. If you go to brass without cleaning, the brass expands in the chamber and the lacquer in there ceases stuff up. I don't even think they make lacquer coated anymore, so probably a non issue.
 
Im with the above. Ive never had a problem with any of my ARs being picky. Steel, Brass, never mattered. If I did find one that was picky I wouldn't own it long.
 
I've never had so much as a hiccup. DPMS upper w/ Spike's Tactical lower.

I've never fed it anything other than brass though.
 
I know we are all talking about reliability here and that's great. I just want to point out to @Jayne that stockpiling the same load is a good idea for repeat accuracy concerns as well as reliability.

If you keep it on the same load, then your optic/sights stay zeroed. Won't matter too much at 20 yards, but it will when you get farther out.
 
I've got several AR's. ArmaLite's, PSA's, and quite a few frankenguns cobbled together from whatever parts were on sale at the time.

All of them have performed well with any ammo I've shot in them.

Personally, I think an AR that's ammo-picky probably has something wrong with it. I wouldn't own a picky AR for long. Its just not worth the hassle.

If you're planning to stockpile ammo, I recommend Federal LC M193 or M855. Its not very expensive, and its very good quality US military surplus.

Most of what I shoot at the range is Tula. My guns love it.
 
Most of these picky ones could be "fixed" with a chamber reamer and/or a .410 bore mop soaked in polishing compound.
 
Mine has eaten everything I have fed it without issue. I haven't ever tried steel cased ammo.
 
My Daniel Defense has over 2K rounds through it, which isn’t that much really but I have not had a single malfunction in it yet. Most of it has been M8555 and M193, but a lot of monarch steel cased stuff too.
 
Climberman said:
Stockpile a version of the M193 load. 55 grain FMJ, lead core, brass case.
Click to expand...

What I’ve done, and I save and order in larger quantities to reduce variability. Buy 5,000 from a single lot, shoot 500 and if all good the rest go in the good pile. Have never had them not be good, but feel obligated to test.
 
I've not had any problem with my M&P Sport II with Tula, Wolf, Wolf Gold, Geco, PMC, American Eagle, or Independence (5.56). They've all been 55gr FMJ or the Tula with the little HP. At least that's the ones I remember. Most of what I've shot has been the steel Tula and Wolf, but I've run a few magazines of the others without any problems. I have some Speer Gold Dots I got in a PSA mags+ammo deal, but haven't tried them.
 
So all of these replies are making me more confident in this rifle. It's not given me any problems to date, but my sample size is pretty small.

My friend had a colt back in '93-ish and I remember nothing but problems with that thing, so maybe that's why I'm still feeling uneasy about AR and reliability.
 
Mine love the steel. Old Delton Echo has many a thousand of wolf, Tula, and never a hiccup. I've not had one yet that wouldn't eat steel. If I ever get one that won't, it will not be here long if I couldn't figure out why.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 
One Sig M400 and one PSA here. Both eat everything including Steel. Only problem I have is PSA does not like 30 rounds in mag. 29 is GTG but 30 jams. Not sure why
 
Only had 2 failures with ARs. One was because I had the gas turned down too low on my comp gun's new gas block and the temp dropped 20° during the match. Easy fix and it's never happened again. Second was my little suppressed SBR after I shot a match with it and didn't clean or oil it. Next match it was dry and filthy and had a couple failures. Now I clean it after every session/match. It's the only gun I do that with.

As far as ammo, never been an issue. If it won't cycle weak Wolf or Federal bulk, I won't have it. If it's slightly over gassed shooting M855 because of that, who cares? I don't shoot that stuff much anyhow...
 
My M&P 15x has no issues with brass or 200 round of Wolf WPA Polyformance I used for a training class.
 
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