AR 15, Price check, and couple of questions

[Blue Duck]

I am looking at a local Colt AR 15, which was made during the AW-ban. It's says Lightweight on the receiver, has a light 16 inch barrel with no flash hider or anything else on the end of the barrel. It also says .223 Rem on the receiver. It looks almost new. It is not a flattop, and has fully adjustable peep sights, and a short handguard and gas tube. It has the box and the original fixed buttstock in the box ,and a collapsible stock on it now.

Is 1100 too much for this gun? And I have heard that the ones marked .223 won't always shoot the 5.56 ammo, is this true?

 

[DIXIEDOG]

"Is 1100 too much for this gun?"
Depends how much you want to buy a Colt. I personally would go with a brand new Bushmaster or RRA for under $1000. I also don't like any AR that isn't a flat top because the scope mounting options generally aren't that rigid.

And I have heard that the ones marked .223 won't always shoot the 5.56 ammo, is this true?
Yes that is true unless it has the Wylde chamber it can cause unsafe pressures. Is it marked .223 on the lower or on the barrel? Are you sure all the parts are original?

 

[FailureByDesign]

If it is a colt, it should have some mil spec parts, which means you can fire 5.56 just fine,,,, i'm getting kind of sick of hearing you cant fire 5.56 out of a .223 AR,,, My RRA AR15 loves 5.56 and all my friends do to.

go ask your questions at www.ar15.com,thats pretty much all they deal with, can probably give you a more specific answer about pricing

I paid 1100 for my RRA, and dont regret it one bick,,, dont skimp on a hundred bucks to not get what you want,,, good luck

 

[wjkuleck]

it should have some mil spec parts, which means you can fire 5.56 just fine

Which "mil spec parts" make it safe to fire USGI 5.56-MM?

Regards,

Walt

 

[DIXIEDOG]

"i'm getting kind of sick of hearing you cant fire 5.56 out of a .223 AR,,, My RRA AR15 loves 5.56 and all my friends do to."

Hopefully you only get sick of hearing about it, it is a common sense thing. Why tempt fate? It will just take a little tighter chamber and you will get excessive pressure, it could be as simple as your chamber not being clean, you will have a significant pressure spike and you will ruin your AR. The only plus side will be if it does have a major malfunction most of the pressure will likely blow out through the magazine well saving your eyes and face.

 

[pjsjr]

Blue Duck, look on the barrel...should be marked something like C MP 5.56 NATO 1/9 HBAR that tells you that 5.56 can be shot even if the lower/receiver is marked .223.

Yours may not have HBAR(heavy barrel) if it's a true lightweight.

+1 for ar15.com. HTH, Preston

 

[Blue Duck]

Thank you, everyone for the info. I think I am going to play it safe and get a 5.6, or at least insure that it says that on the barrel, just in case.

 

[fishmagnet]

5.56

If it's stamped .223, only fire .223

If it's stamped 5.56, you can fire both .223 & 5.56 no worries.

There is a difference!

 

[TheManHimself]

Doesn't matter what it's stamped, what matters is what it's chambered for. All Colt barrels have the 5.56mm chamber; Colt for some odd reason marks some of their semi-auto product line as .223 just for the hell of it.

RRA's standard chamber is the .223 Wylde, which is a hybrid chamber dimension that will fire both 5.56 and .223 safely without the accuracy loss that comes from firing .223 Rem ammo in the slightly looser NATO chamber.

 

[wjkuleck]

Fulton Armory barrels are marked "5.56MM Match" or "5.56MM NM":

Barrels so marked have relieved throats suitable for military ammunition, while working well with commercial .223.

Regards,

Walt