.223 vs 5.56?

[browningautorifle]

Blew the entire case head off

But that was the reloader's fault. I still maintain no problem.

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[jmoore]

But that was the reloader's fault. I still maintain no problem.

Noted!

...it was the owner's fault for getting too aggresssive with his loads.

Nor was he shooting 5,56 even though the rifle had some sort of wretched M16 magazine conversion which reduced the thickness of the feed area behind the lower locking lug. The point being that bolt handles on modern Remingtons aren't as stout as the old timey stuff.

langss was the one with the cautionary example which seems not out of the question.

[vintage hunter]

I had a similar experience to the one JM describes in post 19. Mine involved a Rem. 700 Varmint in 6mm Remington and it was caused by defective factory ammo but I digress.
I also have a Howa 1500 bolt gun and 99% of the ammo I shoot in it is surplus M193 ball. I came into a 5 gallon bucket of mixed(foreign and domestic manufacture) 5.56 M193 ammo at a gun years ago and separated according to headstamp, it's about gone now but I never once had any kind of problems related to the use of 5.56 ammo in a .223 chamber.

[DaveN]

But that was the reloader's fault. I still maintain no problem.

I will after reading all this experience go with better safe then sorry.
Rifles marked .223 get .223. Rifles marked 5.56 get 5.56 and or .223. Rifles marked 5.56/.223 I'll use either or at this rate what I can get my hands on.
But in the case of life and death....whatever I can chamber (5.56 or .223).
Thanks again for making it interesting as usual.