A common occurrence for gun lovers and hobbyists who are just starting to learn about semi-automatic rifles is being perplexed by the distinction between a.223 and a 5.56. Although the two cartridges seem to be virtually similar, they need slightly different chambers in order to fire safely and correctly. The hybrid architecture of the 223 Wylde upper chamber is geared to safely and efficiently fire both 5.56 and.223 Remington bullets.
You may have the best of both worlds by bridging the gap between these two chambers with a Wylde barrel.
What is a 223 Wylde Upper?
By striking a balance between a 5.56 NATO chamber and a.223 Remington chamber, the.223 Wylde hybrid barrel is a brilliant example of straightforward design that lets you utilize whatever ammunition you happen to have on hand.
Barrels made for the 5.56 NATO typically feature shallow leade angles and lengthy leades, or throats. The large freebore diameters of 5.56 chambers provide the cartridge and bullet enough room to pass through. The 5.56 NATO chamber is designed to endure higher pressures every time you fire because of the 5.56 cartridge’s higher pressure load.
Conversely, the.223 barrel has a steeper leade angle and a shorter leade. The shorter leade and faster rifling engagement enable the pistol to build up enough pressure to efficiently fire the.223 bullet at a high velocity since the cartridges are loaded at lower pressure.
Bill Wylde, a gunsmith and engineer, coupled the.223 chamber’s lower freebore diameter with the 5.56 chamber’s long lead and shallow angle to produce the Wylde chamber. Wylde’s chamber is designed to properly handle both pressure levels and provide excellent accuracy for both kinds of cartridges.
Key Features of a 223 Wylde Upper
You may customize any 223 WYLDE Upper that we offer to meet your needs. Make your own.223 WYLDE Complete Upper with a matching magazine, muzzle device, rail, bolt carrier group, optic, or charging handle. You will get your 223 WYLDE AR 15 Upper Receiver ready to use right out of the box.
The purpose of the hybrid chamber 223 Wylde is to enable barrels to safely fire both.Without sacrificing accuracy, 223 Remington and 5.55mm NATO rounds may be fired from the same barrel.
Few details are known about the inventor, but a gunsmith and engineer from Illinois called Bill Wylde felt compelled to develop a chamber to address the tiny variations in throat angle and pressure between the cartridges of each caliber.
“What’s the problem?” you ask. The good news is that shooting is safe.Because the Remington bullet has less pressure than military 5.56 rounds, it can shoot 223 out of a 5.56 barrel without any issues. The warning is that you will presumably lose some accuracy, however the ordinary shooter who does not practice precision or competitive shooting will not noticeably lose any accuracy. However, if you turn it the opposite way, you can have a major issue.
223 barrels were designed to endure 223 rounds of pressure. The worst case scenario is that you could damage your rifle if you fire 5.56 out of a 223 barrel since 5.56 ammunition has greater pressures than 223 does. Not to worry, it wouldn’t explode in your face, but other problems may arise because of the high pressure the barrel wasn’t intended to withstand. This could rapidly wear out internal components, leading to problems with cycle or even break the extractor.
Advantages of Using a 223 Wylde Upper
One of the finest buys you can make is a barrel chambered in.223 Wylde if you want to fire both.223 and 5.56 rounds. Although a 5.56 NATO chamber may be used with any round, shooters often discover that their accuracy is decreased when utilizing.223 ammo in these barrels.
A hybrid Wylde barrel that can take either cartridge alternately with increased safety and reliable accuracy is available for the same price. You may use whatever ammo you have on hand with the Wylde barrel, which can be helpful when supply chains and pricing change.
The ability to transition between.223 and 5.56 ammunition with ease and without compromising accuracy is very beneficial, regardless of the purpose of your firearm.
For owners of AR-15 rifles, changing to a Wylde chamber is as simple as changing the barrel. Choose the ideal.223 Wylde barrel for your preferred semi-automatic firearm by looking through our selection of well regarded barrels. If you still have questions about how to help you, please contact our staff online.223 barrel of Wylde.
Choosing the Right 223 Wylde Upper for Your AR-15
At MidStateFireArms, we test, construct, and fire a lot of AR-15s. We ensured that every general-purpose upper selected had been shot for at least six months and had at least 1000 rounds through a variety of ammunition.
The upper has to be able to fire at least 2.5 MOA at 100 yards with at least one kind of ammunition in order to meet our accuracy score.
However, we permitted certain failures to feed and extract throughout the 100-round break-in phase that our dependability score indicated. After 100 rounds, any dependability problems terminated the upper.
Next, we evaluated the uppers based on more arbitrary criteria including aesthetics, value, and ergonomics.
And because an AR-15 may do a wide range of tasks, we divided our options into the following categories:
- Best 16″ Complete AR-15 Uppers
- Best Pinned AR-15 Uppers
- Best Short Barrel AR-15 Uppers
- Best Other AR-15 Uppers (Lightweight, Left-Handed)
Best 16-inch AR-15 Uppers
Because they fall inside the sweet spot of 16 barrels, which is the minimum barrel length required for a rifle under the National Firearms Act (NFA), they are the most common upper receivers.
For 16-inch barrels, we choose mid-length gas systems because they provide a little more room for pressures to decrease, which results in a little softer shooting impulse.
Additional features including barrel shapes, front sight blocks (FSB), and handguards are personal choices.
Best Pinned AR-15 Uppers
Do you want your AR to be as short as is permitted by law without having to deal with an SBR or pistol brace?
When compared to putting a muzzle device on a 16-inch barrel, the 14.5-inch barrels with a pinned muzzle device save you around two to three inches.
If you’re passing through doors, a lot.
Best Short Barrel AR-15 Uppers
Not wanting to pay out of cash AND have a long barrel?
Once again, PSA comes to the rescue. Short ARs often have dependability problems, but PSA is working well thus far.
The 10.5″ with 3–4 MOA with 55gr variations and 2 MOA with the Gold Medal 69gr were good for the groups.
In terms of accuracy, the 7.5′′ was not very good. Additionally, it made too much noise and opposition. For the majority of AR pistol applications, I would advise choosing at least the 10.5′′.
Best Other AR-15 Uppers (Lightweight, Left-Handed)
Lightweight builds, ultra-affordable uppers, and lefties…here’s your picks!
- Best Lightweight Upper – Faxon ION Upper
- Cheapest AR-15 Upper – TRYBE Defense 16″ 5.56
- Best Left-Handed Upper – Stag Arms 15L Tactical Upper
How to Install and Maintain Your 223 Wylde Upper
Step 1: The AR-15 Upper Receiver
We put the upper receiver in the vice since it must be locked down for this. Look at the shelf unit if you believe KeyMod is no longer relevant!
The index pin fits within the tiny hole in the receiver’s threads, and the barrel extension—the portion of the barrel that integrates with the receiver—slides straight on. A little aggression was all that was needed to correct an old Stag Arms upper, and I mean old, which looked to have some rather tight tolerances.
Step 2: The Gas System
The gas system is rather easy to install. Using a barrel nut wrench, tighten the barrel nut after sliding it onto the barrel.
With the tube facing your receiver, slip the gas tube onto your barrel after inserting it into the gas block.
The gas tube’s opposite end inserts into the receiver’s front aperture. X indicates the location!
Step 3: The Handguard
Installing the handguard is perhaps the simplest procedure. Tighten it down after sliding it over the barrel. In addition to being a fantastic-looking firearm, this Ripcord Industries LDR1.5 offers me a wide variety of M-LOK alternatives. Two T27 mounting bolts are used to fasten it to the rifle.
Make sure your gas block will be cleared by the handguard beforehand. Although thin rails are fantastic, the space may grow somewhat cramped.
Step 4: The Muzzle Device
A brake will be the last touch on the barrel for the time being, although eventually this will most likely have a can on it. This is the one that is included with the Radical Arms Sinter suppressor, although it is also available for separate purchase.
Step 5: Optics
When you can’t see anything, what good is a long barrel? Strike Industries’ Adjustable Scope Mount was the first to be installed. Although I haven’t used this mount much, my first thoughts are that it’s robust, and I like the adjustable option.
Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8x FFP is the kind of glass. The ideal focal plane is the first one. The 1-8x is still very competent, but I may put on the 3-18x Strike Eagle. You may choose to have a dot positioned at 12 o’clock on top using the Strike Adjustable Scope Mount. I decided to use the Shield Sights RMSx that I had sitting around. Although I wish the auto brightness option had chosen the brighter side, I still appreciate the huge glass.
Step 6: Finishing Touches
The original bolt carrier group that was included with the firearm is this one. It has more than a few rounds on it and is completely dry, yet it continues to function. A Strike Industries latchless charging handle sits above it.
Final Words
There you have it—our picks for the top AR-15 whole upper receivers available.
The upper is finished with those last touches. Going forward, there will undoubtedly be some adjustments, but I’m going to start operating it just as is. This Aero lower will support this upper. Its grip is Magpul MOE.
Jean Sato