.223-.556 Ammo Information
Gregory Kielma • October 21, 2023
223 Remington/5.56 x 45mm NATO Cartridge

223 Remington/5.56 x 45mm NATO Cartridge
Hey Gregory,
Today's workbench is written by guest contributor and AGI Certified Gunsmith and GCA Moderator Robert Dunn:
There isn’t a day of my life that goes by that I don’t work with, reload, think or write about the .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO cartridges. Those cartridges are what a couple of my favorite and most used rifles are chambered for.
When I worked in an ammunition factory, I would sometimes get paid in .223 ammunition. When I was growing up in the early 1970s I became familiar with the .223 Remington cartridge, as it was the new round being used by our Armed Forces.
Warfighters throughout the world had realized the advantage of automatic firepower, but finding the perfect firearm and cartridge design is a huge challenge. In the case of the .223 Remington, many sources helped bring this cartridge into use by both civilians and the military.
Eugene Stoner of ArmaLite (then a division of Fairchild Industries) had gained the attention of the Military with his 7.62 x 51mm chambered AR-10 rifle. Like many high powered rifles, the AR-10 was hard to control during automatic fire.
Consequently, Fairchild Industries and Stoner were asked to scale down the AR-10 to fire a smaller caliber cartridge. Stoner came up with a prototype AR-15 and after a demonstration for the army, he was asked to produce more rifles for testing in 1957.
Select engineers and other companies like Remington Arms, Winchester as well as ArmaLite were asked to take part in developing this project. Springfield Armory’s Earle Harvey lengthened the .222 Remington case to the required specifications and it became the .224 Springfield, which was commercially known as the .222 Remington Magnum.
Frank Snow (of Sierra Bullets) and Eugene Stoner calculated the ballistics data for the .222 Remington to find the best bullet for the project, which ended up being a 55 grain bullet. Meanwhile, the Technical Editor for Gun and Ammo magazine, Robert Hutton, worked up a propellant recipe that could attain a velocity of 3,300 fps. Ultimately, Remington came up with the .222 Special cartridge, which was later renamed the .223 Remington because there were so many .222 designations.
Just a few of the military requirements for the firearm and cartridges were that they needed to be able to penetrate one side of a US Steel helmet at 500 yards, had to be able to exceed supersonic speed at 500 yards, had to be .22 caliber and select fire. From years of research and development of the AR-10 and AR-15, ArmaLite was facing financial difficulties and sold the rights for the rifles to Colt in 1959.
The AR-15 and the T44E4 rifle that would later be known as the M14 were being testing at the same time. To make a long story short, it was found that the AR-15 had far less failures per 1,000 rounds fired and that riflemen had a higher hit probability when firing Stoner’s rifle.
After Air Force General Curtis Le May test fired the AR-15, he ordered a batch of AR-15s to replace some of the M2 carbines that the Air Force was using. As the trials and testing continued, it was found that during marksmanship testing that many more men were achieving Expert shooting status with the AR-15 than they were with the M14. With these findings and the failure rate of the AR-15 going down even further, General Le May placed an order for 80,000 rifles in 1961.
In 1962, Remington filed the specs for the .223 Remington cartridge with SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer’s Institute) and the cartridge was later marketed commercially as a chambering for the Remington 760 rifle in 1963.
At this point in time, the United States was embroiled in the conflicts arising in Southeast Asia. It was politically decided that contracts for rifle manufacturing could be bid on by the private sector and Colt was awarded the contract to provide AR-15 rifles to fill orders for the Vietnam War.
The AR-15 rifle and the .223 Remington cartridge were formally adopted in 1964 and designated the XM16E1 rifle, commonly referred to as the M16, and the 5.56 Ball M193 cartridge. It was decided that the South Vietnamese troops would be supplied with the M16 rifle. Eventually, the Air Force, the US Army, Special Forces, the Coast Guard, the US Navy, the Marines as well as the SEAL teams had orders in for M16 rifles and cartridges. In 1965, Colt received orders for 800,000 M16E1 rifle and over 28,000 M16 rifles.
The M16 and the 5.56 Ball ammo would go through some major growing pains as the rifles and cartridges were issued to troops in Vietnam. Besides not being trained on how to properly clean the gun, the rifle suffered from many types of jams and failures.
Broken extractors and extractor springs accounted for many ejection failures and through more research, it was found that the propellant being used in the cartridges was creating horrific fouling of the gas and bolt system. The ball powder that was being used also created a longer pressure spike, which caused the case to expand in the chamber but it would not contract enough to be extracted.
The extractor would simply tear through the case rim, leaving the stuck case in the chamber. By using a different propellant, chrome plating the barrels and replacing the buffer with a new design that slowed down the cyclic rate, along with some other design changes, the problems were gradually sorted out. Unfortunately many American lives were lost because of these errors.
The process of selecting a smaller cartridge for use by NATO forces began in 1960. The cartridge design was based on the .223 Remington cartridge and its development was placed in the hands of FN Herstal. The rimless bottlenecked cartridge was named the 5.56 x 54mm NATO cartridge.
In 1980, the 5.56 NATO cartridge became the standard NATO rifle cartridge (known as the SS109 for NATO and the M855 for the United States). The 5.56mm cartridges allowed the soldier to be able to carry more ammunition, which equated to more firepower and logistically many more rounds could be transported to hot spots around the world by weight than the larger 7.62 NATO cartridges. On a global scale this can equal a savings of millions of dollars.
The number of firearms that are chambered for the 5.56 NATO cartridge is too numerous to list here. Just think about all of the different squad automatic weapons, rifles, carbines and machine guns that each NATO country uses…that is a lot of different weapons!
The Frankford Arsenal, Remington and Winchester produced the first lots of .223 ammunition for the United States Armed Forces. During the trials and testing of the AR-15, 19 Million .223 cartridges were purchased. When a cartridge does well for the military, the Law Enforcement and civilian communities usually follows their lead. If you have ever read the 27 page document for the military specifications for the M855 cartridge (5.56 x 54mm), you can see that heavy scrutiny has already been applied to the 5.56mm round!
The .223 Remington cartridge has become one of the most used cartridges in the United States. It is a great varmint and predator cartridge and could be used for larger game if need be by loading a heavier bullet like a Hornady GMX or Barnes TSX 70-grain projectiles. These slower moving heavier bullets seem to do quite well in windy conditions. The above attributes make the 5.56mm round a flexible survival cartridge too.
You may have noticed or even been annoyed by the interchanging .223/5.56 terminology, here are of the important similarities and difference between the two cartridges. The case dimensions are exactly the same, though case thickness/propellant capacity can vary significantly between manufacturers which will have an effect on the resulting pressures.
The 5.56 x 45mm NATO or other military 5.56 ammo tends to be loaded hotter, so chamber pressures will be greater than the typical .223 Remington load. For this reason, .223 Remington rounds can be safely fired in a 5.56 chambered gun but 5.56mm ammo should not be fired in a .223 Rem chambered gun.
The reason for this really comes down to the differences in the chamber dimensions between .223 and 5.56 barrels. The throat/free bore and leade of a 5.56mm chamber is longer. The throat of the chamber is the unrifled section of the chamber just forward of the neck and gives the bullet a place to sit. Leade or lead is the section of the bore of a rifled barrel located just ahead of the throat of the chamber. It is a conical shaped transition from end of the throat to the fully rifled part of the barrel.
In an effort to gain more accuracy from the 5.56mm NATO cartridge, Bill Wylde created the .223 Wylde, which is a chamber design that utilizes the same external dimensions and lead angle of a 5.56 NATO cartridge and the freebore diameter of the .223 Remington cartridge. Another company that uses a proprietary chamber design to achieve better accuracy from the 5.56mm NATO cartridge is Noveske. A Noveske barrel is not cheap but they are known for their precision and high quality products.
SAAMI specs are followed by manufacturers in the U.S. loading .223 Remington ammo but those same manufacturers who also load 5.56 ammo do not follow SAAMI specs because the 5.56 rounds are loaded to military specifications and thus not held to SAAMI specs. In Europe, the international organization C.I.P. tests and sets the safety standards for firearms and ammunition. In countries that are regulated by the C.I.P., .223 Remington ammunition is proof tested at the same maximum service pressure as the 5.56 x 54mm NATO cartridges.
There have been a lot of challenges that had to be met throughout the history of the AR-15 and the 5.56 x 54mm cartridge. The twist rate of a barrel and the chamber dimensions greatly effect performance and accuracy. The shorter barreled M4 carbines and the requests for even shorter barrel lengths coming from the Special Forces communities have kept firearms and ammunition engineers busy. At this point in time, the AR-15 style rifles and the .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO cartridges offer a very reliable and accurate shooting platform.
The AR-15 rifle and .223/5.56 cartridge combination have gone through many changes together. They are still being used by our Military/Law Enforcement and civilian populations to good affect every day. This combo is a must for 3-gun competition. The .223 Remington cartridge is not overly expensive and there is always a wide variety of ammunition to choose from. There is a lot of surplus ammo to select from as well. Many other firearms are chambered in .223 Rem besides the AR-15 type guns.
The 5.56mm round is a good cartridge to reload for, as there is a huge variety of quality components to choose from as well. In 1964, the year I was born, these cartridges were the new warfighting cartridge and the US Armed Forces began using them. It’s easy for me to remember how many years these cartridges have been in use!
Become an American Gunsmith and continue to preserve our Firearm’s Heritage!
Robert Dunn,
Gunsmith & Community Moderator
American Gunsmithing Institute
Gunsmithing Club of America

NRA, Other Second Amendment Groups Target NFA With Yet Another Lawsuit Mark Chesnut A coalition of gun-rights organizations has taken another step in the effort to dismantle the National Firearms Act (NFA). On October 9, the National Rifle Association (NRA), Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) and American Suppressor Association (ASA) filed another lawsuit challenging the 1934 law. At issue is whether the law is even applicable now that the $200 tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles (SBRs), short-barreled shotguns (SBSs) and any other weapons (AOWs), as defined by the law, was removed in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” In the latest lawsuit, Jensen v. ATF, filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, plaintiffs argue that since the tax has been eliminated, the NFA’s registration regime can no longer be justified under Congress’s taxing power—nor any other authority granted under Article I of the Constitution. “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“BBB”), signed into law by the President on July 4, 2025, eliminated the making and transfer taxes on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and NFA-defined “any other weapons,” while leaving the registration requirements intact,” the complaint states. “In other words, individuals no longer have to pay taxes for making and transferring most firearms under the NFA, but the firearms are still required to be registered and are subject to the ‘web of regulation’ that was designed to ‘aid enforcement’ of the NFA’s (now-extinct) tax. This regulatory regime no longer comports with Congress’s constitutionally enumerated powers.”

Jay "Hypocrite" Jones an Evil Leader Gun Control Hypocrisy: Silence When Their Own Push Violence The gun control lobby has spent decades preaching about “ending gun violence.” But when one of their own openly fantasizes about murdering a political opponent—and his children—the silence is deafening. Recent revelations from text messages sent by Jay Jones, the Democratic candidate for Virginia Attorney General, have shaken even the most cynical observers in Richmond. Jones, then a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, sent grotesque messages wishing death upon his political rival, Republican Speaker Todd Gilbert, and his children. “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones texted to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner in 2022. When confronted, Jones doubled down stating that he “wished” the Speaker’s children would be shot and “die in their mother’s arms.” These are not the words of a random internet troll. They came from a Democratic candidate for the Commonwealth’s top law enforcement position—and someone funded heavily by the nation’s leading gun control organizations. Everytown, Brady, and Giffords: Cash and Complicity It’s not surprising that Jones was backed by the same groups that constantly push for “commonsense gun safety.” The Hypocrisy Everytown for Gun Safety, the Michael Bloomberg-funded political juggernaut, dropped $200,000 into his campaign. They called him a “gun sense candidate” and an “advocate for safer communities.” Since Jones’ violent texts came to light, Everytown’s leadership—including John Feinblatt, a prolific social media user—has said nothing. Not a tweet. Not a statement. Not even a quiet retraction. Brady PAC, meanwhile, quietly deleted its press release endorsing Jones, scrubbed his name from its website, and offered the weakest possible condemnation: “Violent rhetoric has no place in our political process.” No mention of Jones. No withdrawal of support. Just damage control. Giffords PAC, founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, still has its endorsement of Jones live on its website—yes, the same organization born from a tragedy involving political gun violence. Moms Demand Silence: The hypocrisy doesn’t end there.

FBI Continues To Publish Inaccurate Data On Armed Citizens Stopping Active Shooters Mark Chestnut Few gun owners were surprised when we learned that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under President Joe Biden had fudged the numbers when reporting active shooters stopped by armed citizens. Now, however, the Trump Administration FBI is continuing the practice, far underreporting the number of incidents where armed citizens are the real heroes. According to an October 2 report by John Lott posted at realclearinvestigatiins.com, the past trend of the FBI underreporting armed citizens who stopped active shooters continues to be a problem. And Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), said it’s not just a small discrepancy; the FBI is grossly underreporting the numbers. “Even though the FBI acknowledged the issue at the time, it never corrected the error involving the politically fraught issue,” Lott wrote. “In the years since, the problem has only gotten worse. Since RCI’s 2022 article, the FBI has acknowledged just three additional incidents of armed good Samaritans stopping active shooters from 2022 to 2024, and none in the last two years. In contrast, the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), which I head, has documented 78 such cases over that same period—a 26-fold difference.” The FBI defines active shooter incidents as those in which an individual kills or attempts to kill people in a public place, excluding shootings that are related to other criminal activity, such as robbery or fighting over drug turf. They include instances from one person being shot at and missed all the way up to a mass public shooting. “In 2022, the FBI reported that only 11 of the 252 active shooter incidents it identified for the period 2014-2021, or 4.4%, were stopped by an armed citizen,” Lott wrote. “However, an analysis by my organization identified a total of 281 active shooter incidents during that same period and found that 41 of them—or 14.6%—were stopped by an armed citizen.” As Lott further pointed out, the FBI report compiled for the Biden administration for 2023 and 2024 contains worse errors. “It asserts that armed civilians stopped none of the 72 active shooting cases it identified,” he wrote. “The CPRC, by contrast, identified 121 active shooter cases—45 of which were ultimately halted by armed civilians. Those incidents included eight cases that likely would have resulted in mass public shootings with four or more people murdered.” Ultimately, Lott said that the FBI has the ability to set the record straight in at least some cases, providing a clearer view of remedies to crime. “But its unwillingness to correct errors—or its efforts to fix them on the sly, as RCI reported last year—and improve its methodology raises more concerns. Its shortcomings regarding armed citizens thwarting active shooters illuminate many of these problems. Lott’s report at realclearinvestigations.com also delves into the dangerous fallacy of so-called “gun-free” zones. Those interested in learning more about the FBI’s underreporting of armed heroes and the danger of “gun-free” zones should give it a good read.

If I legally carry a firearm and someone is robbing a store I'm in, can I draw the weapon if the robber has a knife? If no shots are fired, is this legal? From Jim Z an avid reader of the blog. It depends on your political climate in your state, and the laws where this takes place. Let’s use New York City: You’re carrying a firearm. Do you have a NYC-issued permit to do so? If not, you just bagged yourself five years in jail. NYC recognizes NO OTHER firearms permit, even those issued by New York STATE, as valid, within city limits. You brought a GUN to a KNIFE fight. You’re using a MORE deadly weapon than your opponent. That’s known as “escalation of force”, and it kills any futile attempt you make at a self-defense plea. You DREW your gun. You committed “menacing with a deadly weapon”, even though NEITHER of you did ANYTHING . Because YOU have a GUN , and HE has only a KNIFE, YOU are the guilty party. Using a weapon of ANY kind, except for your bare hands, to defend yourself, is illegal in New York City, thanks to many decades of Democrat rule, and the mindless citizens that keep voting them into office.

Bradenton man cleared of assault charge using ‘stand your ground’ defense Credit: WWSB Sarasota/Bradenton Florida BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - Charges have been dismissed against a Bradenton man accused of starting a gunfight that wounded his girlfriend and himself during a domestic dispute, Manatee County Court Judge Frederick Mercurio accepted Kevin Armstrong’s “Stand Your Ground” defense Monday and will dismiss the charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Mercurio ruled that Armstrong’s fear of harm was well-founded, even if his actions were not the wisest. “The better practice would have been for you to call the police, stay in your house and not go out there with a gun,” Mercurio said. “My legal conclusion is that Mr. Armstrong was reasonably believing that be needed to use or threatened to use force in order to prevent is imminent death or his great bodily harm.” Armstrong’s attorney, Jon Weiffenbach, told ABC7 Monday that the charges will be dismissed as soon as the court enters an order. “For all intents and purposes, this case is over,” he told ABC7 via email. The arrest report According to the arrest report, a 911 call was logged around 8 p.m. from the Sunny Shores Mobile Home Park on 116th Street West. According to the Manatee County Sherriff’s Office, an argument broke out between Armstrong and his girlfriend, Caitlin Lipke, 33, at their home in the park. Lipke left the residence and met two men, Cole Banyas and Dylan Taylor, who used a golf cart to accompany her back to the home so she could retrieve her dog and personal items. The arrest report noted Banyas and Taylor were both armed with “a myriad of weapons, including long guns and pistols.” When they arrived, deputies say another argument ensued and Armstrong had armed himself with a shotgun. Banyas and Taylor told deputies Armstrong began shooting at them and they retuned fire, sending 9 to 10 rounds toward Armstrong and the house. Lipke is shot in the chest during the melee, deputies noted, saying in their report “she may have inadvertently been hit by Dylan while he was trying to protect her from Kevin.” Lipke and her friends retreated on the golf cart to a nearby intersection where they called 911. The motion to dismiss Armstrong filed a motion to dismiss the charge Sept. 16. In that motion, Armstrong said one of the two men with Lipke phoned him, saying they were coming to retrieve Lipke’s belongings, “and if he didn’t cooperate they were going to kill him,” the motion says. After arming themselves, they drove a golf cart to Armstrong’s home. Lipke shoved Armstrong, “and Cole Banyas and Dylan Taylor displayed their firearms in a threatening manner while still in the golf cart.” As Likpe walked toward the golf cart, Armstrong fired a single shotgun blast into the air as a warning. Taylor then returned fire, striking Likpe in the breasts and unloading the rest of the magazine into Armstrong’s house, shooting Armstrong in the foot. The motion to dismiss argued Armstrong had the right to defend himself “against the alleged victim’s imminent use of unlawful force OR to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.” The motion also argued the burden of proof is on the state to prove by “clear and convincing evidence” that a defendant is not entitled to full immunity. It also argues “the court may not deny a motion simply because factual disputes exist. “Wherefore, because the defendant acted in self-defense as set forth herein, he is immune from prosecution based upon the Stand Your Ground law and this case must be dismissed,” the motion concluded.

Can I own a gun if I have a very old felony? Over ten years? Federally, no. In at least one state, yes, provided you don’t get it from a Federally-licensed dealer, and you always keep it in your home. Texas state law criminalizes “felons in possession”, but only if they possess the weapon within 10 years of the full completion of their sentence including probation/parole, and/or if the weapon is possessed outside the home. So theoretically a felon 10 years passed his sentence, including parole, can own a gun and keep it in his home for his own defense. EDIT: the law has changed since this post, to reduce the term to 5 years after completion of incarceration and/or supervised release. Under Federal law, however, a person in possession of a firearm who has been convicted of any crime punishable by more than a year in jail is committing a Federal crime worth ten in the pen, no matter how long ago the conviction was. The Feds usually have better things to do than bust ex-felons, much to the frustration of local police in many cases, but if you draw attention to yourself or commit any other crime the Feds are more willing to prosecute, the gun possession is an additional 10-year gimme. If the felony is that old and you’ve stayed out of trouble and built a respectable life since getting out, you can avoid Federal problems by petitioning the court for a restoration of civil rights. Basically, the court says that you’ve demonstrated yourself sufficiently rehabilitated that you should no longer have the limitations on your rights that come with being an ex-con. That’s typically something you must show you have earned; most judges won’t just sign that kind of order as a matter of course, and it’s largely their discretion to do so at all. Also understand that the felony and the expungement or restoration order don’t just automatically cancel out in the NICS system used for background checks. The fact you have a felony record will red-flag any 4473 form submitted by an FFL in your name. Theoretically, the idea is that the person processing the application on the NICS side looks through the full record and will find the restoration order and determine it quashes the felony conviction, but if they miss it you will be denied, and there’s a lengthy, time-consuming and expensive process to make sure your NICS records are being properly interpreted (and there’s no penalty to the FBI that runs NICS even if you prove you were falsely denied; you get a “sorry, we’ll try to do better next time” and they really won’t). One option to avoid these headaches, after you’re gotten your conviction taken care of, is to apply for a carry license in one of the 25 states where that license is an acceptable substitute for NICS checks. You go through a comprehensive background check one time (where you usually get the chance to clue the agency into the existence of the restoration order), you take the class, get fingerprinted, maybe pass a practical qualification (you’ll have to rent or borrow a suitable firearm), then once you have the permit, you still have to fill out the 4473 but the FFL doesn’t have to send it to NICS; they write your license number on the form as the proof of background check, you pay them and you have a gun.

Can I dry fire my Ruger 10/22 ? How worried should I be about damaging the gun? I've heard dry fire hurts rimfires. All guns, snap caps should be used. The reason, it keeps the firing pin from becoming damaged. Some firearms like the Ruger 10-22 are not as easily damaged by dry fire. Dry-firing rimfires can damage the chamber face as the firing pin hits it instead of a cartridge. However, the Ruger 10/22 is an exception—its manual states that dry-firing is safe, thanks to a firing-pin stop that protects the breech face. While you shouldn't regularly dry-fire rimfires in general, the 10/22 is designed to handle it.

Can a felon shoot a gun at a gun range? Gregg Kielma Range Owner Gregg Kielma firearms range owner says no. If you're a felon, you cannot enjoy the shooting sports at our range. You lost your constitutional rights to fire firearms or own a firearm or ammo. Do not do it. It's federal law. It's not my law but the federal government. Please don't lie to us on the forms you need to fill out before you shoot. DON'T DO IT! Technically, prohibited persons could lie on waivers at ranges to shoot with friends, unless caught by law enforcement or revealing themselves. However, this is a felony from the moment they handle a gun or ammunition; if discovered, they can be arrested and possibly jailed. Signed waivers act as admissions of their status. Being able to do something does not mean it's right.

Attorney General Bondi Issues Memo on Ending Political Violence Against ICE WASHINGTON – Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released a memorandum to the FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, and Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys focused on ending political violence against ICE. As noted in the memo, riots in Los Angeles and Portland reflect more than a 1000% increase in attacks on ICE officers since January 21, 2025, compared to the same period last year. The memo instructs Department of Justice components to: • Direct officers and agents to defend ICE facilities, specifically in Portland and Chicago. • Add local law enforcement entities to a temporary ICE Protection Task Force alongside DOJ law enforcement components. • Provide grant funding, training, and technical assistance to support federal, state, and local law enforcement protecting ICE. Finally, the Department of Justice will “arrest and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law every person who aids, abets, or conspires to commit” crimes against ICE – including through “funding, coordination, or planning.”

How far can a “buck-shot: shotgun shoot? What's The Best Choice? Gregg Kielma Gregg Kielma, FFL, Firearms Instructor, Gunsmith, First Aid Fundamentals expert, Range Safety Officer, and a 5-Star USCCA Instructor , offers the following advice: it is essential to understand your shotgun. Consider whether it is intended for tactical home defense or hunting purposes; only you can determine which option best suits your needs. Firearms may vary significantly in recoil, depending on configuration, barrel length, and gauge, all of which influence firearm control. Each "shell" can travel specific distances for the purpose of application. Kielma further emphasizes that every application and operator is unique. Prior to selecting any firearm—be it a long gun, shotgun, or handgun—it is important to test the firearm and assess its suitability for you. Frequently, firearms arrive via transfer, and clients are unaware of the specifics of their purchase. It is advisable to consult a seasoned firearms Instructor for evaluation to ensure the firearm aligns with your requirements. Regarding buckshot, it is important to note that there is no such thing as a "buckshot shotgun." Rather, a shotgun can fire shells containing buckshot. Shells are available with various shot sizes, ranging from size 8 shot, approximately the diameter of a pencil lead, to buckshot, which is about 3/8 inch in diameter. All have specific purpose. It is hoped that this information proves helpful. Stay safe, Stay Situationally Aware Gregg Kielma Tactical K Training and Firearms