Though they share identical case dimensions, the .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO are slightly different—and the .223 Wylde makes the most of both of these loads.

Brad Fitzpatrick

The 5.56×45 NATO broke cover in 1957 as a military cartridge, and since that time it has served in multiple campaigns and conflicts around the globe. The 5.56×45 offered a lot—it was a flat-shooting, fast cartridge with minimal recoil and minimal weight (read: you can carry a lot of them). So great was the 5.56 that it soon followed in civilian garb as the .223 Remington, a cartridge that has remained viable and popular since its release date.

There are some that will tell you that a .223 and a 5.56 are the same cartridge. Well, in terms of case dimension, that is true. So, how do they differ?

The short answer is that they differ with regard to pressure and chamber dimensions. Pressures in the 5.56 cartridge are higher than the .223, and as a result the chamber of the 5.56 is different as well. There’s more throat length in a 5.56 barrel—about .077 inches—and the angle of the throat is different to accommodate increased pressures. It is, therefore, alright to fire a .223 cartridge in a 5.56 chamber, but going the other way can cause pressure problems. Simply put, the .223 doesn’t perform as well in 5.56 chambers as it could. If you have two cartridges that are so similar in external case dimensions why not have one chamber that makes the best of both loads?

Enter Bill Wylde. Bill had the idea to create a chamber that would serve the 5.56 and the .223 Remington equally well. The .223 Wylde has the same chamber angling as the standard 5.56 chamber, so there’s no problem with pressures, and it also has a .2240 freebore diameter. The result? You have a chamber that is sufficient to handle the hotter 5.56 load without concerns about pressure and you get the gilt-edge accuracy that’s common in many quality .223 rifles.

Is there a compelling reason to switch to a Wylde chamber? Well, the most obvious reason is that you can fire .223 ammo without giving up accuracy and 5.56 ammo without worrying about excess pressure. Sure, you can fire .223 ammo all day from a 5.56 without worrying about pressure problems thanks to generous chamber size, but if you really want to tighten those groups that .2240 freebore diameter helps. In fact, .223 Wylde chambers are known for extreme accuracy, which is better on the whole than what you can expect from a standard 5.56×45 chamber.

Better accuracy, more versatility with ammo—so what’s the downside? Well, right now that can be cost and availability. The gains that the .223 Wylde provides haven’t prompted a whole bunch of companies to swap to that chamber, but there are certainly .223 Wylde-chambered target rifles out there. Do you need a Wylde? No, but it will help your long game and will make your AR rifle even more versatile than it is now.

Forged Versus Billet Lower Receivers on the AR-15 Platform

Ares Armor offers a variety of 80% AR-15 lower choices, which should you choose? There’s plenty of lively discussion about the pros and cons of each. Why the difference in price? Which is strongest? Which is lightest? What grade of aluminum should you look for? The discussion and debate seems to never end. This short article should help clean up some of the discussion and allow you as a customer make a more informed decision on an Ares Armor AR-15 lower receiver.

Manufacturing Processes

There are multiple ways to manufacture a lower but the most commonly discussed are forged AR-15 lowers and billet AR-15 lowers. 7075-grade aluminum is used for all Ares Armor 80% lower receivers. Forgings are made by hammering together two roughly shaped halves of hot aluminum and cleaning up the profile with machines later. This allows for minimal machining, keeping cost of production low, and overall a more affordable lower.

Billet AR-15 lowers are made by taking a single block of aluminum and having a CNC machine mill out the profile of a lower. This process takes longer, as the CNC machine mills an entire block of aluminum into shape, as opposed to starting with the rough shape in place. Billet lower manufacturing also allows for more unique designs and integrated features to be achieved.

Material Quality

There are two main grades of aluminum used for AR-15 parts, 6061 and 7075. These numbers are used to grade and specify what type of aluminum alloy manufacturers are working with. There is also often a subgrade added to the end of the alloy number, “-T4” or “-T6,” for example. These numbers measure the temper placed on the aluminum, meaning how metallurgists heat treat the metal to give it different properties other than what is found in the base alloy. 6061-T6 and 7075-T6 are two of the most common aluminum alloys around in AR-15 lower receiver use. While 6061 aluminum is a very useful and serviceable alloy, it is not as rugged as 7075-grade aluminum, especially when tempered to the “-T6” designation. Ares Armor’s AR-15 80% lower receivers are made from 7075-T6 aluminum alloy, the highest possible quality material selected for end users to own.

Functionality

In terms of strict function, there are operationally no differences between a forged 80% AR-15 lower and a billet 80% AR-15 lower when finished to proper specification. The main differences are aesthetic; forged lowers from any company will match dimensionally, both internally and externally. The vast majority of forged lowers are made to the latest military specifications. Forged lowers follow those specifications in order to give customers the classic look and feel of a traditional AR-15/M-16, keeping it simple for those who want a straightforward, battle proven design. Billet lowers allow more artistic leeway with manufacturers. Straighter edges, 90-degree angles, designs/decorations, and variations in magazine well sizing, to name a few things that can be done with billet lowers. Ares Armor billet 80%

AR-15 lowers come with clean lines, straighter edges, and an integrated, enlarged trigger guard. Ares Armor Signature III% AR-15 80% lower series offer even more than that: Beefier aesthetics, a flared magazine well, the III% logo on the front milled into the aluminum, all of which offer a more unique styling.

Durability

Durability might be the most hotly debated part of the forged lower vs. billet lower discussion. General consensus tends to be that due to the nature of the forging process that forged lowers are technically more durable. The pressure applied by the hammering of forging compresses the aluminum and makes the metal grain run in a homogenous direction; both good things for rigidity and durability. Forged lowers tend to be lighter than billet lowers, as they generally don’t have as much extra material from proprietary design differences. Billet lowers do not have those hammer-hardened characteristics, but with the use of high quality 7075-grade aluminum in this day and age any concerns about durability are largely unnecessary. It then ends up, as most things AR-15 will, as a personal preference choice from the end user.

In Summary

There are many things to think about when purchasing an Ares Armor AR-15 lower receiver, hopefully this brief breakdown of the differences between forged and billet AR-15 receivers can help you make a more informed decision. Ares Armor strives to make the highest quality lowers, parts, and accessories, so buy with confidence knowing you’re getting the highest possible quality of gear. So which should you buy? Only you can make that decision. Stay safe and happy building!

We admit it. We’re doing our own Obama Countdown at Ares Armor. But it’s not what you think. Sure, we are well aware there are 571 days until the next U.S. Presidential Election on November 8, 2016. We also know there are 644 days until President Barack Obama’s last day in office on January 20, 2017.

This Obama Countdown is different. It impacts you much sooner.

It’s time to say “Bye Bye Barack” to our products named after the president. They are being discontinued by Ares Armor. You have until April 30, 2015 to order your “Obama’s Blaster.” All orders placed by midnight on this date will be honored.

The “Yes We Can Build a Firearm” product was the brainchild of Ares Armor Founder, Dimitrios Karras, a U.S. Marine who bravely served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Launched in September 2014, the Obama’s Blaster exercised the strength of Freedom of Speech in America. Boldly, it came just six months after the ATF Raid of Ares Armor property in Oceanside, California.

The AR–15 Upper Receiver named, “Obama’s Blaster,” created a nationwide controversy. At the time, Dimitri told the media, it was “obviously a joke” and not meant to suggestion action vs. any political figure. He called it, “A commemorative AR-15 part honoring President Obama’s role as the most distinguished firearm salesman of all-time.”

Today, Dimitrios Karras says his point has clearly been made. “The reality is we never intended it to last this long,” Karras said. “However, because of the widespread anti-Obama sentiment, we have had to keep up with demand from the public for this product.”

Silver Linings Playbook

The title of the hit movie sums up the difficult strategic decision, Ares Armor CEO, Bryce Stirlen, had to make. It is a necessary play for the company in taking aim at its business targets on the next level of growth. “There really a silver lining for our customers and supporters,” says Stirlen. “We are just wrapping up production on a new and improved product. We’ll be announcing the news about this in the very near future.”

For obvious reasons, this is all we can say now about this Obama Countdown. However, we want you to know this friends…

No matter what else changes…no matter what you may hear or think…take it from us at the source…the core of this U.S. Veteran driven company is still supporting 2A all the way.

Adds Stirlen, “We know what we’re doing. We know where we’re going. We will continue to expand our business and build our product line. With any makeover, you look different on the outside. But rest assured, we have the same values on the inside. Our company remains 100% committed to supporting the Second Amendment, gun rights, and delivering the highest quality arms and tactical products proudly made in the U.S.A.”

So let the clock on this Obama Countdown begin. There are 14 days until the Obama’s Blaster becomes a blast from the past. It’s available now through midnight, April 30, 2015. Order yours now.