Should I be afraid?

[LifeInPa]

At this moment I am saving funds for my first high powered rifle, a 5.56 AR-15. However thinking about it the largest rifle caliber I ever shot was .22LR. Reading the spec's on these rifles I am impressed how they can handle 60k+ PSI time and time again. However now that I know what pressures these rifles operate at I am somewhat concerned for my safety and of the others operating my rifles. Do you think I am overreacting to the issue? I am just looking for peace of mind because otherwise it's going to ruin the joy I get from operating rifles. Thanks.

[streaker69]

At this moment I am saving funds for my first high powered rifle, a 5.56 AR-15. However thinking about it the largest rifle caliber I ever shot was .22LR. Reading the spec's on these rifles I am impressed how they can handle 60k+ PSI time and time again. However now that I know what pressures these rifles operate at I am somewhat concerned for my safety and of the others operating my rifles. Do you think I am overreacting to the issue? I am just looking for peace of mind because otherwise it's going to ruin the joy I get from operating rifles. Thanks.

I think you're over reacting. There are literally hundreds of thousands of these rifles in use not only in the military but in civilian hands, and while catastrophic failures can occur they are few and far between. The videos of the failures that I have seen, the person escaped with only minor injuries as well. If you get one, keep it maintained, pay attention when you're shooting to ensure you didn't shoot a squib shot, and if it jams, investigate why it jammed thoroughly and ensure the barrel is clear before you fire another shot.

[RandomTask]

5.56 is "high powered"?
LOL

[Metz]

5.56 is "high powered"?

My thought exactly

[IronButt]

5.56 is "high powered"?
LOL

If all the OP has shot up to this point is .22, 5.56 is high powered to him.

It's probably good that you do have safety concerns, but I wouldn't worry too much about the increase in pressure. Safety wise, think more about the increased effective range, etc of the larger 5.56.

Classes would be a good investment, too.

[streaker69]

5.56 is "high powered"?
LOL

According to the liberal media it is.

I think the guy deserves a break here. He's only shot .22lr before, so to him it is high powered.

[Metz]

I think you're over reacting. There are literally hundreds of thousands of these rifles in use not only in the military but in civilian hands, and while catastrophic failures can occur they are few and far between. The videos of the failures that I have seen, the person escaped with only minor injuries as well.

Few days ago I was standing next to the .357 mag, with double charged round exploded in the chamber. It appeared that the (re)load was 14 gr of Bullseye, while the max charge for .357 mag should to be just 6.8 gr as of the specs. And to add insult - the bullet was sitting too deep in the case, that didn't help with that extra pressure at all, as you can imagine.

So, bottom line is - cylinder cracked. But there wasn't any damage to the shooter whatsoever. Frankly, he didn't notice any difference. Ok, he wasn't really experienced one and that was his first .357 shot that day, so he couldnt' really tell the difference, but still...

And 5.56 ARs are well built rifles and I wouldn't seriously consider any body damage at all, unless otherwise "funny" ammo used, which can happen to any other gun.

[Hawk]

Few days ago I was standing next to the .357 mag, with double charged round exploded in the chamber.

OP, Well at least with .223 (5.56) rounds you can't throw a double charge! (at least without noticing the powder spilling out all over the place)

[chivvalry]

You're going to love it. The AR in .223/5.56 has a fantastically smooth feel. One thing you should be aware of is gas tube length in respect to barrel length. If you are getting a "carbine" with a 16" barrel you should be looking for a "middy" or mid-length gas tube vs. a carbine length gas tube. The action of the middy with a 16" barrel is smoother and more pleasant then the action of a carbine with a 16" barrel.

...or you could go with a full length rifle and full length gas tube... which also has a much smoother action than a carbine but where's the fun in that?

edit: oh, and get a spikes tactical!

[legendarylorot]

When I first saw the thread title, I thought it was going to be about the amount of kick the gun has. No, I wouldn't worry one bit about the barrel pressures. Not only are there literally hundreds of thousands of these out there, there are much, much, much more high-powered rounds going through much less precision-made devices. Let's not forget the hundreds of incredibly intelligent people who design these weapons, whose job it is to assess such risks, and overbuild appropriately.

The old adage "don't be afraid of the gun, be afraid of the person holding it" covers a lot of ground. With a quality device, worry more about user error than the gun blowing up all by itself.