Lindcott Armory Rifle · NATO
5.56x45mm NATO
Standard military rifle cartridge for NATO forces.
- Caliber
- 0.2244″ · 5.7 mm
- Introduced
- 1980
- Case
- Rimless
- Parent
- .222 Remington
- Primary use
- Military, Target, Competition
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1980
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Eugene Stoner / Remington
- Manufacturer
- Remington Arms
- Standard
- NATO
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Abundant
- Case capacity
- 28.5 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:7 to 1:9
- Primer
- Small Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 62,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 600 yd
- Max range
- 3000 yd
- Recoil
- 3.8–5.5 ft·lb
Ballistics
Real trajectory computed from a representative load — Black Hills 77gr OTM 77 gr, 2,750 fps, BC 0.372 G1 · 100 yd zero.
| Range | Velocity | Energy | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 yd | 2749 | 1292 | -1.5″ | — |
| 100 yd | 2617 | 1171 | 0.0″ | 0.0 |
| 200 yd | 2487 | 1057 | -3.6″ | -1.7 |
| 300 yd | 2360 | 952 | -12.8″ | -4.1 |
| 400 yd | 2235 | 854 | -28.2″ | -6.7 |
| 500 yd | 2114 | 764 | -50.6″ | -9.7 |
| 600 yd | 1994 | 680 | -80.9″ | -12.9 |
| 700 yd | 1878 | 603 | -119.9″ | -16.4 |
| 800 yd | 1765 | 532 | -168.6″ | -20.1 |
Point-mass G7/G1 drag model, standard atmosphere — within ~2% of reference solvers to 1000 yd; real barrels and conditions vary. Open in Ballistic Compare →
Performance
Buy links open 5.56x45mm NATO ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.70 | 0.224 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.43 | 0.253 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 9.00 | 0.354 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 23° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 9.58 | 0.377 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 9.60 | 0.378 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.14 | 0.045 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 5.15 | 0.203 | ≈ |
| Case length | 44.70 | 1.760 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 57.40 | 2.260 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. 5.56x45mm NATO is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 394 active loads across 77 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 394 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills | Military | 69 | OTM | 3,000 | 1,379 | 0.153 G7 |
| Black Hills | Military Match OTM | 69 | Sierra MatchKing OTM | 3,000 | 1,379 | 0.301 G1 |
| Hornady | TAP FPD | 75 | OTM TAP FPD | 2,910 | 1,410 | 0.189 G7 |
| Sig Sauer | Elite OTM | 69 | OTM BTHP | 2,900 | 1,288 | 0.153 G7 |
| Black Hills | 69gr OTM | 69 | OTM | 2,850 | 1,244 | 0.153 G7 |
| Black Hills | 69gr OTM | 69 | Sierra MatchKing OTM | 2,850 | 1,244 | 0.301 G1 |
| Hornady | TAP LE 75gr OTM | 75 | OTM | 2,790 | 1,296 | 0.189 G7 |
| Sig Sauer | Match Elite | 77 | OTM | 2,780 | 1,321 | 0.189 G7 |
| Sig Sauer | Elite Rifle | 77 | OTM | 2,780 | 1,321 | 0.189 G7 |
| Black Hills | 77gr OTM | 77 | Sierra MatchKing OTM | 2,750 | 1,293 | 0.372 G1 |
| Sig Sauer | Match Grade | 77 | OTM | 2,750 | 1,293 | 0.189 G7 |
| Black Hills | Military | 77 | OTM | 2,750 | 1,293 | 0.189 G7 |
| Underwood | Match | 77 | Sierra MatchKing | 2,750 | 1,293 | 0.372 G1 |
| Sig Sauer | Elite OTM | 77 | OTM BTHP | 2,750 | 1,293 | 0.189 G7 |
| Black Hills | Military Match OTM | 77 | Sierra MatchKing OTM | 2,750 | 1,293 | 0.372 G1 |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Suitable powders
23 reloading powders listed for 5.56x45mm NATO, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO
12 models in the database chamber 5.56x45mm NATO. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Developed in late 1950s by Remington and Eugene Stoner for the AR-15. Adopted by US military in 1964 for M16 rifle. Standardized by NATO in 1980. Civilian .223 Rem introduced in 1962.
FAQs
- What twist rate does 5.56x45mm NATO use?
- 5.56x45mm NATO typically uses a 1:7 to 1:9 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is 5.56x45mm NATO?
- 5.56x45mm NATO uses a 0.2244″ (5.7 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is 5.56x45mm NATO still in production?
- 5.56x45mm NATO is active; typical availability is abundant.
- What is 5.56x45mm NATO used for?
- 5.56x45mm NATO is primarily used for military, target, competition, varmint.
- What is 5.56x45mm NATO based on?
- 5.56x45mm NATO is derived from the .222 Remington Magnum case.
- What are the best powders for 5.56x45mm NATO?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for 5.56x45mm NATO include Norma R1, S133, Shooters World Economy Rifle, Lovex S010, among 23 suitable options.
Sources & provenance
- StandardSAAMI — SAAMI cartridge & chamber drawing — 5.56x45mm NATO
- StandardC.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
- SecondaryWikipedia — .223 Remington · parent_cartridgearchived
- SecondaryWikipedia — .222 Remington Magnum (states it is the basis of the 5.6x50) · parent_cartridge
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 394 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →