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Hi Albert and welcome. Yes, a 5.56 stamped firearm can fire .223 ammunition no issue. Bullet grain will depend entirely on the type of shooting you are doing. A rule of thumb is to use a similar grain weight bullet for practice that closely matches your self-defense ammunition. This makes the point of impact similar. 55gr and 62gr are used most in an AR. Cheers, stay safe and enjoy!

Yes, what you were told is correct: you can safely shoot .223 Remington ammo in a firearm chambered for 5.56 NATO, but you should not shoot 5.56 NATO ammo in a firearm chambered only for .223 Remington because the 5.56 NATO round is loaded to higher pressures, potentially causing dangerous overpressure in a .223 chamber. As far as the best grain weight. The most common two are 55gr & 62gr.

Good morning to you!! A barrel marked 5.56 NATO will accept both .223 and 5.56. But a barrel marked 223 will not accept 5.56 NATO. 55 grain ammo is a good all around bullet weight. Hope this helps. Have a good rest of your day. 🇺🇸🇺🇸 'Merica' 🇺🇸🇺🇸

Yes, .223 is fine. "Best" depends on your intended application. 55 grain is certainly the most common, followed by 62. If you are just target shooting/practicing, I would say pick one that you can get a large quantity of for a decent price and then consistently use that particular weight. Other lighter or heavier options are generally lighter weight varmint type rounds, heavier weight precision/long range for purposes, or different hunting or defensive rounds design for expansion.

Hi Albert, if it has 5.56 printed on it, it can shoot both 5.56 and .223. A gun that is rated for .223 cannot safely fire 5.56. Either 55 grain or 62 grain will work just fine. Stay safe & have a great day!