So I got a New England Firearms Handi-Rifle Pardner in .223 with a nice scope at a yard sale. Go to the range at my lunch break, set up targets at 100 yerds, trudge back to the bench...load up, first round, from a brand-new box of ammo...

Expecting POW!
But POWrrFFT says the gun - and my face suddenly HURTS....The casing ruptured and I got a spray of fine brass powder right on the cheek...looks like I brush burn...

And all I can think is how freaking close to my EYES that blast of metal powder was....

So now, the gun is full of brass filings - and as I find out later after a good cleaning, it's broken too (firing pin is destroyed, it seems).

Of course, AFTER the fact, I learn that .223 and 5.56 aren't the same, and even though I used ammo labeled .223, not 5.56, it didn't say .223 REMINGTON on the box, so it may be a case of 5.56 loads packaged as .223.

Anyway, damage to the gun is consistent with a 5.56 round being chambered in a .223 remington gun - it seems that the primer blew back into the firing pin, the case wasn't correctly seated and the resulting rupture made a mess of things. I'll be hauling it off to the gunsmith...this will be an expensive bargain!