Some firearms have no problem with using aluminum cases, while others may experience damage. The lacquer that coats the steel case can be problematic when a round sits in a hot chamber. I would sure hope not as they did issue steel case GI .45 during WW-2. While it is false that steel cased ammo does damage to your rifle, it may decrease barrel life slightly. It should be noted that the rule about the use of steel core ammo can also be applied to outdoor ranges. The 556 has little taper. Nope. http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu18.htm, http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues. Copper bullets may be lighter than lead bullets, but they are also harder. The steel cased Ammo usually has a bimetallic jacket that is magnetic and is harsher on your barrel. This means any component it comes in contact with will wear faster than if a shooter was running brass-cased rounds. Are Berger hybrid bullets good for hunting? Unless you plan to reload the spent cases, Id say the steel is fine for general purposes, leaving price as the only consideration. Personally I don't use it in my C9 because it just doesn't feed reliably. One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. This lacquer burns off and can potentially foul the chamber. The good news is that it seems as though demand might have peaked. Stand a cartridge of each design beside each other vertically and compare the sidewalls. They either cant afford the rounds or cant find the rounds at all and whenever they can, the majority of the rounds are steel-cased. However, steel-cased ammo has become popular in recent years primarily due to the substantial price difference between it and brass-cased ammo. During World War 1, countries such as Germany experienced a shortage of brass as a raw material and looked to using steel cased ammo as an alternative. Yet, the tapered 9 mm case enhances extraction once the chamber seal is broken. A variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. Steel is harder and less malleable than brass so its a lot harder to accurately resize the cases after firing. Although the 5.56 NATO cartridge is slightly tapered, it is not nearly as forgiving as the 7.62x39 mm in a dirty chamber during extraction. The pellets weigh one-third less than lead pellets of the same size. These rounds are often maligned for performance, reliability, and being generally inferior to brass-cased ammo. It does not store any personal data. Customer Service at Springfield Armory had this to say about using steel cased ammo: BTW, as long as we are talking about it, what are the benefits to steel cased ammo ? Bulk purchases of non-standard ammunition support a wide variety of U.S. military assistance programs, as well. Amp up your AK with these exciting accessories. 20 years ago we would read an article about how bad eggs were for cholesterol and now we read that they are not that bad and it is ok to eat two a day but dont eat the bacon. For those not familiar with Hybrid bullets, the Hybrid design blends two common bullet nose shapes on the front section of the bullet (from the tip to the start of the bearing surface). Is there a difference between steel cased and brass cased ammo? The same considerations can be utilized with pistol ammunition, especially when used in semi- and full-auto firearms. Yeah, I also have shot Tulammo from Russia with the steel casings. The majority of steel cased ammo is Berdan primed. I have never seen anyone check ammo with a magnet, so I have no idea if this is true. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases dont expand the same way that brass cases do. Pre-Covid, steel cased .223 ammo could be found 10-50 cents less per round than brass cased ammo. With the carbon ring you will build up, you can stick a brass case. Does putting water in a smoothie count as water intake? Also, they dont want steel mixed with that for obvious reasons. Theres also the issue I shot thousands of rounds of it in AKs SKS with out trouble. They argue that the softer metal of the casing can wear down your guns barrel and chamber, causing problems with accuracy and reliability. I have had very few issues with reliability when using steel-cased ammo. Another often overlooked advantage is the spent cartridge cases can be policed up with a magnet. With a little fouling, it is easy to see how the more-tapered 7.62x39 mm would be easier to extract than the 5.56 NATO. A steel case is also prohibited because a magnet will attract it, thus making it more difficult to check for steel-core ammunition. I personally shoot pretty much all steel-cased ammo when it comes to plinking and occasional target practice. This doesn't affect reliability as long as you keep shooting steel cased ammo or clean the chamber before shooting brass cased ammo. Steel casings are therefore coated with a lubricant. Cases made of steel cannot be reloaded, so they must be thrown away. So, it expands to snugly fit the walls of the chamber. Another often overlooked advantage is the spent cartridge cases can be policed up with a magnet. Survival | Will Steel Cased Ammo Hurt Your gun? Its not as powerful, clean, or pretty as brass-cased stuff, but it runs fine if your gun is properly-gassed. For most people, it doesnt really matter at all. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Different shooters prefer different ammo casings for different reasons. He also likes to take his kids shooting as often as possible. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Different gauge shotshells should not be mixed together because: a smaller gauge shotshell can slip past the chamber of a larger gauge gun and result in serious personal injury. Yes, you can cast bullets out of aluminum. In today's episode of "I Carry," we have a Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0 Metal pistol with a Holosun EPS Red2 red-dot sight carried in a KSG Armory Lexington IWB holster. Foreign manufacturers often use powders that are dirty and contribute to the chamber fouling.Steel cases have different expansion and contraction characteristics from brass or aluminum. The benefits in favor of steel-cased ammo are mostly economic, making it cheaper to shoot than conventional brass offerings. The lacquer will soften, and if the round sits in the chamber as it cools, it can make extraction more difficult in firearms not designed with a generous chamber. 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Though lead core bullets deliver a quick and humane blow to big game animals, they do so at the cost of lead fragmenting throughout the wound tract. This shape is very efficient in the wind and is why the VLD became so popular. This is apparent in higher-pressure cartridges. 4500 15th Street East If youre worried about it, though, you may want to stick with brass-cased rounds. In testing done by LuckyGunner Labs, rifles using Federal brass cased ammo were still shooting decent groups up to 10,000 rounds. The extractor may be the first part to show wear, but the wear is going on nonetheless. The steel used for the cases is much softer than that in your gun. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". With a price tag well below the average cost of American-made brass-cased ammo, many American shooters on a budget gobbled up the ammo in droves. A: Yes. Your email address will not be published. One of the biggest misconceptions is since Is it safe for my gun? Steel tends to keep the chamber sealed slightly longer, causing the case to stick in the chamber as the action is unlocking and attempting to extract the fired cartridge case. Both bores and barrels of the rifles that fired steel-cased/bimetal jacketed ammunition were basically unserviceable. All of my ARs and my Mini-14 eat up steel cased ammo with the same, or better, reliability as they do with brass-cased rounds. It even sometimes says that it ISNT reloadable for those that dont understand it from the names. Guns are not put under as much stress as an engine block, but it is still important that they are made with a strong material. They also claim that using aluminum cases can help reduce weight, which makes carrying your ammunition easier. But for people who reload, shooting steel cased ammo may actually be more expensive. It's important to point out one of the reasons why ranges are banning steel-case Russian ammo: some of it has copper-washed steel. Thats it. How can I stop being frustrated while reading? Steel cases are usually coated for better performance, and the differences between coatings are relatively minor. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Russian primers have also proven to prove vulnerable to being punctured, which results in the hot gases of the powder detonating rushing back through the punctured primer onto the bolt face, which can significantly damage the firearm. So, should you shoot steel cased ammo through your rifle or pistol? Absolutely not for a lot of my guns. A lot of my guns are former Soviet bloc guns, specifically designed for steel case ammo. My guns that feed ste To the firing pin, etc? However, if you are looking for a little bit of savings at the range, aluminum might be a good choice for you. Depends on who makes it and in what caliber. The Germans confined steel cased 7.9x57 to ground use only because it jams aircraft machine guns. The My only experience with Tula steel cased ammo is 115gr 9mm, and I only used it in my G43. But I do question the hypothesis, unless demonstrated, that a new steel case increases wear over brass. Others claim that there is no difference between aluminum and brass cased ammo. Steel retains less energy and may not kill birds cleanly at the same ranges. Felt recoil was greater with the steel load but not by muchagain that stems from the difference in velocity. Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. The aluminum in the case will not damage your guns chamber, extractor, or ejector because they are made from steel. One of them is the excellent LuckyGunner test. Webrob stafford daughter chicago fire. Occasionally, people use a gun range and do not pick up after themselves, leaving shells on the ground after they have fired. Up to 100 rounds, the more the better. The reason is because steel is not as malleable as brass and therefore does not create as good of a seal between the shell casing and the chamber. Therefore, understanding why certain rules were created will enable you to better perceive how a gun range operates and what factors are involved with using and operating a gun range. U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- COVID 19 and Joe Biden suck, they have driven the price of ammo through the roof, even previously-affordable steel-cased stuff. Aluminum cases are less expensive to produce than brass cases, so they are often used in budget-friendly ammunition. While brass is a copper alloy, stainless steel is an iron alloy mixed with chromium and nickel. I am hoping to test that on camera. Because spent shells are mixed with brass ammo, a gun range may prohibit steel-cased ammo. Personally I do not use steel case ammo in ARs. If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by What are the pros and cons for steel shell cases, more specifically, Winchesters USA-Forged 9 mm, 115-grain (Item WIN9S), 150-round pack? If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. With the current supply and demand issues when it comes to ammo, steel-cased rounds can be found for less than half the price of certain brass-cased cartridges. Because the bullet doesnt have a solid lead core, it is called a steel core .A copper jacket can be found on steel core ammunition, making it difficult to distinguish steel core from non-steel core ammo. This means that they are less prone to fragmenting. Pre-Covid, steel cased .223 ammo could be found 10-50 cents less per round than brass cased ammo. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The brass case expands inside the chamber, the steel case does not and so there is a lot of blow back. I suggest trying a box or two before buying a large quantity. The steel case has a coating, which cushions against wear. Steel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. The other manufactured downside is that some companies will tell shooters that using steel-cased ammo voids their warranty. Theres nothing wrong with Russian steel-cased ammo, other than it smells like somebody has thrown a cat on a trash fire. There is no other way to put it. Sounds like a good argument - until you remember that the steel in your chamber is MUCH harder than the steel of the shell. My HK USPc owners manual specifically states: CAUTION: HK firearms are designed to function with quality manufactured brass cased ammunition. So, in addition to always picking up your brass, if they dont want to give it to you, dont ever return to that shooting range and tell your friends to stay away from that place as well. With a little fouling, it is easy to see how the more-tapered 7.62x39 mm would be easier to extract than the 5.56 NATO. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. Brass is better at this sealing action because it is more malleable than steel. Again, however, I am not really certain whether that is the case. The old Soviet Bloc countries have manufactured and used used steel ammunition in their AK platforms since day one, the AK / SKS is somehow designed to The general rule for steel-cased ammo is high-pressure loads in straight-walled cases tend to have more extraction problems than high-pressure loads in tapered cases or lower-pressure loads in straight-walled cases. Forever, you could not find a kind word being said about steel-cased, Russian ammo. Brass, being less hard than steel, will spring back to a smaller dimension than a steel case will after firing. (SKS / AK owners, neednt worry.). The same considerations can be utilized with pistol ammunition, especially when used in semi- and full-auto firearms. In reality, its not the steel cartridge case thats the problem. Aluminum is a softer metal than lead, so it will not produce as accurate a bullet as lead. In semi-automatic firearms, this affects the timing of the cycle of operation, particularly in the extraction phase. Bottom line: most modern firearms will have no issues whatsoever running with steel-cased ammo, but I would still recommend thorough lubrication and regular cleaning. You can reload them. Common brands of steel-cased ammo are TulaAmmo, Brown Bear, and Wolf. The softest of steels has a surface hardness at least 2 1/2 times the surface hardness of annealed brass (on the Brinell scale), that being the case, unless the chamber was manufactured for the use of steel, from a metallurgical standpoint, steel will erode the chamber over time, not just the extractor. . Every vendor is different so Ammoseek doesnt really have anything to do with whatever experience you may have. Some people say that aluminum cases can cause damage to the gun, while others claim that there is no difference between using aluminum and brass cases. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Some guns have steel casings because steel holds up better than brass. Alexa analytics service - keep track on user informations. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. Steel cases cannot be collected and sold like brass cases since they cannot be reloaded. This is partly due to the design of the tapered case, which enhances extraction regardless of case-material composition.Although the 5.56 NATO cartridge is slightly tapered, it is not nearly as forgiving as the 7.62x39 mm in a dirty chamber during extraction. It is even worse if you fire a bunch of steel cased ammo then fire brass cased right behind it in a dirty chamber. Steel is harder on these guns than brass, so it can jam. The brass that is left behind is sold, and they dont want to trouble themselves with having to separate the steel from the brass. Also, some of the steel cased ammo is now polymer coated. Its a bolt gun and doesnt care. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Small amounts of propellant gasses are able to get between the case and chamber and foul the chamber walls. On the one hand, some people believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your gun. More work is involved if theyre berdan primed but it can be done. However, I keep it out of my precision ARs and I do not hunt with it. So, it is important to follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance, regardless of the casing type. The gun spits the cartridge out after every fire as it goes through the cycle of re-chambering another round. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association. And you will start to notice reliability problems if your firearm is not properly maintained. Ive met many talented shooters with disabilities. It is possible to get steel-cased ammunition for half the price sometimes. Aluminum cased ammo is great for saving money at the range, but its important to remember that not all guns are created equal. Why? Brass shells may be collected by some ranges, reloaded, and resold. This causes additional blowback, which causes more residue buildup in the action. The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The taper aids extraction considerably. Well, it depended on the action and type more than anything. Keep in mind that it is going to foul pretty quickly with steel cased ammo. There are two reasons ranges sometimes ban steel-cased ammo: They do not wish to deal with these As its name suggests, steel-cased ammo utilizes steel for its shell casings instead of brass (or in the case of older Soviet ammo, bi-metal). If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by about 4,000-5,000 rounds. To me, this is not a big problem because I regularly clean my rifle. At the end of the day, its up to you to decide what you think is best for your gun. They do not wish to deal with these issues mentioned above. One of the biggest misconceptions is since steel is harder than brass or aluminum, it must be harder on the gun as it travels through the cycle of operation. If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. For example, a steel-cased .45 ACP is essentially a straight-walled case, but the working pressures are around 20,000 psi which make extraction easier. This tangent section of the ogive results in the bullet being much less sensitive to seating depth. For example, some ranges may state steel casing, but in fact, mean steel jacketed or steel core. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Mac, I have had six show up here in the last two years saying that they had an AR that was not working right. And for quite The steel used is a very soft mild steel vs. the very hard feed ramp and chamber. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. When hes not reviewing guns or shooting for fun and competition, Jim can be found hiking and hunting with his wife Kimberly, and their dog Peanut in the South Carolina low country. As the bearing surface ends, a tangent ogive begins. Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile. Penetrator rifle rounds similar to M855 are available as well, and they do have steel core. So, not only is it a sustainable material, but it also has a minimal impact on the environment. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Any sparks from a steel round might also spark a fire, which is more likely. In my own experience, the accuracy of steel cased ammo in my rifles really is not that much worse than lower-end brass cased ammo. Some people believe that aluminum cased ammo is bad for your gun, but this is not necessarily true. Is steel cased ammo bad for your gun? If depends on the quality of the ammunition and the quality of the firearm. Some lots of ammunition have too The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. I had some issues with some Russian made .45 cal steel cased ammo. Youtube - Track the views of embedded videos. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The other real downside is that steels coefficient of friction is greater than that of brass, so when the spent casing is being extracted from a hot chamber, it requires more force to break the initial bond. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. As far as downsides, there are a few objective drawbacks to running steel and a few man-made ones. In this article,, Read More What is a Bull Barrel Bull Barrel Variations and BenefitsContinue. Why would shooters pick steel-cased rounds over standard ammo? In this blog post, we will explore both sides of the argument and let you decide for yourself! They last a lot! If you believed the hype (as did I), the mere thought of using such trash would surely destroy your gun. Cases made of steel cannot be reloaded, so they must be thrown away. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? A tapered case fares much better during extraction, since once the seal is broken and the case moves even the slightest amount to the rear, friction between the case and the chamber is appreciably attenuated. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and how well your particular firearm handles different types of ammunition. There is literally no danger to your firearms steel parts when using aluminum cased ammo. Due to the lower price of steel-cased ammo, steel-cased ammunition is popular. generally not that bad, depending on what the coating is, you may have to clean the chamber more after shooting. The main drawback is that you can I've reloaded .45 ACP steel cases for years. Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues. Read More Why Should You Practice Dry Fire Shooting Drills At Home?Continue, You may end up seriously hurting both yourself and those closest to you if you conceal a firearm in the wrong way. One reason people give for not shooting steel case-ammo is that it damages their rifle or pistol. Steel is also able to work in more temperatures than brass and tends to last longer. Why is it imperative that different gauge shotshells not be mixed together? It was never engineered to be reloaded, while it isRead more . Maybe NOT, POF 5PK MP5 The Budget Reverse-Stretch Semi Auto from Pakistan, Ammo InStock: PMC Bronze 223 Rem 55 Grain FMJ Ammo 1000 Rounds $397.00 FREE S&H, Survival Deal: Thyrosafe Potassium Radioactive Iodide Tablets $21.95 FREE S&H, Gun Deals: Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol 12 Gauge Shotgun $949.00 FREE S&H, Brownells Coupon Codes www.brownells.com Updated Monthly. I told them to switch to brass and all was fine thereafter. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and, Read More 5 Helpful Tips for Disabled ShootersContinue, Getting a new gun is not the easiest thing. Same load as their white box ammo with exception to using steel cases. Berdan primers are used more often than boxer primers in steel-cased ammunition. Steel-cased ammo is not necessarily less reliable or accurate than brass. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. Cheap ammo is always good, or at least was. Also, some of the steel cased ammo is now polymer coated. Big Daddy Unlimited usually has some steel-cased ammo in stock. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The ammunition was mostly manufactured by Tula Cartridge Plant in Tula, Tula District, Russia from 2005 to 2009. Practice makes perfect, and there is no better way to practice your shooting skills than dry fire drills. People with disabilities are still capable of shooting a gun, contrary to popular belief. However, some shooters believe that the softer metal can cause more wear and tear on your guns barrel and chamber. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the You will find in most firearms manuals (if you read them) a sentence stating something like: such and such firearm company does not recommend using re-loaded or re-manufactured ammunition in the handgun.