Steel is harder and less malleable than brass so its a lot harder to accurately resize the cases after firing. It is much softer than the steel used to make gun barrels and actions. That way you wont get stuck with a bunch of ammo that you cant use if it doesnt work in your particular gun. Pre-Covid, steel cased .223 ammo could be found 10-50 cents less per round than brass cased ammo. While the steel used in the ammos casings is relatively mild, and thus not terribly hard, it is still harder than brass. Is there a difference between steel cased and brass cased ammo? On the other hand, the 9 mm, especially in military loads, is twice the pressure of the .45 ACP. Some people believe that the aluminum casings can cause damage to your firearm, while others claim that there is no difference between aluminum and brass cased ammo. Aluminum Cased Ammo: Bad for Your Gun? - YESTACTICAL I personally shoot pretty much all steel-cased ammo when it comes to plinking and occasional target practice. The casing is usually made of steel. Alexa analytics service - keep track on user informations. It does not corrode or rust, even in extreme environments, It can be recycled endlessly without losing any quality or strength. My understanding is that steel cases are not reloadable and that the brass from the brass cases is sold in order to cover the range of upkeep costs. Many people in wheelchairs shoot firearms. The range may use a magnet to determine whether the ammunition is steel core or not. They argue that the softer metal of the casing can wear down your guns barrel and chamber, causing problems with accuracy and reliability. Id take this ammo over a lot of cheap brass out there. 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. This makes a very strong piece of metal. So experiment a little and see which type works best for you! Pure greed is what it is when it comes to indoor ranges. Do that with steel cases. Wolf Ammunition is NOT bad for your gun. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. More work is involved if theyre berdan primed but it can be done. An example of commercial, Russian-made steel-cased, but non-corrosive 7.62x54mm ammunition. Steel cased ammo is said to be less expensive and brass cased ammunition more reliable. However, it is much, Read More How To Inspect A Gun Before Buying?Continue, Guns have all kinds of different parts. What are the disadvantages of steel cased ammo? Well, there are a couple of good reasons. Cutting open the bullet and inspecting its composition is the only way to tell the difference. This build up can cause stuck cases. Thus you have less blowback into the chamber and the receiver. Paper target scraps or gun powder residue might also ignite. As far as man-made issues, many ranges ban the use of steel-cased ammo out of concern for their backstops this is particularly true with indoor ranges. Brass ammo is generally considered to be better than steel-cased ammo because it creates a better chamber seal than steel. Steel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. As long as I do some research beforehand, I feel more confident, and I dont take the chance of my reputation getting damaged. Steel Case vs. Brass: Worth It? | Reload Your Gear Brass Deflection for Left Handed Shooters firing the CF-15, Smoothing up the trigger pull on a standard AR15, Removal & Reinstallation of the Rear Sight Aperture. Or should you stay away from it? Then, Winchester jumped into the steel-cased market. Steel-cased ammo is not necessarily less reliable or accurate than brass. Bulk purchases of non-standard ammunition support a wide variety of U.S. military assistance programs, as well. This cookie is used to keep track on user informations and reports it to Alexa analytics service. Under federal law it is perfectly legal to make, sell and purchase armor-piercing ammunition as long as you have the proper licensing. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? If the gun is broken in first with brass cased ammo this helps seal the gas system somewhat which will make the lower powered steel cased ammo work a bit better. Some Glocks will indeed eat anything, others not quite. 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. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. This anonymous data helps us to better understand users' needs and customize the website accordingly. 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. What are the pros and cons for steel shell cases, more specifically, Winchesters USA-Forged 9 mm, 115-grain (Item WIN9S), 150-round pack? So if you are going to use steel cased ammo I recommend breaking the rifle in with decent brass cased ammo first. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Another often overlooked advantage is the spent cartridge cases can be policed up with a magnet. Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. Read More How To Prevent Accidental Shootings?Continue. The solution was simple they over-gassed their guns. The money you saved on steel This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Brass is better at this sealing action because it is more malleable than steel. No, not for any well made gun. | The Gun Owner The Gun Owner 558 subscribers Subscribe 893 100K views 3 years ago #TheGunOwner #Californiaguns i can get american made quality stuff for the same price, or only a little more. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. Tacoma, Washington 98424 USA, 2023 Rainier Ballistics | The Journey To The Top Demands Peak Performance, What is a Bull Barrel Bull Barrel Variations and Benefits. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu18.htm, http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/. They have a nice feature that tells you what range the shipping is(low,medium,high). I seen problems with stuck cases in AR type rifles. They last a lot! Accidental shootings are a big problem, and they happen all over the world. Brass is better at this sealing action because it is more malleable than steel. It depends what you shoot it out of. Steel cases are hard on a firearm. When they are fired,like any other case, the expand to seal the chamber. Bu The former is utterly reliable in most platforms in which it is chambered. I think it is generally dirty ammo. Your email address will not be published. So, yes, steel-cased ammo will wear your AR-15 out faster than brass ammo will. My understanding is that you cannot reload the steel cases. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. As for the increased wear on the barrel, my logic is that I will have saved plenty of money by shooting steel cased ammo that I could buy a new barrel and still be ahead. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. But are they really? It does not store any personal data. 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. 4500 15th Street East 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. . 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. - AllOutdoor.com At the end of the day, its up to you to decide what you think is best for your gun. Stand a cartridge of each design beside each other vertically and compare the sidewalls. 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. does steel cased ammo hurt your gun - maingila.com The firearm can be functional and perfect, but it can also be damaged, faulty, or even outright broken, or non-functional. Having said that, I don't use it in my high end guns, Aluminum is a softer metal than lead, so it will not produce as accurate a bullet as lead. The brass case expands inside the chamber, the steel case does not and so there is a lot of blow back. @jh45gun Your statement above non bi-metallic seems to be saying that the case is bi-metallic. It has always worked fine for me. For now on I will stick to brass cased ammo only. Does steel cased ammo The only ammo that's is affordable to go blasting with in an AK47 or 74 is Wolf. However, a lot of folks wont use aluminum Its no secret that the cost of shooting ranges is high. Opinions vary, but I think the prevailing wisdom is that Yes, steel cased ammunition is hard on extractors. Some firearms have no problem with using aluminum cases, while others may experience damage. Sounds like a good argument - until you remember that the steel in your chamber is MUCH harder than the Thus you have less blowback into the chamber and the receiver. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. Steel cases are more difficult (if not impossible) to reload. These parts can generally be switched out with other parts of the same type to customize the gun to the way you want it. My experience with steel cased ammo in a Mosen Nagant was the coating was heated up with the explosion of the round in the chamber melting the coating and after a few rounds you couldnt get a round to chamber because there was too much coating in the chamber. The ammunition was mostly manufactured by Tula Cartridge Plant in Tula, Tula District, Russia from 2005 to 2009. 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. Steel is harder on these guns than brass, so it can jam. In fact they used to use the corrosive stuff with no ill effect. It is pretty dirty & tends to leave some lacquer when the gun heats up. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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 WebDoes steel cased ammo hurt your gun? Steel-Cased Ammo A steel case is also prohibited because a magnet will attract it, thus making it more difficult to check for steel-core ammunition. 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 most people, it doesnt really matter at all. There are times when rules are unclear. 9mm steel case ammo bad for handguns It does not store any personal data. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. This can, however, be compensated with coating, but some worry that this coating could build up in your firearm and create long-term issues. And it is true that it is more dirty than brass. If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Common brands of steel-cased ammo are TulaAmmo, Brown Bear, and Wolf. Pretty much daily I get the question Is it okay to shoot steel cased ammo in my Windham Weaponry AR15?. No. It's annealed to be soft. A lot of old surplus stuff was laquer coated and could gum up chambers. If a round was fired in a hot chamber and coo From what I can tell and have seen/read..since steel is less malleable than brass, the cases dont fireform as well to the chamber when fired. To me, this is not a big problem because I regularly clean my rifle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bzPRtn29u0, Spotting Scope for 1000 Yards: How to Achieve Maximum Accuracy, 209 Primers for Muzzleloaders: The Best Ones for Your Gun, This div height required for enabling the sticky sidebar, 2022 Yestactical.com We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Yet, the tapered 9 mm case enhances extraction once the chamber seal is broken. Every vendor is different so Ammoseek doesnt really have anything to do with whatever experience you may have. It is common for indoor ranges to have the same rules, but I dont always assume that is the case. Have you searched on extractor wear with steel cased ammo? 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved I shoot steel case all the time in my ARs but haven't tried it in a pistol yet. This is because most steel-cased ammo uses a mild steel core, and is difficult for ranges to differentiate from armor-piercing steel-core ammo which would quickly destroy targets. Cast aluminum is perfect for this job. This is because Berdan primers dont contain an anvil. One of the biggest misconceptions is since Steel retains less energy and may not kill birds cleanly at the same ranges. Just make sure to check your guns warranty before running it, just in case. Experiment a little and see which type works best! Steel cases have different expansion and contraction characteristics from brass or aluminum. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. I do. Modern production steel-cased ammo is not corrosive, even when Berdan primed and it will not destroy your extractor. This doesn't affect reliability as long as you keep shooting steel cased ammo or clean the chamber before shooting brass cased ammo. In fact, many experts say that aluminum cases are just as safe to use as brass cases. Using gas-powered cycling systems on firearms makes the extraction less effective. Our Sitemap. No issues with Steel (Tula or Wolf) and full power striker springs, occasional FTE with aluminum and I had one yesterday with Fiocci brass. Steel rounds also have a greater chance of backfiring. Steel is less dense than lead. This is an Alexa Analytics cookie that is used to track user behavior. 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. So, it expands to snugly fit the walls of the chamber. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. In this blog post, we will explore both sides of the argument and let you decide for yourself! Another advantage of steel casings is that cartridges are extracted more efficiently than brass casings. Use of steel or aluminum cased cartridges is not recommended and could adversely affect safe and reliable functioning. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Those of that opinion are quick to reference extractor breakage or failure, especially in the AR-15/M16 platforms.In reality, its not the steel cartridge case thats the problem. While it is false that steel cased ammo does damage to your rifle, it may decrease barrel life slightly. Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, case expansion and contraction characteristics, First Look: Freedom Munitions American Steel Ammo, First Look: Freedom Munitions American Steel Ammo | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Steel-Case Ammo: Bad For Your Gun? Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. 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. These rounds are often maligned for performance, reliability, and being generally inferior to brass-cased ammo. Sometimes the cases will be sticky, though, and will be harder to eject. (emphasis mine) For further information on ammunition selection, contact HK Customer Service HK does not sell ammunition, so they have no dog in the cost of ammunition argument. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". I disagree on the viability of steel cased ammo in weapons when the mfg states otherwise. While the ammo was kind of weak, dirty and even smelled bad, every one of the 2,700 rounds I fired through G43 worked okay and cycled my gun just fine with no malfunction of any kind. Can You Shoot Steel Cased Ammo in a Glock? | The Ammo Blog But I do question the hypothesis, unless demonstrated, that a new steel case increases wear over brass. Forever, you could not find a kind word being said about steel-cased, Russian ammo. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Keep in mind that it is going to foul pretty quickly with steel cased ammo. The steel used in the cases will still be softer than the type of steel used in receivers and extractors of Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Experiment a little and see which type of ammo works best for your gun! Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. I have also found some deviations is accuracy with different brands of ammo. Copper bullets may be lighter than lead bullets, but they are also harder. Exactly why I gave all my steel case .223 to my Brother who does not reload. Yes, you can cast bullets out of aluminum. A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. Otherwise, you could end up with a gun thats not only ineffective, but also dangerous. You save a few dollars, but usually give up good accuracy. Higher velocity bullets, such as the .223 Remington, will usually cause more wear. AKs weren't "designed" to fire steel cased ammunition. Brass, being less hard than steel, will spring back to a smaller dimension than a steel case will after firing. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases dont expand the same way that brass cases do. But if you skimp on cleaning your guns, you might want to be careful if doing a lot of shooting with steel cased ammo as carbon buildup may start to cause reliability issues. Sometimes these cases will stick so severely that it is difficult to remove them even with a cleaning rod. This is partly due to the design of the tapered case, which enhances extraction regardless of case-material composition. Its a small price to pay for the substantial savings steel ammunition provides over brass cased ammunition. (Video) HERE'S WHY YOU CAN'T SHOOT STEEL CASED Will Steel Cased Ammo Hurt Your Gun? - AllOutdoor.com The projectiles typically have an lead core, not steel. Some guns have steel casings because steel holds up better than brass. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. Its not as powerful, clean, or pretty as brass-cased stuff, but it runs fine if your gun is properly-gassed. In fact, they argue that aluminum casings are actually more reliable than brass casings because they are less likely to corrode. 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. The same considerations can be utilized with pistol ammunition, especially when used in semi- and full-auto firearms. Should be fine for plinking and I can't see how it would hurt a quality firearm. Many people think its dirtier because the steel case isnt as forgiving as brass and so more spent carbon theoretically gets deposited into the chamber. There isnt always an explanation for the rules. Everything I have shot through it has been either steel or aluminum cased. On the one hand, some people believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your gun. Find it here bigdaddyunlimited.com/login.php. Cartridges or shells of ammo are referred to as casings, not bullets. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases dont expand the same way that brass cases do. 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 Provided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association. Now, miraculously, steel-cased ammo will no longer hurt your gun. It needs to be strong enough to withstand a lot of stress. Only issue I have heard, working in a LGS: Some guys where rapid firing a Glock 22 and apparently the TULAMMO they were shooting is coated with laquer and it gummed up the chamber after the gun got hot. Some of it is sealed with lacquer that stinks. Is steel cased ammo bad for your gun? - Quora Also, some of the steel cased ammo is now polymer coated. WebSteel case ammo shouldn't damage your gun, though some guns will have reliability issues with it. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Anything Wrong With using Polymer-Coated Steel Case Ammo To test if a bullet is ferrous, some ranges hold a magnet to it. I don't shoot match grade ammo in a field grade gun nor do I shoot bulk grade ammo in a match grade gun. The jury is still out on this one. Its a bolt gun and doesnt care. Non brass ammo is my JIC prepper ammo. I am not sure that steel cased ammo would wear out anything faster than brass, and would like documentation rather than theory on this. But shortly thereafter, many found that the rounds werent performing as accurately, or reliably in their American firearms. This grit and mess gets between the case and chamber wall and acts like sand paper. 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. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . Brass Ammo Pros & Cons Brass ammo is generally considered to be better than steel-cased ammo because it creates a better chamber seal than steel. Other than that we can use just about anything. And always follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Brass is the most reliable and much cleaner to shoot due to the steel not expanding and forming a gas seal in the chamber upon firing. Darrell Moriarty, Lago Vista, TXSteel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. One of them is the excellent LuckyGunner test. No reason for outdoor firing ranges, especially if youre going to police your own brass. I was told that it would tend to wear the ejector quicker because it was harder than brass. This was even more the case a few years ago when most companies made sure their guns were precisely gassed. This might in some cases make them easier to extract possiblybut also explains the excess dirt build up. While a more expensive option than brass, steel is a very durable, resilient metal. Amp up your AK with these exciting accessories. The ferrous bi-metal jackets found on most steel-cased ammo will not damage the rifling of your AR and are perfectly safe to use on any rifle-rated backstop. Because of this, most if not all steel ammo comes with a coating to help extract easier and stay free of rust which can also cause extraction issues. i don't use steel case Russian crap. The same considerations can be utilized with pistol ammunition, especially when used in semi- and full-auto firearms. 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. A lot of people think that going to the range is the only way you can practice, but dry fire practice can be extremely efficient. Top 5 Common Concealed Carry Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them). Thats not entirely accurate while it is true that steel core rounds can damage a backstop, it is actually that bi-metal ammunition, including Wolf, can result in steel-to-steel contact that can cause sparking. Cast aluminum is stronger than aluminum because the casting process forces the metal to fill all the spaces in the mold. What about American guns? WOLF Performance Ammunition is a trademark associated with Sporting Supplies International (SSI), a corporation in the United States. The steel load printed a few inches higher than the brass load, most likely because it chronographed 60 fps faster. The majority of steel cased ammo is Berdan primed. Benefits. I f the chamber is on the larger side of the spec it isnt usually an issue. What is M855? The depriming punch in the resizing die would be damaged in such a case. Sounds like a good argument - until you remember that the steel in your chamber is MUCH harder than the steel of the shell. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It can start a heck of a fire in a rubber backstop medium. 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. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the Webrob stafford daughter chicago fire. Does putting water in a smoothie count as water intake? This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. 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 Most if not all of this ammo uses a copper coated steel jacketed bi-metal bullet which increases wear on the barrel. (SKS / AK owners, neednt worry.). Most of them are Sig, Beretta and CZs. 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. Steel Cased One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. Even then, is the small savings worth the time and patience that it takes to reload? I have had very few issues with reliability when using steel-cased ammo. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The direct-impingement AR-15 can be ammo sensitive especially when not ran, wet. ), How to Add Shelves to Your Gun Safe: A Step-by-Step Guide, Shipping Container as a Gun Safe (Yay or Nay? Then the brass case expanding normally really sticks to the carbon left behind in the chamber. M855 is often called green tip ammo for its special color coding (the full metal jacket is painted green at the nose).