Even then, is the small savings worth the time and patience that it takes to reload? The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net to collect statistical data such as the number of visits, average time spent on site, and what pages have been loaded, for targeted advertising. These 5.56 cartridges push a 62 grain projectile designed with a boat tail, lead core, and a special steel penetrator tip. Why Should You Practice Dry Fire Shooting Drills At Home? If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and how well your particular firearm handles different types of ammunition. There should be no problem accommodating you at your local range. And for quite Another good reason, and maybe the best reason you cant shoot steel ammo at the range, is that the bi-metal or steel bullets will damage the floor, walls, and ceiling and can damage the bullet traps. Steel is naturally less slick than brass, which can also contribute to the stuck case issue. Also, make sure to keep your chamber clean. And a sloppy chamber adds to bad performance in accuracy. Coffee good, coffee bad, dark chocolate bad, dark chocolate good, eggs bad, eggs good. In reality, its not the steel cartridge case thats the problem. Answering: Is steel cased ammo bad for your gun? Opinions vary, but I think the prevailing wisdom is that Yes, steel cased ammunition is hard on ex And it is true that it is more dirty than brass. Cast aluminum is simply a stronger form of aluminum. Brass, being less hard than steel, will spring back to a smaller dimension than a steel case will after firing. Some shooters believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your firearm. Wolf Ammunition is NOT bad for your gun. Also, some of the steel cased ammo is now polymer coated. What are the pros and cons of using steel-cased ammo? In fact, they argue that aluminum casings are actually more reliable than brass casings because they are less likely to corrode. 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. Also you will notice a lot of lacquer coating all the parts and this over time can cause a malfunction. Benefits. It was never engineered to be reloaded, while it isRead more . This doesn't affect reliability as long as you keep shooting steel cased ammo or clean the chamber before shooting brass cased ammo. In short, the bullets offer maximum aerodynamics from a bullet that is also forgiving about seating depth, making them an ideal projectile for hunting in conditions where shots can be on the long side and one that will shoot well in more rifles. Not one good experience with steel case in an AR or AK. YouTube - Store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. Some firearms have no problem with using aluminum cases, while others may experience damage. To add to a excellent list of reasons,some ranges use rubber peices in the backstops and if steel can start fires on certain outdoor ranges with grass. As the bearing surface ends, a tangent ogive begins. Yet, the tapered 9 mm case enhances extraction once the chamber seal is broken. Required fields are marked *. Funny how you didnt mention the elephant in the room RELOADING. Sounds like a good argument - until you remember that the steel in your chamber is MUCH harder than the The brass that is left behind is sold, and they dont want to trouble themselves with having to separate the steel from the brass. Steel cases cannot be collected and sold like brass cases since they cannot be reloaded. Steel-cored rounds have a much greater likelihood of damaging a backstop than lead FMJs do, so theyre nearly universally prohibited on indoor shooting ranges. Registered. Exactly why I gave all my steel case .223 to my Brother who does not reload. One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. There is the grip, trigger, barrel, and even others. 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. The __qca cookie is associated with Quantcast. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I have had six show up here in the last two years saying that they had an AR that was not working right. While it is false that steel cased ammo does damage to your rifle, it may decrease barrel life slightly. Reloading would lose the benefit of this coating, as it wears off. The guns are just slightly over-gassed to ensure reliable operation with underpowered cheap ammo. He loves anything and everything guns but holds firearms from the Cold War in a special place in his heart. It doesnt contract as fast as brass does, but you can shoot it in a bolt or lever gun without any problem. This build up can cause stuck cases. 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. The firearm can be functional and perfect, but it can also be damaged, faulty, or even outright broken, or non-functional. Should be fine for plinking and I can't see how it would hurt a quality firearm. There are different types of coatings (polymer and lacquer), both of which are used as lubricants. This tangent section of the ogive results in the bullet being much less sensitive to seating depth. I have a Glock 17 that has yet to see brass cased ammunition. There are times when rules are unclear. Indoor gun ranges often have a rule such as Armor Piercing/ Steel Core rounds are prohibited or Steel core ammunition is not allowed.. Those of that opinion are quick to reference extractor breakage or failure, especially in the AR-15/M16 platforms. My only experience with Tula steel cased ammo is 115gr 9mm, and I only used it in my G43. If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. I would sure hope not as they did issue steel case GI .45 during WW-2. These rounds are often maligned for performance, reliability, and being generally inferior to brass-cased ammo. The jury is still out on this one. 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. Also, they dont want steel mixed with that for obvious reasons. 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. I f the chamber is on the larger side of the spec it isnt usually an issue. Steel rounds can even cause damage to targets, rail lines and cables. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. A critical marksmanship skill that is easy to overlook. It is pretty dirty & tends to leave some lacquer when the gun heats up. What about American guns? As far as downsides, there are a few objective drawbacks to running steel and a few man-made ones. This is apparent in higher-pressure cartridges.An example would be in comparing 7.62x39 mm and 5.56 NATO. Yes, you can cast bullets out of aluminum. In fact, many experts say that aluminum cases are just as safe to use as brass cases. 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). It is strong enough to withstand the stress of firing, yet light enough to allow for high-speed projectiles. 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. 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. Steel is less dense than lead. A shell contains a firing primer and gunpowder. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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. Feel free to reach out to us or read our affiliate disclosure and privacy policy. At what point is the marginal product maximum? So, there is no benefit to using cast aluminum over regular aluminum when making bullets. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and, Read More 5 Helpful Tips for Disabled ShootersContinue, Getting a new gun is not the easiest thing. I've reloaded .45 ACP steel cases for years. Well, it depended on the action and type more than anything. Availability may be different depending on where you live. The reason? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". There is literally no danger to your firearms steel parts when using aluminum cased ammo. 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. If youre worried about it, though, you may want to stick with brass-cased rounds. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association. It caused alot of feed problems in my Kimber Ultra Carry II 3". We learn from our mistakes. 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 Why is it imperative that different gauge shotshells not be mixed together? After draining the fluids, taking out the battery and all the plastic and seats and removing the shocks it was more work than it was worth. Thus you have less blowback into the chamber and the receiver. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. If I had a junk yard it would be worth it. Felt recoil was greater with the steel load but not by muchagain that stems from the difference in velocity.Winchesters USA-Forged steel-cased ammo performed as well or better than comparable brass-cased ammo in my guns. You can reload them. The direct-impingement AR-15 can be ammo sensitive especially when not ran, wet. i don't use steel case Russian crap. For example, some ranges may state steel casing, but in fact, mean steel jacketed or steel core. Personally I do not use steel case ammo in ARs. WOLF Performance Ammunition is a trademark associated with Sporting Supplies International (SSI), a corporation in the United States. Practice makes perfect, and there is no better way to practice your shooting skills than dry fire drills. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Vortex to take over customer service and support for the app. No one is perfect. One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. 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. If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by about 4,000-5,000 rounds. People with disabilities are still capable of shooting a gun, contrary to popular belief. 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. For now on I will stick to brass cased ammo only. 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. I have found that my AR does quite well with steel case, where as my Mini-14 has trouble holding 4 MOA. I personally shoot pretty much all steel-cased ammo when it comes to plinking and occasional target practice. Its no secret that the cost of shooting ranges is high. One of the biggest misconceptions is since WebWhat Steel Cased Ammo Does To Guns! Each one has its pros and cons and many shooters are firmly entrenched in one camp over the other. Your email address will not be published. I think it is generally dirty ammo. Instead I donate them now and I actually get more money and it is less work. It needs to be strong enough to withstand a lot of stress. 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. If you are buying ammo for home defense or your carry weapon, then DO NOT BUY TulAmmo. Cast aluminum is perfect for this job. Steel casings are therefore coated with a lubricant. A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. YouTube - Store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen - 2. 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. The vast majority of concealed carry holders, experienced or not, make the, Read More Top 5 Common Concealed Carry Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)Continue, Address WebAnswering: Is steel cased ammo bad for your gun? Another often overlooked advantage is the spent cartridge cases can be policed up with a magnet. Steel-cased ammo may also be associated with an increased fire risk because it tends to cause more sparks than bullets without steel cases. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I have shot some 9mm in my my SW M&P and my SW 3913, not a lot but some. In a nutshell, steel-cased ammo is good to go. The same considerations can be utilized with pistol ammunition, especially when used in semi- and full-auto firearms. Some guns have steel casings because steel holds up better than brass. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Due to the lower price of steel-cased ammo, steel-cased ammunition is popular. Ive been to some shooting ranges, and this actually bothered me quite a bit. I had some issues with some Russian made .45 cal steel cased ammo. It can happen in many different ways, but most often, it happens when someone is cleaning a gun or showing a gun to friends, and they accidentally pull the trigger. Steel is harder and less malleable than brass so its a lot harder to accurately resize the cases after firing. The steel used for the cases is much softer than that in your gun. 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. Also, if you use the steel cased ammo close to dark it had a massive muzzle flash, if things come to a combat situation you want the flash coming from the other side so you can see where, they, are, not the other way round. This might in some cases make them easier to extract possiblybut also explains the excess dirt build up. 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. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Every vendor is different so Ammoseek doesnt really have anything to do with whatever experience you may have. Nope. But many companies around the mid-2000s discovered that customers were complaining that their guns werent reliable because they wouldnt run Russian steel-cased ammo very well. So, it is important to follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance, regardless of the casing type. I have never seen anyone check ammo with a magnet, so I have no idea if this is true. Just make sure to check your guns warranty before running it, just in case. Ive met many talented shooters with disabilities. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. However, using steel casings with outdoor ranges should not be a problem. 2. I shoot steel case all the time in my ARs but haven't tried it in a pistol yet. Keep in mind that it is going to foul pretty quickly with steel cased ammo. Your Arsenal build will be fine with it. This build up can cause stuck cases. Then, Winchester jumped into the steel-cased market. 1 Why is steel case ammo bad for your gun? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Quantserve sets the mc cookie to anonymously track user behaviour on the website. Americas oldest Second Amendment News outlet. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. So unless youre looking for an inexpensive way to practice shooting, its probably not worth using aluminum bullets. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Is there a difference between steel cased and brass cased ammo? The former is utterly reliable in most platforms in which it is chambered. From discussion withRead more . So, yes, steel-cased ammo will wear your AR-15 out faster than brass ammo will. Not good if he would have been a dummy and kept pulling the trigger. Brass is better at this sealing action because it is more malleable than steel. This build up can cause stuck cases. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. 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. 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. No problems. (Video) HERE'S WHY YOU CAN'T SHOOT STEEL CASED a 12-gauge shotshell can be chambered into a 20- gauge shotgun and result in serious personal injury. I just burn mine in my Rem 700. To the firing pin, etc? Ammo Deals: ZSR Ammunition 9mm 124 Grain FMJ 1000 Rounds $259.99 FREE S&H, AR-15 Barrel Length Does It Even Matter? No commercially available handgun rounds have the steel core as they would qualify as illegal armor piercing ammo under federal law. A steel case is also prohibited because a magnet will attract it, thus making it more difficult to check for steel-core ammunition. Everything I have shot through it has been either steel or aluminum cased.