does steel cased ammo hurt your gun

In fact that's all they use in the Comblock countries. This cookie is used to keep track on user informations and reports it to Alexa analytics service. 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. 5 What are the pros and cons of using steel-cased ammo? 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. Personally I do not use steel case ammo in ARs. This lacquer burns off and can potentially foul the chamber. Steel-cased ammo is not necessarily less reliable or accurate than brass. Some people liked to shoot them in brush when it had been dry for a while. bigdogbuc Banned Joined Mar 22, 2012 2,112 Posts Generally speaking, its not gonna hurt it. what's the point? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. And always follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance. Its a small price to pay for the substantial savings steel ammunition provides over brass cased ammunition. It can start a heck of a fire in a rubber backstop medium. Bill, I know that there has been testing on it, though I dont have them bookmarked. So, there is no benefit to using cast aluminum over regular aluminum when making bullets. This anonymous data helps us to better understand users' needs and customize the website accordingly. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? The other manufactured downside is that some companies will tell shooters that using steel-cased ammo voids their warranty. I was told that it would tend to wear the ejector quicker because it was harder than brass. Despite its rarity, some gun ranges still prohibit steel-cased ammunition. 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. Do that with steel cases. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. I shot thousands of rounds of it in AKs SKS with out trouble. I agree that the price of steel cases has gone through the roof so the affordable ones are only made in hard plastic. 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 value-priced red dot with a full set of features. There is no other way to put it. That way you wont get stuck with a bunch of ammo that you cant use if it doesnt work in your particular gun. And you will start to notice reliability problems if your firearm is not properly maintained. There are two reasons ranges sometimes ban steel-cased ammo: They do not wish to deal with these i don't use steel case Russian crap. Sounds like a good argument - until you remember that the steel in your chamber is MUCH harder than the Steel is naturally less slick than brass, which can also contribute to the stuck case issue. 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. This is because brass cased ammo can be reloaded multiple times, and it is possible to reload ammo for around the same price per round as steel cased ammo can be bought. 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 Others claim that there is no difference between aluminum and brass cased ammo. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . KyJim, you are correct of course. To test if a bullet is ferrous, some ranges hold a magnet to it. But for people who reload, shooting steel cased ammo may actually be more expensive. Steel cases are more difficult (if not impossible) to reload. 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 test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. As a result, these guns have short or fast cycle times. Another advantage of steel casings is that cartridges are extracted more efficiently than brass casings. Winchesters USA-Forged steel-cased ammo performed as well or better than comparable brass-cased ammo in my guns. It even sometimes says that it ISNT reloadable for those that dont understand it from the names. 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. The steel case doesn't seal as well so you will get more carbon fouling in the gun. These rounds are often maligned for performance, reliability, and being generally inferior to brass-cased ammo. Does steel cased ammo damage your gun? Steel is less dense than lead. Most shooting ranges will not let you use steel-cased ammo at the range. 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. The range may use a magnet to determine whether the ammunition is steel core or not. 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. 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. However, a lot of folks wont use aluminum Most if not all of this ammo uses a copper coated steel jacketed bi-metal bullet which increases wear on the barrel. 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. It may not have been match-grade or the cleanliest ammo, but the Soviet calibers ran perfectly in Soviet-designed firearms. However, it is much, Read More How To Inspect A Gun Before Buying?Continue, Guns have all kinds of different parts. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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. Higher velocity bullets, such as the .223 Remington, will usually cause more wear. Also you will notice a lot of lacquer coating all the parts and this over time can cause a malfunction. 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 function with that ammo. 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. This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. Darrell Moriarty, Lago Vista, TXSteel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. Another often overlooked advantage is the spent cartridge cases can be policed up with a magnet. 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. The former is utterly reliable in most platforms in which it is chambered. Its only maybe $1 more per box but its worth it. The only items that are true is that steel-cased ammo runs dirtier (steel cases don't expand and seal out fouling as well as a brass), and you just have to clean your gun more often. An example of commercial, Russian-made steel-cased, but non-corrosive 7.62x54mm ammunition. Use of steel or aluminum cased cartridges is not recommended and could adversely affect safe and reliable functioning. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? Ive reloaded a few 9mm boxer primed steel cases and they work fine. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Some ranges may also ban aluminum cases for the same reason. No reason for outdoor firing ranges, especially if youre going to police your own brass. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. 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. What are the disadvantages of brass ammo? Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and, Read More 5 Helpful Tips for Disabled ShootersContinue, Getting a new gun is not the easiest thing. All those issues were worsened by pandemic-related workforce shortages and supply chain issues, which drove the prices up and up and up, Woodbury said. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I still have some brass Berdan primed ammo for my 1918 Enfield, but I also found that IVI makes MilSpec brass for it and it is made for Boxer primers. 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 I have never had a problem with it in my pistols. Foreign manufacturers often use powders that are dirty and contribute to the chamber fouling. My best guess at the time was that it was because the rangers only wanted the brass ammo, which they could recycle; they could resell and make money off of. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. Should be fine for plinking and I can't see how it would hurt a quality firearm. Not really it always says that its Berdan primed, not Boxer. Reloading would lose the benefit of this coating, as it wears off. So, it expands to snugly fit the walls of the chamber. If I were to try ANY steel cased ammo, it would be the new Hornady stuff. There are different types of coatings (polymer and lacquer), both of which are used as lubricants. Some shooters believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your firearm. Americas oldest Second Amendment News outlet. If I had a junk yard it would be worth it. Bullets With Steel Cases Versus Bullets With Steel Cores, Concealed Carrier Stops Mass Shooting After Being Shot in the Head Himself, DampRids on Gun Safes (Should You Use Them? Also, I have found it easier to find steel cased ammo as opposed to brass-cased ammo on store shelves. Youtube - Track the views of embedded videos. Keep in mind that it is going to foul pretty quickly with steel cased ammo. The __qca cookie is associated with Quantcast. Cast aluminum is perfect for this job. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but the majority of them are for companies that collect empty cases for reloading purposes. In addition, steel is more penetrating than lead since it does not expand as much. Imported ammunition that is newly produced has a steel core, so far as I know. No issues with Steel (Tula or Wolf) and full power striker springs, occasional FTE with aluminum and I had one yesterday with Fiocci brass. This makes a very strong piece of metal. Our Sitemap. This cookie can only be read from the domain they are set on and will not track any data while browsing through other sites. What are the disadvantages of steel cased ammo? Sometimes the cases will be sticky, though, and will be harder to eject. Benefits. With ammunition in short supply and good ammo priced very high, many people are buying cheaper steel cased, bi-metal jacket ammunition from Wolf, TulAmmo, Herters, etc. One of them is the excellent LuckyGunner test. The steel used is a very soft mild steel vs. the very hard feed ramp and chamber. Practice makes perfect, and there is no better way to practice your shooting skills than dry fire drills. 3 What are the disadvantages of steel cased ammo? Availability may be different depending on where you live. WebSome people will say that steel ammo is dangerous for your pistol and can harm it. 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. With the carbon ring you will build up, you can stick a brass case. This is because Berdan primers dont contain an anvil. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu18.htm, http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/. It is not uncommon to find steel-cased ammunition made in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union using steel-core bullets, which are steel slugs encased in a thin layer of lead. Modern production steel-cased ammo is not corrosive, even when Berdan primed and it will not destroy your extractor. I have also found some deviations is accuracy with different brands of ammo. Further, HK specifically says: All USPs are approved for use with +P and +P+ ammunition as it appliesRead more . The causes often stem from the buildup of corrosion in the chamber and rust-prevention materials used to coat steel cases in order to preserve the ammunitions integrity in harsh conditions. Here are two excellent articles regarding the issues with steel cased ammunition that I always recommend. Pre-Covid, steel cased .223 ammo could be found 10-50 cents less per round than brass cased ammo. Perhaps the biggest drawback to steel-cased ammo is that it is not easily reloadable. 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. I just burn mine in my Rem 700. In a world where all ammo is accurately loaded, finely-tuned gas systems are ideal, the gun has less felt recoil, lasts longer, and requires less cleaning. ), How to Add Shelves to Your Gun Safe: A Step-by-Step Guide, Shipping Container as a Gun Safe (Yay or Nay? A damaged steel target or, in this case, a backstop can also ricochet steel core rounds. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Id take this ammo over a lot of cheap brass out there. 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 This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. The steel used for the cases is much softer than that in your gun. I asked what ammo they were using and it was the steel case. I reload, so Ive no interest in shell casings I cant reload. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when doing so: That said, if you do choose to use aluminum bullets, be sure to clean your gun frequently and check for any signs of wear and tear. If you want ammo that might put you through some exercises in clearing a jammed round, then TulAmmo is great. Even then, is the small savings worth the time and patience that it takes to reload? As stated above, as long as it's softer than the steel parts that are coming in contact with it then there shouldn't be a problem, should there? The benefits in favor of steel-cased ammo are mostly economic, making it cheaper to shoot than conventional brass offerings. If you are buying ammo for home defense or your carry weapon, then DO NOT BUY TulAmmo. In my not-so-humble-opinion, this is a cop-out to let companies brush off shooters who want to run cheap ammo in their gun. 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. So, it is important to follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance, regardless of the casing type. Whats The Problem With Shooting Steel-Cased Ammo At The Range? However, if you are looking for a little bit of savings at the range, aluminum might be a good choice for you. list of mortuary science schools in kenya. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 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. Well, it depended on the action and type more than anything. Everything I have shot through it has been either steel or aluminum cased. This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management. Your Arsenal build will be fine with it. 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. There is a lot of debate surrounding aluminum cased ammo and whether or not it is bad for your gun. And it is true that it is more dirty than brass. In the end, workers will have to do some cleaning. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases dont expand the same way that brass cases do. What does it mean when your boyfriend takes long to reply? Most of the curved section of the bullet has a Secant (VLD-style) ogive for low drag. 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 shape is very efficient in the wind and is why the VLD became so popular. I have a friend the reloads 223 steel cases better him than me. I used to shoot steel cased ammo through my Ruger P97 all the time, too. My only experience with Tula steel cased ammo is 115gr 9mm, and I only used it in my G43. Steel cores are banned because the rounds can cause damage to ranges. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. WebAnswer (1 of 2): No, I do not believe you can/will damage your firearm solely because you were shooting aluminum cased ammunition. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association. I think it is generally dirty ammo. 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. 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. A steel case is also prohibited because a magnet will attract it, thus making it more difficult to check for steel-core ammunition. No problems. It caused alot of feed problems in my Kimber Ultra Carry II 3". On the other hand, the 9 mm, especially in military loads, is twice the pressure of the .45 ACP. One reason people give for not shooting steel case-ammo is that it damages their rifle or pistol. In a nutshell, steel-cased ammo is good to go. That using such ammunition is dangerous and will also void the manufacturers warranty. Backstops or traps made of steel will be damaged if steel core rounds are fired into them. Steel with the same weight and shot size contains more pellets than lead, making loads that contain more shot than necessary. Unless you plan to reload the spent cases, Id say the steel is fine for general purposes, leaving price as the only consideration. In reality, its not the steel cartridge case thats the problem. There is a higher risk of sparks and a fire starting with steel core rounds. The lacquer that coats the steel case can be problematic when a round sits in a hot chamber. In fact, they argue that aluminum casings are actually more reliable than brass casings because they are less likely to corrode. Aluminum bullets also have a tendency to jam in the gun barrel, which can cause damage to your firearm. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. It does not corrode or rust, even in extreme environments, It can be recycled endlessly without losing any quality or strength. This is why cast aluminum is used for things like engine blocks and transmission housings. Cutting open the bullet and inspecting its composition is the only way to tell the difference. I've reloaded .45 ACP steel cases for years. So experiment a little and see which type works best for you! Steel rounds can even cause damage to targets, rail lines and cables. A critical marksmanship skill that is easy to overlook. What are the pros and cons of using steel-cased ammo? But shortly thereafter, many found that the rounds werent performing as accurately, or reliably in their American firearms. Experiment a little and see which type of ammo works best for your gun! He also likes to take his kids shooting as often as possible. Then after it is worn out and too brittle to be used, I can turn it in for weight and get some money back!!! This is a huge problem given the recent surge in new gun-owners who are looking to hone their skills on their new guns, but simply cant. Survival | Will Steel Cased Ammo Hurt Your gun? I am not sure that steel cased ammo would wear out anything faster than brass, and would like documentation rather than theory on this. Then, Winchester jumped into the steel-cased market. Cast aluminum is stronger than aluminum because the casting process forces the metal to fill all the spaces in the mold. 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. YouTube - Store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. Envision the contact surfaces with the chamber as the cartridge case is being extracted. Under federal law it is perfectly legal to make, sell and purchase armor-piercing ammunition as long as you have the proper licensing. The pellets weigh one-third less than lead pellets of the same size. 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. 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. I wouldn't use steel case ammo in any gun, except for an AK47 or SKS 7.62x39 type rifle. This is true of PSA, SIG, Anderson, Colt, and basically everyone today. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. 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. I suggest trying a box or two before buying a large quantity. If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by about 4,000-5,000 rounds. 4500 15th Street East 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. However, this is not the case. And it does not corrode, so it can be used in humid and saltwater environments without issue. Larry, who is a family man and a gun enthusiast, enjoys keeping his collection in pristine condition. i can get american made quality stuff for the same price, or only a little more. Exactly why I gave all my steel case .223 to my Brother who does not reload. This may not seem like a whole lot, but if you are doing a lot of shooting, it will add up quickly. The same held true a few years later when Russian Saigas, Mosin Nagants, and SKS carbines hit the market -but not for those guns. But dont get me wrong, they arent over-gassed to the point of negatively impacting performance. Its not as powerful, clean, or pretty as brass-cased stuff, but it runs fine if your gun is properly-gassed. Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228.

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