does steel cased ammo hurt your gun

Just make sure to check your guns warranty before running it, just in case. Yet, the tapered 9 mm case enhances extraction once the chamber seal is broken. Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. I received 35 dollars for it. Aluminum bullets also have a tendency to jam in the gun barrel, which can cause damage to your firearm. In the end, workers will have to do some cleaning. One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. No one is perfect. what's the point? There are a few exceptions to this rule, but the majority of them are for companies that collect empty cases for reloading purposes. Steel case ammo will not harm any part of your firearm. Most shooting ranges will not let you use steel-cased ammo at the range. Then, Winchester jumped into the steel-cased market. They last a lot! 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. Envision the contact surfaces with the chamber as the cartridge case is being extracted. Common brands of steel-cased ammo are TulaAmmo, Brown Bear, and Wolf. Steel cased ammo is non reloadable. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Have you searched on extractor wear with steel cased ammo? It is only the jacket which is bi-metallic, NOT the case. Steel Case vs. Brass: Worth It? | Reload Your Gear Not one good experience with steel case in an AR or AK. Is steel cased ammo bad for your gun? - Quora 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. 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. I do have to do a little more cleaning after shooting them but I was going to clean them after shooting anyways. The only way that shooting steel casing would not save you money is if you reload your own ammo. 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. I would sure hope not as they did issue steel case GI .45 during WW-2. Finally, cast aluminum can be recycled over and over again without losing any of its strength or quality. This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. So, I disagree with all steel case ammo is great. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? My only experience with Tula steel cased ammo is 115gr 9mm, and I only used it in my G43. 1 Why is steel case ammo bad for your gun? If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. In fact, many experts say that aluminum cases are just as safe to use as brass cases. The design of the cartridge has perhaps the greatest effect on how extraction takes place with steel cases. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. 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 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. Why Should You Practice Dry Fire Shooting Drills At Home? I took one car to the crusher years ago. ), How to Safely Install Your Gun Safe on a Tile Surface, Why Keeping Your Gun Safe in a Shed is a Smart Idea. Cartridges or shells of ammo are referred to as casings, not bullets. You save a few dollars, but usually give up good accuracy. Steel case wolf ammo in my 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. Having said that, I don't use it in my high end guns, Feel free to reach out to us or read our affiliate disclosure and privacy policy. 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. WebSteel case ammo shouldn't damage your gun, though some guns will have reliability issues with it. Another often overlooked advantage is the spent cartridge cases can be policed up with a magnet. 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. I have never seen anyone check ammo with a magnet, so I have no idea if this is true. Do that with steel cases. Don't worry, AKs won't get hurt by the steel case. I do. Not one mention of reloading. 4500 15th Street East Steel with the same weight and shot size contains more pellets than lead, making loads that contain more shot than necessary. Pure greed is what it is when it comes to indoor ranges. A: Yes. Stand a cartridge of each design beside each other vertically and compare the sidewalls. The depriming punch in the resizing die would be damaged in such a case. The primary, and really only, benefit of shooting steel cased ammo is the price. 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. YouTube - Store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. In reality, its not the steel cartridge case thats the problem. My understanding is that you cannot reload the steel cases. 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. This cookie can only be read from the domain they are set on and will not track any data while browsing through other sites. He also likes to take his kids shooting as often as possible. Funny how you didnt mention the elephant in the room RELOADING. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The main concern is that the soft metal of the casing can lead to wear and tear on your firearms barrel and chamber. M855 is often called green tip ammo for its special color coding (the full metal jacket is painted green at the nose). 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. Funny, you want to sell it and its not worth squat you want to buy it and steelRead more , If you look at a 5.56 besides a 7.62 russian round youll notice th x39 and x54 both have a taper from the base to the mouth. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. I reload, so Ive no interest in shell casings I cant reload. I agree that the price of steel cases has gone through the roof so the affordable ones are only made in hard plastic. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases dont expand the same way that brass cases do. So if you are going to use steel cased ammo I recommend breaking the rifle in with decent brass cased ammo first. How can I stop being frustrated while reading? These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. There isnt always an explanation for the rules. The biggest disadvantage of brass ammo was its cost and lack of availability in certain countries. 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. Is there a difference between steel cased and brass cased ammo? - AllOutdoor.com Registered. Steel rounds can even cause damage to targets, rail lines and cables. 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. As long as I do some research beforehand, I feel more confident, and I dont take the chance of my reputation getting damaged. Does steel cased ammo damage your gun? [Solved] (2022) 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. Some shooters believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your firearm. 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. 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. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. There is a higher risk of sparks and a fire starting with steel core rounds. Larry, who is a family man and a gun enthusiast, enjoys keeping his collection in pristine condition. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There are different types of coatings (polymer and lacquer), both of which are used as lubricants. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Also, some of the steel cased ammo is now polymer coated. With steel cased ammo the groups were all over the place at 6,000 rounds with many bullets tumbling and key holing. 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. In testing done by LuckyGunner Labs, rifles using Federal brass cased ammo were still shooting decent groups up to 10,000 rounds. This might in some cases make them easier to extract possiblybut also explains the excess dirt build up. Your email address will not be published. Steel Case Ammo Darrell Moriarty, Lago Vista, TXSteel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. Well, it depended on the action and type more than anything. 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. This grit and mess gets between the case and chamber wall and acts like sand paper. Some ranges may also ban aluminum cases for the same reason. Brass shells may be collected by some ranges, reloaded, and resold. 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. And always follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance. Ability to Shoot Steel Case Ammo in It should be noted that the rule about the use of steel core ammo can also be applied to outdoor ranges. This lacquer burns off and can potentially foul the chamber. 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. They have a nice feature that tells you what range the shipping is(low,medium,high). Its a small price to pay for the substantial savings steel ammunition provides over brass cased ammunition. YouTube - Store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen - 2. In this blog post, we will explore both sides of the argument and let you decide for yourself! This is not actually due to the steel case, but the Bi-metal steel jacket of the bullet that most steel-cased rounds have. Yeah, I also have shot Tulammo from Russia with the steel casings. Exactly why I gave all my steel case .223 to my Brother who does not reload. To test if a bullet is ferrous, some ranges hold a magnet to it. Not really it always says that its Berdan primed, not Boxer. If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by about 4,000-5,000 rounds. Steel casings are therefore coated with a lubricant. 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. Other than that we can use just about anything. The good news is that it seems as though demand might have peaked. Anything Wrong With using Polymer-Coated Steel Case Ammo I have never had a problem with it in my pistols. Mac, Its not as powerful, clean, or pretty as brass-cased stuff, but it runs fine if your gun is properly-gassed. This doesn't affect reliability as long as you keep shooting steel cased ammo or clean the chamber before shooting brass cased ammo. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Then, the prices skyrocketed. i don't use steel case Russian crap. By comparison one was as accurate as the other in group size. WebDoes steel cased ammo hurt your gun? This is an Alexa Analytics cookie that is used to track user behavior. It is strong enough to withstand the stress of firing, yet light enough to allow for high-speed projectiles. 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? Under federal law it is perfectly legal to make, sell and purchase armor-piercing ammunition as long as you have the proper licensing. Keep in mind that cleaning your guns is more important when shooting mainly steel-cased ammo. But in the end I will stick with brass because it just isn't work a couple of dollars difference in price to fight with your piece while you are at the range. 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. If I were to try ANY steel cased ammo, it would be the new Hornady stuff. Its a bolt gun and doesnt care. It is much softer than the steel used to make gun barrels and actions. Will Steel Cased Ammo Hurt Your Gun | Page 2 | The Armory This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The bullet traps are not designed to handle steel bullets. It is even worse if you fire a bunch of steel cased ammo then fire brass cased right behind it in a dirty chamber. Youtube - Track the views of embedded videos. I shot thousands of rounds of it in AKs SKS with out trouble. No, not for any well made gun. In fact, they argue that aluminum casings are actually more reliable than brass casings because they are less likely to corrode. Coffee good, coffee bad, dark chocolate bad, dark chocolate good, eggs bad, eggs good. The money you saved on steel The round would cost the business a lot of money to maintain, so the costs could be reduced by banning the round. No problems. It even sometimes says that it ISNT reloadable for those that dont understand it from the names. I have had six show up here in the last two years saying that they had an AR that was not working right. The Best Firearm and Firearm Accessory Reviews. The steel used for the cases is much softer than that in your gun. 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. Mossberg 500 vs 590: Which Shotgun Is Right for You? KyJim, you are correct of course. 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. Aluminum cases are less expensive to produce than brass cases, so they are often used in budget-friendly ammunition. In most Russian ammo (Tula, Monarch, etc.) However, some shooters believe that the softer metal can cause more wear and tear on your guns barrel and chamber. As a result, these guns have short or fast cycle times. The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. 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. Shoots really good in all my glocks, burns fairly clean, same as WWB does and at $28 for 150 rounds, i`ll buy/shoot it anytime. For example, some ranges may state steel casing, but in fact, mean steel jacketed or steel core. I f the chamber is on the larger side of the spec it isnt usually an issue. Steel Cased 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. Opinions vary, but I think the prevailing wisdom is that Yes, steel cased ammunition is hard on extractors. Steel Cased Ammo Hurt Your Gun Does aluminum cased ammo hurt guns? - Quora 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. Its no secret that the cost of shooting ranges is high. 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. The steel load printed a few inches higher than the brass load, most likely because it chronographed 60 fps faster. I noticed that there was some burning of the breach when using steel case ammo. Why? YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. Steel cased ammo is said to be less expensive and brass cased ammunition more reliable. Then after it is worn out and too brittle to be used, I can turn it in for weight and get some money back!!! There are two reasons ranges sometimes ban steel-cased ammo: Steel jackets cause more wear and tear on backstops than copper ones, even though they do not damage backstops to the same extent as steel core rounds. 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. 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. 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. 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. Does steel cased ammo damage semi-autos 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. 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. However, a lot of folks wont use aluminum Also, they dont want steel mixed with that for obvious reasons. Ive reloaded a few 9mm boxer primed steel cases and they work fine. 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. Does the Russian military use steel cased ammo? Why is it imperative that different gauge shotshells not be mixed together? Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and how well your particular firearm handles different types of ammunition. The direct-impingement AR-15 can be ammo sensitive especially when not ran, wet. The reason it is not easily reloadable has to do with the steel cases being harder and less malleable than brass but also due to the fact that steel-cased ammunition is Berdan primed. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. But are they really? This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. 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. Better not tell the hundreds of AK shooters whom are shooting thousands of Steel cased 7.62X39 rounds per day, here and world wide. Quantserve sets the mc cookie to anonymously track user behaviour on the website. 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. Steel-cased ammo may also be associated with an increased fire risk because it tends to cause more sparks than bullets without steel cases. Steel cases have different expansion and contraction characteristics from brass or aluminum. Over time, this can result in decreased accuracy and increased jamming problems. This can, however, be compensated with coating, but some worry that this coating could build up in your firearm and create long-term issues. 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. So unless youre looking for an inexpensive way to practice shooting, its probably not worth using aluminum bullets. This is apparent in higher-pressure cartridges. Aluminum is a softer metal than lead, so it will not produce as accurate a bullet as lead. Depending on the caliber, barrel life can usually be decreased anywhere from 3-15 percent. Both bores and barrels of the rifles that fired steel-cased/bimetal jacketed ammunition were basically unserviceable. Due to the lower price of steel-cased ammo, steel-cased ammunition is popular. And for quite I had to add that it was my first break-in session so the gun was brand new, but the very next session I used all brass cased ammo with not a single feed failure. 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. The steel load printed a few inches higher than the brass load, most likely because it chronographed 60 fps faster. Vortex to take over customer service and support for the app. Up to 100 rounds, the more the better. It does not store any personal data. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. I used to shoot steel cased ammo through my Ruger P97 all the time, too. Thus, inspecting a gun before buying is a crucial thing. This tangent section of the ogive results in the bullet being much less sensitive to seating depth. That using such ammunition is dangerous and will also void the manufacturers warranty. In addition, steel is more penetrating than lead since it does not expand as much. Foreign manufacturers often use powders that are dirty and contribute to the chamber fouling. 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. Those of that opinion are quick to reference extractor breakage or failure, especially in the AR-15/M16 platforms. Because steel is cheap and readily available, and the steel required to make shell casings is bottom of the barrel recycled steel. The chamber abso Due to its strength, steel rounds tear into the ranges structure much easier than lead rounds. Brass is better at this sealing action because it is more malleable than steel. However, steel-cased ammo has become popular in recent years primarily due to the substantial price difference between it and brass-cased ammo. There are times when rules are unclear. Cutting open the bullet and inspecting its composition is the only way to tell the difference. What Steel Cased Ammo Does To Guns! | The Gun Owner 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. Cast aluminum is stronger than aluminum because the casting process forces the metal to fill all the spaces in the mold. But is there really a difference between the two types of ammunition, particularly over a long period of time? The shooting ranges do obviously recycle the lead. 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. 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. The steel case has a coating, which cushions against wear. I suggest trying a box or two before buying a large quantity. To the firing pin, etc? Our Thoughts on Steel Cased Ammunition But for people who reload, shooting steel cased ammo may actually be more expensive. Any sparks from a steel round might also spark a fire, which is more likely. There is a lot of debate surrounding aluminum cased ammo and whether or not it is bad for your gun. However, it is much, Read More How To Inspect A Gun Before Buying?Continue, Guns have all kinds of different parts. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". . At the end of the day, its up to you to decide what you think is best for your gun. It is not possible to reload steel cases. 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.