Undoubtedly, the floor can be covered with dozens, if not hundreds, of used ammo cases after a busy day. Lets take a closer look. The ammunition was mostly manufactured by Tula Cartridge Plant in Tula, Tula District, Russia from 2005 to 2009. This is apparent in higher-pressure cartridges.An example would be in comparing 7.62x39 mm and 5.56 NATO. I have never had a problem with it in my pistols. What Steel Cased Ammo Does To Guns! | The Gun Owner While it is false that steel cased ammo does damage to your rifle, it may decrease barrel life slightly. If I were to try ANY steel cased ammo, it would be the new Hornady stuff. This means any component it comes in contact with will wear faster than if a shooter was running brass-cased rounds. There are different types of coatings (polymer and lacquer), both of which are used as lubricants. However, if you are looking for a little bit of savings at the range, aluminum might be a good choice for you. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. A: Yes. This leaves air pockets in the metal, which make it less strong. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I have also found some deviations is accuracy with different brands of ammo. This causes additional blowback, which causes more residue buildup in the action. This can, however, be compensated with coating, but some worry that this coating could build up in your firearm and create long-term issues. Steel is a tougher material than lead, so firing with a barrel made of solid steel would tear the barrel to shreds. 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. Why is it imperative that different gauge shotshells not be mixed together? It is much softer than the steel used to make gun barrels and actions. Aluminum cased ammo is great for saving money at the range, but its important to remember that not all guns are created equal. Pre-Covid, steel cased .223 ammo could be found 10-50 cents less per round than brass cased ammo. There is the grip, trigger, barrel, and even others. WebSome people will say that steel ammo is dangerous for your pistol and can harm it. If you want ammo that might put you through some exercises in clearing a jammed round, then TulAmmo is great. How can I stop being frustrated while reading? Different shooters prefer different ammo casings for different reasons. Use of steel or aluminum cased cartridges is not recommended and could adversely affect safe and reliable functioning. No problems. Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues. These parts can generally be switched out with other parts of the same type to customize the gun to the way you want it. What are the pros and cons for steel shell cases, more specifically, Winchesters USA-Forged 9 mm, 115-grain (Item WIN9S), 150-round pack? Well, there are a couple of good reasons. By comparison one was as accurate as the other in group size. Over time, this can result in decreased accuracy and increased jamming problems. Alexa analytics service - keep track on user informations. 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. 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. The steel case has a coating, which cushions against wear. While a more expensive option than brass, steel is a very durable, resilient metal. If you are someone who likes to stick with tradition, then brass may be the better option for you. Accidental shootings are a big problem, and they happen all over the world. Bill, I know that there has been testing on it, though I dont have them bookmarked. 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. Those of that opinion are quick to reference extractor breakage or failure, especially in the AR-15/M16 platforms. Forever, you could not find a kind word being said about steel-cased, Russian ammo. The taper aids extraction considerably. No reason for outdoor firing ranges, especially if youre going to police your own brass. Exactly why I gave all my steel case .223 to my Brother who does not reload. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. In addition, steel is more penetrating than lead since it does not expand as much. This means that they are less prone to fragmenting. 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Is steel cased ammo bad for your gun? - Quora In reality, its not the steel cartridge case thats the problem. Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. Many people in wheelchairs shoot firearms. However, a lot of folks wont use aluminum Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Most commonly, steel cased ammo is found in popular calibers such as .223 Remington, .308 Winchester, 7.6239, and 9mm, but it can be found in other calibers as well. And, just like with any ammo, bullet weight and twist rate are also big factors when it comes to accuracy. steel case ammo In addition, there may be surplus ammunition from other countries that have higher lead prices than the United States. Not really it always says that its Berdan primed, not Boxer. 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. Americas oldest Second Amendment News outlet. This is partly due to the design of the tapered case, which enhances extraction regardless of case-material composition.Although the 5.56 NATO cartridge is slightly tapered, it is not nearly as forgiving as the 7.62x39 mm in a dirty chamber during extraction. It is only the jacket which is bi-metallic, NOT the case. They have a nice feature that tells you what range the shipping is(low,medium,high). And always follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance. 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. The lacquer that coats the steel case can be problematic when a round sits in a hot chamber. I have had very few issues with reliability when using steel-cased ammo. Many shooters began to see the value of steel-cased ammo when $299 Saiga carbines were able to chew through the stuff without a single hiccup. We learn from our mistakes. Most of them are Sig, Beretta and CZs. 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? Others claim that there is no difference between aluminum and brass cased ammo. Steel Cased Communism only made one thing that works, and capitalism can make it even better. 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. Why is steel case ammo bad for your gun? YourQuickInfo I told them to switch to brass and all was fine thereafter. Experiment a little and see which type works best! While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Steel cores are banned because the rounds can cause damage to ranges. This grit and mess gets between the case and chamber wall and acts like sand paper. One of them is the excellent LuckyGunner test. 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 However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. Sometimes these cases will stick so severely that it is difficult to remove them even with a cleaning rod. Darrell Moriarty, Lago Vista, TXSteel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. More work is involved if theyre berdan primed but it can be done. Not one mention of reloading. The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. This is true of PSA, SIG, Anderson, Colt, and basically everyone today. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Steel casings are therefore coated with a lubricant. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. I have found that my AR does quite well with steel case, where as my Mini-14 has trouble holding 4 MOA. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. Does steel cased ammo damage semi-autos Up to 100 rounds, the more the better. With the carbon ring you will build up, you can stick a brass case. I disagree on the viability of steel cased ammo in weapons when the mfg states otherwise. The steel used in the cases will still be softer than the type of steel used in receivers and extractors of Unless you plan to reload the spent cases, Id say the steel is fine for general purposes, leaving price as the only consideration. Required fields are marked *. 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. Our range has a two mile backstop so there is no limit except, no tracers. My HK USPc owners manual specifically states: CAUTION: HK firearms are designed to function with quality manufactured brass cased ammunition. Cutting open the bullet and inspecting its composition is the only way to tell the difference. Just make sure to check your guns warranty before running it, just in case. Would shooting the steel cased ammo damage the pistol in any way? Some firearms have no problem with using aluminum cases, while others may experience damage. Cases made of steel cannot be reloaded, so they must be thrown away. list of mortuary science schools in kenya. Paper target scraps or gun powder residue might also ignite. The other manufactured downside is that some companies will tell shooters that using steel-cased ammo voids their warranty. No one is perfect. This cookie is used to keep track on user informations and reports it to Alexa analytics service. 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 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. Steel case ammo will not harm any part of your firearm. Penetrator rifle rounds similar to M855 are available as well, and they do have steel core. There is literally no danger to your firearms steel parts when using aluminum cased ammo. Aluminum, on the other hand, can be poured into a mold and will not fill all of the spaces. 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. Wolf .223 55 grain ammo is one of the most popular types of steel-cased ammo that I shoot through my guns. In semi-automatic firearms, this affects the timing of the cycle of operation, particularly in the extraction phase. You save a few dollars, but usually give up good accuracy. So, yes, steel-cased ammo will wear your AR-15 out faster than brass ammo will. So if you are going to use steel cased ammo I recommend breaking the rifle in with decent brass cased ammo first. Further, HK specifically says: All USPs are approved for use with +P and +P+ ammunition as it appliesRead more . This was even more the case a few years ago when most companies made sure their guns were precisely gassed. This is because Berdan primers dont contain an anvil. . 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. In fact they used to use the corrosive stuff with no ill effect. So, not only is it a sustainable material, but it also has a minimal impact on the environment. Steel is harder on these guns than brass, so it can jam. The __qca cookie is associated with Quantcast. So, should you shoot steel cased ammo through your rifle or pistol? 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. Some people believe that aluminum cased ammo is bad for your gun, but this is not necessarily true. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Nope. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Steel-Case Ammo: Bad For Your Gun? - An Official Journal Of The guns are just slightly over-gassed to ensure reliable operation with underpowered cheap ammo. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The steel cased Ammo usually has a bimetallic jacket that is magnetic and is harsher on your barrel. Does aluminum cased ammo hurt guns? - Quora 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. It needs to be strong enough to withstand a lot of stress. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. Its a bolt gun and doesnt care. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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. He loves anything and everything guns but holds firearms from the Cold War in a special place in his heart. I asked what ammo they were using and it was the steel case. They do not wish to deal with these issues mentioned above. Brass is better at this sealing action because it is more malleable than steel. Pre-Covid, steel cased .223 ammo could be found 10-50 cents less per round than brass 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. In most Russian ammo (Tula, Monarch, etc.) In this article,, Read More What is a Bull Barrel Bull Barrel Variations and BenefitsContinue. Steel cases may be more likely to get stuck in the chamber, particularly in lightly-extracting guns like the AR-15. 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? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I don't shoot match grade ammo in a field grade gun nor do I shoot bulk grade ammo in a match grade gun. Because spent shells are mixed with brass ammo, a gun range may prohibit steel-cased ammo. In testing done by LuckyGunner Labs, rifles using Federal brass cased ammo were still shooting decent groups up to 10,000 rounds. However, I keep it out of my precision ARs and I do not hunt with it. Brass ammo is generally considered to be better than steel-cased ammo because it creates a better chamber seal than steel. Envision the contact surfaces with the chamber as the cartridge case is being extracted. If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The main concern is that the soft metal of the casing can lead to wear and tear on your firearms barrel and chamber. Steel cases are more difficult (if not impossible) to reload. To me, this is not a big problem because I regularly clean my rifle. An example of commercial, Russian-made steel-cased, but non-corrosive 7.62x54mm ammunition. 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. 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. I am hoping to test that on camera. Brass shells may be collected by some ranges, reloaded, and resold. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. 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. The biggest disadvantage of brass ammo was its cost and lack of availability in certain countries. So, it expands to snugly fit the walls of the chamber. It was never engineered to be reloaded, while it isRead more . Using steel in the entire bullet is impossible because it would damage the barrel. Pure greed is what it is when it comes to indoor ranges. This is not actually due to the steel case, but the Bi-metal steel jacket of the bullet that most steel-cased rounds have. Backstops or traps made of steel will be damaged if steel core rounds are fired into them. Funny how you didnt mention the elephant in the room RELOADING. Thus you have less blowback into the chamber and the receiver. It is strong enough to withstand the stress of firing, yet light enough to allow for high-speed projectiles. The same considerations can be utilized with pistol ammunition, especially when used in semi- and full-auto firearms. I was told that it would tend to wear the ejector quicker because it was harder than brass. Well, it depended on the action and type more than anything. 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. If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. 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. I seen problems with stuck cases in AR type rifles. Why Should You Practice Dry Fire Shooting Drills At Home? The steel used is a very soft mild steel vs. the very hard feed ramp and chamber. Big Daddy Unlimited usually has some steel-cased ammo in stock. If you believed the hype (as did I), the mere thought of using such trash would surely destroy your gun. Non brass ammo is my JIC prepper ammo. I have never seen anyone check ammo with a magnet, so I have no idea if this is true. Every vendor is different so Ammoseek doesnt really have anything to do with whatever experience you may have. So experiment a little and see which type works best for you! Then, Hornady hit the market with their steel-cased ammo. Cheap ammo is always good, or at least was. Keep in mind that cleaning your guns is more important when shooting mainly steel-cased ammo. It has always worked fine for me. Other than that we can use just about anything. What about American guns? 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. This makes a very strong piece of metal. A critical marksmanship skill that is easy to overlook. Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: A guy who works at my LGS said some of the russian steel cased stuff has a coating that can leave a gummy residue in the chamber once the gun starts heating up. Then the brass case expanding normally really sticks to the carbon left behind in the chamber. Our Sitemap. I tried the winchester steel case ammo. WebAnswer (1 of 2): No, I do not believe you can/will damage your firearm solely because you were shooting aluminum cased ammunition. Perhaps the biggest drawback to steel-cased ammo is that it is not easily reloadable. All of these are made in Russia, and many times, the same ammo can just be repacked into a different box. Opinions vary, but I think the prevailing wisdom is that Yes, steel cased ammunition is hard on extractors. The money you saved on steel Most shooting ranges will not let you use steel-cased ammo at the range. 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. Mac, 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. (SKS / AK owners, neednt worry.). 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. Steel-Cased Ammo That way you wont get stuck with a bunch of ammo that you cant use if it doesnt work in your particular gun. There isnt always an explanation for the rules. 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 This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This in turn means more force is exerted on your firearms extractor which can lead to premature breakages if the gun wasnt designed for the rounds in the first place. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These rounds are often maligned for performance, reliability, and being generally inferior to brass-cased ammo. Yes they are bad for any firearm. However the AK47 and SKS rifles will tolerate the steel cases better. Brass cases are always kinder on any firearm. For most people, it doesnt really matter at all. 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. The gun spits the cartridge out after every fire as it goes through the cycle of re-chambering another round. 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. It is not possible to reload steel cases. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. By comparison one was as accurate as the other in group size. My understanding is that you cannot reload the steel cases. Does putting water in a smoothie count as water intake? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Despite its rarity, some gun ranges still prohibit steel-cased ammunition. No issues with Steel (Tula or Wolf) and full power striker springs, occasional FTE with aluminum and I had one yesterday with Fiocci brass. How do you handle misunderstandings between you and your special someone? If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by about 4,000-5,000 rounds. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. | The Gun Owner The Gun Owner 558 subscribers Subscribe 893 100K views 3 years ago #TheGunOwner #Californiaguns Modern production steel-cased ammo is not corrosive, even when Berdan primed and it will not destroy your extractor. Thus you have less blowback into the chamber and the receiver. Steel Cased Ammo Hurt Your Gun