Wolf Ammunition is NOT bad for your gun. Forever, you could not find a kind word being said about steel-cased, Russian ammo. YouTube - Store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. Pretty much daily I get the question Is it okay to shoot steel cased ammo in my Windham Weaponry AR15?. The money you saved on steel However, using steel casings with outdoor ranges should not be a problem. 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. There is a higher risk of sparks and a fire starting with steel core rounds. I am not sure that steel cased ammo would wear out anything faster than brass, and would like documentation rather than theory on this. They argue that the softer metal of the casing can wear down your guns barrel and chamber, causing problems with accuracy and reliability. What is M855? Some ranges may also ban aluminum cases for the same reason. The range may use a magnet to determine whether the ammunition is steel core or not. To the firing pin, etc? I shoot steel case all the time in my ARs but haven't tried it in a pistol yet. 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. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. However, I keep it out of my precision ARs and I do not hunt with it. By comparison one was as accurate as the other in group size. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". It does not store any personal data. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved In fact that's all they use in the Comblock countries. 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. Most if not all of this ammo uses a copper coated steel jacketed bi-metal bullet which increases wear on the barrel. No commercially available handgun rounds have the steel core as they would qualify as illegal armor piercing ammo under federal law. In this article,, Read More What is a Bull Barrel Bull Barrel Variations and BenefitsContinue. The Best Firearm and Firearm Accessory Reviews. 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. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. The primary, and really only, benefit of shooting steel cased ammo is the price. Common brands of steel-cased ammo are TulaAmmo, Brown Bear, and Wolf. 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 While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. steel rusts, so cases have to be lacquered to control corrosion. Some people believe that aluminum cased ammo is bad for your gun, but this is not necessarily true. Brass ammo is generally considered to be better than steel-cased ammo because it creates a better chamber seal than steel. Brass is better at this sealing action because it is more malleable than steel. This tangent section of the ogive results in the bullet being much less sensitive to seating depth. These wont damage steel-core backstops, but they will still attract a magnet, nonetheless. Is there a difference between steel cased and brass cased ammo? I suggest trying a box or two before buying a large quantity. 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. I'd buy a little and try it out. Communism only made one thing that works, and capitalism can make it even better. This doesn't affect reliability as long as you keep shooting steel cased ammo or clean the chamber before shooting brass cased ammo. Why? 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. Americans first got a taste for steel-cased rounds when China began exporting its arms and ammo to the US in the 1980s. By comparison one was as accurate as the other in group size. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. No issues with Steel (Tula or Wolf) and full power striker springs, occasional FTE with aluminum and I had one yesterday with Fiocci brass. What are the disadvantages of brass ammo? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. M855 is often called green tip ammo for its special color coding (the full metal jacket is painted green at the nose). The direct-impingement AR-15 can be ammo sensitive especially when not ran, wet. Yet, the tapered 9 mm case enhances extraction once the chamber seal is broken. Using gas-powered cycling systems on firearms makes the extraction less effective. Quantserve sets the mc cookie to anonymously track user behaviour on the website. That way you wont get stuck with a bunch of ammo that you cant use if it doesnt work in your particular gun. There is the grip, trigger, barrel, and even others. Or should you stay away from it? No one is perfect. Not really it always says that its Berdan primed, not Boxer. Steel cased ammo is non reloadable. The same considerations can be utilized with pistol ammunition, especially when used in semi- and full-auto firearms. 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. Just make sure to check your guns warranty before running it, just in case. Steel is a tougher material than lead, so firing with a barrel made of solid steel would tear the barrel to shreds. Availability may be different depending on where you live. It is even worse if you fire a bunch of steel cased ammo then fire brass cased right behind it in a dirty chamber. If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. 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. Unless you plan to reload the spent cases, Id say the steel is fine for general purposes, leaving price as the only consideration. 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. Berdan primers are used more often than boxer primers in steel-cased ammunition. 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. Bullets with steel cases differ from bullets with steel cores. If you are buying ammo for home defense or your carry weapon, then DO NOT BUY TulAmmo. The steel load printed a few inches higher than the brass load, most likely because it chronographed 60 fps faster. Steel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. What are the pros and cons for steel shell cases, more specifically, Winchesters USA-Forged 9 mm, 115-grain (Item WIN9S), 150-round pack? But shortly thereafter, many found that the rounds werent performing as accurately, or reliably in their American firearms. My understanding is that you cannot reload the steel cases. This leaves air pockets in the metal, which make it less strong. This makes a very strong piece of metal. Small amounts of propellant gasses are able to get between the case and chamber and foul the chamber walls. The issue I had with steel was I experienced a hard lock almost every 60 rounds or so, which required a hammer and steel rod to rectify, as you all know. So unless youre looking for an inexpensive way to practice shooting, its probably not worth using aluminum bullets. Semi-autos sometimes have problems if the chamber is tight and because it hasnt fully contracted when the extractors try to grab it. Yeah, I also have shot Tulammo from Russia with the steel casings. It is strong enough to withstand the stress of firing, yet light enough to allow for high-speed projectiles. 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. There are different types of coatings (polymer and lacquer), both of which are used as lubricants. With the ammo supply issue nowadays, steel-cased ammo is significantly cheaper than brass-cased, sometimes less than half the price. This was even more the case a few years ago when most companies made sure their guns were precisely gassed. This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. And it is true that it is more dirty than brass. 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. Brass, being less hard than steel, will spring back to a smaller dimension than a steel case will after firing. You save a few dollars, but usually give up good accuracy. Because spent shells are mixed with brass ammo, a gun range may prohibit steel-cased ammo. Its no secret that the cost of shooting ranges is high. To me, this is not a big problem because I regularly clean my rifle. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. The extractor may be the first part to show wear, but the wear is going on nonetheless. Use of steel or aluminum cased cartridges is not recommended and could adversely affect safe and reliable functioning. I have had six show up here in the last two years saying that they had an AR that was not working right. I have a Glock 17 that has yet to see brass cased ammunition. To test if a bullet is ferrous, some ranges hold a magnet to it. The lacquer that coats the steel case can be problematic when a round sits in a hot chamber. As long as I do some research beforehand, I feel more confident, and I dont take the chance of my reputation getting damaged. What about American guns? I do. Steel cases are more difficult (if not impossible) to reload. Not only 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. I had some issues with some Russian made .45 cal steel cased ammo. 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. The steel case doesn't seal as well so you will get more carbon fouling in the gun. The steel case has a coating, which cushions against wear. Pre-Covid, steel cased .223 ammo could be found 10-50 cents less per round than brass cased ammo. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Our Sitemap. 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. Yes, you can cast bullets out of aluminum. Price. Americas oldest Second Amendment News outlet. Vimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos to the website. However, steel-cased ammo has become popular in recent years primarily due to the substantial price difference between it and brass-cased ammo. It caused alot of feed problems in my Kimber Ultra Carry II 3". This may not seem like a whole lot, but if you are doing a lot of shooting, it will add up quickly. For those not familiar with Hybrid bullets, the Hybrid design blends two common bullet nose shapes on the front section of the bullet (from the tip to the start of the bearing surface). The only ammo that's is affordable to go blasting with in an AK47 or 74 is Wolf. 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. Steel cases have different expansion and contraction characteristics from brass or aluminum. 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 cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Today we only have to wait one week to get the opposite answer to what they just said yesterday. In a nutshell, steel-cased ammo is good to go. There isnt always an explanation for the rules. Pure greed is what it is when it comes to indoor ranges. In this blog post, we will explore both sides of the argument and let you decide for yourself! Foreign manufacturers often use powders that are dirty and contribute to the chamber fouling. (Video) HERE'S WHY YOU CAN'T SHOOT STEEL CASED The pellets weigh one-third less than lead pellets of the same size. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 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. Different shooters prefer different ammo casings for different reasons. 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? The other real downside is that steels coefficient of friction is greater than that of brass, so when the spent casing is being extracted from a hot chamber, it requires more force to break the initial bond. 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. For now on I will stick to brass cased ammo only. Even then, is the small savings worth the time and patience that it takes to reload? Bill, I know that there has been testing on it, though I dont have them bookmarked. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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. Steel cases may be more likely to get stuck in the chamber, particularly in lightly-extracting guns like the AR-15. 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. Aluminum bullets also have a tendency to jam in the gun barrel, which can cause damage to your firearm. ), How to Add Shelves to Your Gun Safe: A Step-by-Step Guide, Shipping Container as a Gun Safe (Yay or Nay? This is apparent in higher-pressure cartridges. Felt recoil was greater with the steel load but not by muchagain that stems from the difference in velocity. There is literally no danger to your firearms steel parts when using aluminum cased ammo. This might in some cases make them easier to extract possiblybut also explains the excess dirt build up. Keep in mind that cleaning your guns is more important when shooting mainly steel-cased ammo. One of them is the excellent LuckyGunner test. I received 35 dollars for it. 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. It is much softer than the steel used to make gun barrels and actions. Steel is naturally less slick than brass, which can also contribute to the stuck case issue. 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. So, should you shoot steel cased ammo through your rifle or pistol? 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. I suggest trying a box or two before buying a 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 Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. Paper target scraps or gun powder residue might also ignite. Sometimes the cases will be sticky, though, and will be harder to eject. The bullet traps are not designed to handle steel bullets. 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. Are Berger hybrid bullets good for hunting? Envision the contact surfaces with the chamber as the cartridge case is being extracted. If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. Some people liked to shoot them in brush when it had been dry for a while. Personally I do not use steel case ammo in ARs. In fact they used to use the corrosive stuff with no ill effect. Another common reason people give for not shooting steel-cased ammo is how dirty it is. KyJim, you are correct of course. WebWhat Steel Cased Ammo Does To Guns! In general, any type of ammunition can be harmful to your gun if it is not properly cleaned and maintained. 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 What does it mean when your boyfriend takes long to reply? Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile. This can, however, be compensated with coating, but some worry that this coating could build up in your firearm and create long-term issues. a 12-gauge shotshell can be chambered into a 20- gauge shotgun and result in serious personal injury. Steel creates more friction between itself, the magazine, and chamber. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The __gads cookie, set by Google, is stored under DoubleClick domain and tracks the number of times users see an advert, measures the success of the campaign and calculates its revenue. The other manufactured downside is that some companies will tell shooters that using steel-cased ammo voids their warranty. AKs weren't "designed" to fire 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. Nope. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I have also found some deviations is accuracy with different brands of ammo. Steel case ammo will not harm any part of your firearm. Darrell Moriarty, Lago Vista, TXSteel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. The ammunition was mostly manufactured by Tula Cartridge Plant in Tula, Tula District, Russia from 2005 to 2009. I wouldn't use steel case ammo in any gun, except for an AK47 or SKS 7.62x39 type rifle. My experience with steel cased ammo in a Mosen Nagant was the coating was heated up with the explosion of the round in the chamber melting the coating and after a few rounds you couldnt get a round to chamber because there was too much coating in the chamber. I personally shoot pretty much all steel-cased ammo when it comes to plinking and occasional target practice. In semi-automatic firearms, this affects the timing of the cycle of operation, particularly in the extraction phase. That using such ammunition is dangerous and will also void the manufacturers warranty. 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. The solution was simple they over-gassed their guns. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases dont expand the same way that brass cases do. There are two reasons ranges sometimes ban steel-cased ammo: They do not wish to deal with these 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. 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. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228. Then, the prices skyrocketed. Thats why I bought an under-seat rifle rack from 4WheelOnline. 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. He loves anything and everything guns but holds firearms from the Cold War in a special place in his heart. I suggest trying a box or two before buying a large quantity. It can start a heck of a fire in a rubber backstop medium. Perhaps the biggest drawback to steel-cased ammo is that it is not easily reloadable. More work is involved if theyre berdan primed but it can be done. I do have to do a little more cleaning after shooting them but I was going to clean them after shooting anyways. While it is false that steel cased ammo does damage to your rifle, it may decrease barrel life slightly. 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with 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. If youre worried about it, though, you may want to stick with brass-cased rounds. Other than that we can use just about anything. Those of that opinion are quick to reference extractor breakage or failure, especially in the AR-15/M16 platforms. 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. 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. (SKS / AK owners, neednt worry.). 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. Steel cases are usually coated for better performance, and the differences between coatings are relatively minor. The __qca cookie is associated with Quantcast. Practice makes perfect, and there is no better way to practice your shooting skills than dry fire drills. Its not as powerful, clean, or pretty as brass-cased stuff, but it runs fine if your gun is properly-gassed. So, not only is it a sustainable material, but it also has a minimal impact on the environment. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". I just burn mine in my Rem 700. This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. 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). I have never had a problem with it in my pistols. Does putting water in a smoothie count as water intake? 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. Cartridges or shells of ammo are referred to as casings, not bullets. The steel used in the cases will still be softer than the type of steel used in receivers and extractors of Bulk purchases of non-standard ammunition support a wide variety of U.S. military assistance programs, as well. 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. Yet, the tapered 9 mm case enhances extraction once the chamber seal is broken. This build up can cause stuck cases. This build up can cause stuck cases. Some firearms have no problem with using aluminum cases, while others may experience damage. This means any component it comes in contact with will wear faster than if a shooter was running brass-cased rounds. 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. The firearm can be functional and perfect, but it can also be damaged, faulty, or even outright broken, or non-functional. Big Daddy Unlimited usually has some steel-cased ammo in stock. Pre-Covid, steel cased .223 ammo could be found 10-50 cents less per round than brass cased ammo. With the carbon ring you will build up, you can stick a brass case. 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. God I hate ammo snobs. Steel cased ammo is not bad for AR-15s. It is only bad for people who suck at math. People will claim that the steel will w If you are someone who likes to stick with tradition, then brass may be the better option for you. It was founded in 2005. Some shooters believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your firearm. Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. For example, some ranges may state steel casing, but in fact, mean steel jacketed or steel core. This is true of PSA, SIG, Anderson, Colt, and basically everyone today. Occasionally, people use a gun range and do not pick up after themselves, leaving shells on the ground after they have fired. Its a small price to pay for the substantial savings steel ammunition provides over brass cased ammunition. This cookie can only be read from the domain they are set on and will not track any data while browsing through other sites. Our range has a two mile backstop so there is no limit except, no tracers. The steel cased Ammo usually has a bimetallic jacket that is magnetic and is harsher on your barrel. I agree that the price of steel cases has gone through the roof so the affordable ones are only made in hard plastic. Well, it depended on the action and type more than anything. Basically, I feel it is the same as global warming, scientists just dont fully understand or know but they getRead more . 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. 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. Undoubtedly, the floor can be covered with dozens, if not hundreds, of used ammo cases after a busy day. And always follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance. In most Russian ammo (Tula, Monarch, etc.) I asked what ammo they were using and it was the steel case. We learn from our mistakes. WebAnswer (1 of 2): No, I do not believe you can/will damage your firearm solely because you were shooting aluminum cased ammunition. No, not for any well made gun. Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues.