Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I wouldn't use steel case ammo in any gun, except for an AK47 or SKS 7.62x39 type rifle. Also, I have found it easier to find steel cased ammo as opposed to brass-cased ammo on store shelves. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? The __qca cookie is associated with Quantcast. The direct-impingement AR-15 can be ammo sensitive especially when not ran, wet. Those of that opinion are quick to reference extractor breakage or failure, especially in the AR-15/M16 platforms. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. On the other hand, the 9 mm, especially in military loads, is twice the pressure of the .45 ACP. Pretty sure that anyone reading the article, especially this bunch would know that. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I personally shoot pretty much all steel-cased ammo when it comes to plinking and occasional target practice. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. In fact, they argue that aluminum casings are actually more reliable than brass casings because they are less likely to corrode. It is even worse if you fire a bunch of steel cased ammo then fire brass cased right behind it in a dirty chamber. As far as downsides, there are a few objective drawbacks to running steel and a few man-made ones. In lieu of a single, centered flash hole, two flash holes are off to one side of the primer pocket. Unless you plan to reload the spent cases, Id say the steel is fine for general purposes, leaving price as the only consideration. Steel cases are usually coated for better performance, and the differences between coatings are relatively minor. While the steel used in the ammos casings is relatively mild, and thus not terribly hard, it is still harder than brass. The same considerations can be utilized with pistol ammunition, especially when used in semi- and full-auto firearms. 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. It should be noted that the rule about the use of steel core ammo can also be applied to outdoor ranges. I took one car to the crusher years ago. And it is true that it is more dirty than brass. It is only the jacket which is bi-metallic, NOT the case. Ammo Deals: ZSR Ammunition 9mm 124 Grain FMJ 1000 Rounds $259.99 FREE S&H, AR-15 Barrel Length Does It Even Matter? Ive been to some shooting ranges, and this actually bothered me quite a bit. 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 My understanding is that you cannot reload the steel cases. Is My Flash Hider or Muzzle Brake Removable. So, should you shoot steel cased ammo through your rifle or pistol? They argue that the softer metal of the casing can wear down your guns 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. 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. 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. 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Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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. Finally, aluminum ammo is typically more expensive than lead ammo. 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. It has always worked fine for me. This anonymous data helps us to better understand users' needs and customize the website accordingly. It is not possible to reload steel cases. Its no secret that the cost of shooting ranges is high. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . Not good if he would have been a dummy and kept pulling the trigger. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Why is it imperative that different gauge shotshells not be mixed together? Theres also the issue 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. And, just like with any ammo, bullet weight and twist rate are also big factors when it comes to accuracy. I am hoping to test that on camera. 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 Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 4500 15th Street East You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The firearm can be functional and perfect, but it can also be damaged, faulty, or even outright broken, or non-functional. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Today we only have to wait one week to get the opposite answer to what they just said yesterday. Steel rounds can even cause damage to targets, rail lines and cables. Practice makes perfect, and there is no better way to practice your shooting skills than dry fire drills. Steel cases have different expansion and contraction characteristics from brass or aluminum. The steel load printed a few inches higher than the brass load, most likely because it chronographed 60 fps faster. I reload, so Ive no interest in shell casings I cant reload. I have a friend the reloads 223 steel cases better him than me. It is pretty dirty & tends to leave some lacquer when the gun heats up. This causes additional blowback, which causes more residue buildup in the action. Some people believe that aluminum cased ammo is bad for your gun, but this is not necessarily true. However, I keep it out of my precision ARs and I do not hunt with it. Cartridges or shells of ammo are referred to as casings, not bullets. 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. Youtube - Track the views of embedded videos. Nope. This is partly due to the design of the tapered case, which enhances extraction regardless of case-material composition. What are the disadvantages of brass ammo? This was even more the case a few years ago when most companies made sure their guns were precisely gassed. By comparison one was as accurate as the other in group size. Your email address will not be published. Cast aluminum is perfect for this job. 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. We learn from our mistakes. Aluminum cased ammo is great for saving money at the range, but its important to remember that not all guns are created equal. A shell contains a firing primer and gunpowder. A damaged steel target or, in this case, a backstop can also ricochet steel core rounds. 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. 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 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. Some people shoot nothing but steel cased through their firearms, while others will not touch the stuff. Theres nothing wrong with Russian steel-cased ammo, other than it smells like somebody has thrown a cat on a trash fire. Over time, this can result in decreased accuracy and increased jamming problems. Also, some of the steel cased ammo is now polymer coated. I have also found some deviations is accuracy with different brands of ammo. The steel used in the cases will still be softer than the type of steel used in receivers and extractors of However, if you are looking for a little bit of savings at the range, aluminum might be a good choice for you. This is an Alexa Analytics cookie that is used to track user behavior. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. 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 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. If I were to try ANY steel cased ammo, it would be the new Hornady stuff. Yes, you can cast bullets out of aluminum. However, there is an issue: some ammo is steel jacketed, so it has a layer of steel on top of a standard lead bullet. Lets take a closer look. ), How to Safely Install Your Gun Safe on a Tile Surface, Why Keeping Your Gun Safe in a Shed is a Smart Idea. Registered. It will still bend and deform under pressure, just like regular aluminum. If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but the majority of them are for companies that collect empty cases for reloading purposes. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Accidental shootings are a big problem, and they happen all over the world. Finally, cast aluminum can be recycled over and over again without losing any of its strength or quality. Steel cased ammo is definitely not known for its accuracy. 2. Is it safe for my gun? Bullets with steel cases differ from bullets with steel cores. M855 is often called green tip ammo for its special color coding (the full metal jacket is painted green at the nose). All of these are made in Russia, and many times, the same ammo can just be repacked into a different box. Cheap ammo is always good, or at least was. There is the grip, trigger, barrel, and even others. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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 generally not that bad, depending on what the coating is, you may have to clean the chamber more after shooting. The main drawback is that you can There are times when rules are unclear. Nope. Wolf .223 55 grain ammo is one of the most popular types of steel-cased ammo that I shoot through my guns.