What are the pros and cons for steel shell cases, more specifically, Winchesters USA-Forged 9 mm, 115-grain (Item WIN9S), 150-round pack? Don't worry, AKs won't get hurt by the steel case. Thus you have less blowback into the chamber and the receiver. The reason? I asked what ammo they were using and it was the steel case. Should be fine for plinking and I can't see how it would hurt a quality firearm. The 556 has little taper. The good news is that it seems as though demand might have peaked. 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. No, not for any well made gun. Every vendor is different so Ammoseek doesnt really have anything to do with whatever experience you may have. I'd buy a little and try it out. Different shooters prefer different ammo casings for different reasons. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I had some issues with some Russian made .45 cal steel cased ammo. Vimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos to the website. These parts can generally be switched out with other parts of the same type to customize the gun to the way you want it. 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. He also likes to take his kids shooting as often as possible. I am hoping to test that on camera. It has always worked fine for me. Aluminum, on the other hand, can be poured into a mold and will not fill all of the spaces. The round would cost the business a lot of money to maintain, so the costs could be reduced by banning the round. 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. Stand a cartridge of each design beside each other vertically and compare the sidewalls. Steel with the same weight and shot size contains more pellets than lead, making loads that contain more shot than necessary. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and how well your particular firearm handles different types of ammunition. In general, any type of ammunition can be harmful to your gun if it is not properly cleaned and maintained. 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). No issues with Steel (Tula or Wolf) and full power striker springs, occasional FTE with aluminum and I had one yesterday with Fiocci brass. Aluminum bullets also have a tendency to jam in the gun barrel, which can cause damage to your firearm. Personally I do not use steel case ammo in ARs. Due to the lower price of steel-cased ammo, steel-cased ammunition is popular. The same considerations can be utilized with pistol ammunition, especially when used in semi- and full-auto firearms. Steel is also able to work in more temperatures than brass and tends to last longer. Steel rounds also have a greater chance of backfiring. An example of commercial, Russian-made steel-cased, but non-corrosive 7.62x54mm ammunition. However, some shooters believe that the softer metal can cause more wear and tear on your guns barrel and chamber. I shoot steel case all the time in my ARs but haven't tried it in a pistol yet. Ive met many talented shooters with disabilities. Aluminum cases are less expensive to produce than brass cases, so they are often used in budget-friendly ammunition. I tried the winchester steel case ammo. Playing with steel targets is risky, if you must do it then do it on a private range when you are alone, set something in front of your shooting bench to deflect spent or partly powered rounds that might come back, I have sections of cut up oil tank steel in front of my bench , and sand bags on top of it with as little of me exposed as possible. However, this is in large part due to your particular firearm. So experiment a little and see which type works best for you! Since steel cases work-harden and lose their elasticity, you cannot resize them to hold another bullet since they lack the elasticity that brass cases possess. Does the Russian military use steel cased ammo? There is literally no danger to your firearms steel parts when using aluminum cased ammo. But I do question the hypothesis, unless demonstrated, that a new steel case increases wear over brass. The Best Firearm and Firearm Accessory Reviews. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. On the other hand, the 9 mm, especially in military loads, is twice the pressure of the .45 ACP. Common brands of steel-cased ammo are TulaAmmo, Brown Bear, and Wolf. This cookie is used to keep track on user informations and reports it to Alexa analytics service. Some people liked to shoot them in brush when it had been dry for a while. 4500 15th Street East With steel cased ammo the groups were all over the place at 6,000 rounds with many bullets tumbling and key holing. Accidental shootings are a big problem, and they happen all over the world. Now, miraculously, steel-cased ammo will no longer hurt your gun. The steel case doesn't seal as well so you will get more carbon fouling in the gun. 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. It is much softer than the steel used to make gun barrels and actions. Therefore, understanding why certain rules were created will enable you to better perceive how a gun range operates and what factors are involved with using and operating a gun range. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. 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. I have a friend the reloads 223 steel cases better him than me. I still have some brass Berdan primed ammo for my 1918 Enfield, but I also found that IVI makes MilSpec brass for it and it is made for Boxer primers. In fact they used to use the corrosive stuff with no ill effect. There should be no problem accommodating you at your local range. Thats the only real advantage of the ammo. This makes a very strong piece of metal. So, in addition to always picking up your brass, if they dont want to give it to you, dont ever return to that shooting range and tell your friends to stay away from that place as well. 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. While brass is a copper alloy, stainless steel is an iron alloy mixed with chromium and nickel. Sounds like a good argument - until you remember that the steel in your chamber is MUCH harder than the steel of the shell. Americans first got a taste for steel-cased rounds when China began exporting its arms and ammo to the US in the 1980s. Because spent shells are mixed with brass ammo, a gun range may prohibit steel-cased ammo. Alexa analytics service - keep track on user informations. 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. But for people who reload, shooting steel cased ammo may actually be more expensive. Availability may be different depending on where you live. I'll "stick" to brass hulls in my firearms. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. 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. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases.In answer to your question specific to the Winchester USA-Forged WIN9S ammunition, I decided to do an informal test against the Winchesters Q4172, a similar 115-grain brass-cased load. Darrell Moriarty, Lago Vista, TXSteel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. This means that they are less prone to fragmenting. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. I've read horror stories about steel cased ammo, but I've shot it a ton of it with zero problems. This shape is very efficient in the wind and is why the VLD became so popular. Mac, They argue that the softer metal of the casing can wear down your guns Imported ammunition that is newly produced has a steel core, so far as I know. The projectiles typically have an lead core, not steel. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. I have a Glock 17 that has yet to see brass cased ammunition. Exactly why I gave all my steel case .223 to my Brother who does not reload. Sounds like a good argument - until you remember that the steel in your chamber is MUCH harder than the Why Should You Practice Dry Fire Shooting Drills At Home? a 12-gauge shotshell can be chambered into a 20- gauge shotgun and result in serious personal injury. Wolf and the like are so dirty to shoot. Scopes, guns, boots and other tactical stuff in-between. We learn from our mistakes. To the firing pin, etc? Despite its rarity, some gun ranges still prohibit steel-cased ammunition. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. An example would be in comparing 7.62x39 mm and 5.56 NATO. The biggest disadvantage of brass ammo was its cost and lack of availability in certain countries. They do not wish to deal with these issues mentioned above. The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. 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. Americas oldest Second Amendment News outlet. In this blog post, we will explore both sides of the argument and let you decide for yourself! You save a few dollars, but usually give up good accuracy. Is My Flash Hider or Muzzle Brake Removable. Are Berger hybrid bullets good for hunting? Another common reason people give for not shooting steel-cased ammo is how dirty it is. 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. Also, some of the steel cased ammo is now polymer coated. A tapered case fares much better during extraction, since once the seal is broken and the case moves even the slightest amount to the rear, friction between the case and the chamber is appreciably attenuated. Some Glocks will indeed eat anything, others not quite. This might in some cases make them easier to extract possiblybut also explains the excess dirt build up. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. For example, some ranges may state steel casing, but in fact, mean steel jacketed or steel core. Then, Hornady hit the market with their steel-cased ammo. So, it expands to snugly fit the walls of the chamber. That way you wont get stuck with a bunch of ammo that you cant use if it doesnt work in your particular gun. Others claim that there is no difference between aluminum and brass 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. This is not actually due to the steel case, but the Bi-metal steel jacket of the bullet that most steel-cased rounds have. 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 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 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. What are the pros and cons of using steel-cased ammo? Foreign manufacturers often use powders that are dirty and contribute to the chamber fouling. In fact that's all they use in the Comblock countries. Big Daddy Unlimited usually has some steel-cased ammo in stock. KyJim, you are correct of course. What is M855? Registered. Everything I have shot through it has been either steel or aluminum cased. Semi-autos sometimes have problems if the chamber is tight and because it hasnt fully contracted when the extractors try to grab it. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But is there really a difference between the two types of ammunition, particularly over a long period of time? But are they really? After draining the fluids, taking out the battery and all the plastic and seats and removing the shocks it was more work than it was worth. The only ammo that's is affordable to go blasting with in an AK47 or 74 is Wolf. The design of the cartridge has perhaps the greatest effect on how extraction takes place with steel cases. This doesn't affect reliability as long as you keep shooting steel cased ammo or clean the chamber before shooting brass cased ammo. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Aluminum is a softer metal than lead, so it will not produce as accurate a bullet as lead. Steel cases are more difficult (if not impossible) to reload. Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. Cutting open the bullet and inspecting its composition is the only way to tell the difference. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. A critical marksmanship skill that is easy to overlook. It is common for indoor ranges to have the same rules, but I dont always assume that is the case. 20 years ago we would read an article about how bad eggs were for cholesterol and now we read that they are not that bad and it is ok to eat two a day but dont eat the bacon. 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. Same load as their white box ammo with exception to using steel cases. WebAnswering: Is steel cased ammo bad for your gun? If you are someone who likes to stick with tradition, then brass may be the better option for you. So if you are going to use steel cased ammo I recommend breaking the rifle in with decent brass cased ammo first. Some people say that aluminum cases can cause damage to the gun, while others claim that there is no difference between using aluminum and brass cases. | The Gun Owner The Gun Owner 558 subscribers Subscribe 893 100K views 3 years ago #TheGunOwner #Californiaguns The steel used for the cases is much softer than that in your gun. My understanding is that you cannot reload the steel cases. A: Yes. 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. However, I keep it out of my precision ARs and I do not hunt with it. I get paid cash for brass but they dont pay very good on either. Berdan primers are used more often than boxer primers in steel-cased ammunition. I disagree on the viability of steel cased ammo in weapons when the mfg states otherwise. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. This is apparent in higher-pressure cartridges.An example would be in comparing 7.62x39 mm and 5.56 NATO. They last a lot! Cast aluminum is stronger than aluminum because the casting process forces the metal to fill all the spaces in the mold. It is strong enough to withstand the stress of firing, yet light enough to allow for high-speed projectiles. Some people believe that aluminum cased ammo is bad for your gun, but this is not necessarily true. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". What are the disadvantages of brass ammo? It is possible to get steel-cased ammunition for half the price sometimes. At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide which ammo casing is best for you and your firearm. If you believed the hype (as did I), the mere thought of using such trash would surely destroy your gun. A new and innovative take on an AR-15 compatible rifle. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and, Read More 5 Helpful Tips for Disabled ShootersContinue, Getting a new gun is not the easiest thing. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. Some shooters believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your firearm. Your email address will not be published. 1 Why is steel case ammo bad for your gun? For most people, it doesnt really matter at all. Ive been to some shooting ranges, and this actually bothered me quite a bit. Top 5 Common Concealed Carry Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them). The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Up to 100 rounds, the more the better. Required fields are marked *. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This is true of PSA, SIG, Anderson, Colt, and basically everyone today. Steel casings are therefore coated with a lubricant. I am not sure that steel cased ammo would wear out anything faster than brass, and would like documentation rather than theory on this. 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 Some of it is sealed with lacquer that stinks. AKs weren't "designed" to fire steel cased ammunition. Steel-cased ammo is not necessarily less reliable or accurate than brass. Aluminum cased ammo is great for saving money at the range, but its important to remember that not all guns are created equal. These wont damage steel-core backstops, but they will still attract a magnet, nonetheless. Then the brass case expanding normally really sticks to the carbon left behind in the chamber. Cases made of steel cannot be reloaded, so they must be thrown away. I have had six show up here in the last two years saying that they had an AR that was not working right. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Some shooters believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your firearm. Or should you stay away from it? Well, there are a couple of good reasons. I have never seen anyone check ammo with a magnet, so I have no idea if this is true. 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. (emphasis mine) For further information on ammunition selection, contact HK Customer Service HK does not sell ammunition, so they have no dog in the cost of ammunition argument. doubleclick.net - browser supports cookies. 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 This is why cast aluminum is used for things like engine blocks and transmission housings. It depends what you shoot it out of. Steel cases are hard on a firearm. When they are fired,like any other case, the expand to seal the chamber. Bu 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. Not really it always says that its Berdan primed, not Boxer. I have also found some deviations is accuracy with different brands of ammo. Many people in wheelchairs shoot firearms. 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. Pretty much daily I get the question Is it okay to shoot steel cased ammo in my Windham Weaponry AR15?. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Finally, cast aluminum can be recycled over and over again without losing any of its strength or quality. Here are two excellent articles regarding the issues with steel cased ammunition that I always recommend. It needs to be strong enough to withstand a lot of stress. Well, it depended on the action and type more than anything. The taper aids extraction considerably. The range may use a magnet to determine whether the ammunition is steel core or not. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. Backstops or traps made of steel will be damaged if steel core rounds are fired into them. WebSteel case ammo shouldn't damage your gun, though some guns will have reliability issues with it. 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. During World War 1, countries such as Germany experienced a shortage of brass as a raw material and looked to using steel cased ammo as an alternative. Most if not all of this ammo uses a copper coated steel jacketed bi-metal bullet which increases wear on the barrel. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Both bores and barrels of the rifles that fired steel-cased/bimetal jacketed ammunition were basically unserviceable. The main concern is that the soft metal of the casing can lead to wear and tear on your firearms barrel and chamber. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases dont expand the same way that brass cases do. 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 Brass shells may be collected by some ranges, reloaded, and resold. Theres nothing about steel-cased ammo that says this has to be the case however, Hornady proved that with their competition-ready Steel Match ammo that is produced with all the quality and attention to detail that any of their other premium offerings are made with. Its not as powerful, clean, or pretty as brass-cased stuff, but it runs fine if your gun is properly-gassed. Cartridges or shells of ammo are referred to as casings, not bullets. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues. 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 is because Berdan primers dont contain an anvil. 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. You can reload them. Have you searched on extractor wear with steel cased ammo? Bill, I know that there has been testing on it, though I dont have them bookmarked. Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues. And you will start to notice reliability problems if your firearm is not properly maintained. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. So, not only is it a sustainable material, but it also has a minimal impact on the environment. The depriming punch in the resizing die would be damaged in such a case. Cases made of steel cannot be reloaded, so they must be thrown away. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. In semi-automatic firearms, this affects the timing of the cycle of operation, particularly in the extraction phase. I could be wrong but I wouldnt want to put something that harsh in my dies even if I could. Steel-cased ammo may also be associated with an increased fire risk because it tends to cause more sparks than bullets without steel cases. A variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. However, it is much, Read More How To Inspect A Gun Before Buying?Continue, Guns have all kinds of different parts. Over time, this can result in decreased accuracy and increased jamming problems. And it does not corrode, so it can be used in humid and saltwater environments without issue. Why? Price. Instead I donate them now and I actually get more money and it is less work. Cheap ammo is always good, or at least was. It should be noted that the rule about the use of steel core ammo can also be applied to outdoor ranges. Other than that we can use just about anything. A shell contains a firing primer and gunpowder. Further, HK specifically says: All USPs are approved for use with +P and +P+ ammunition as it appliesRead more . WOLF Performance Ammunition is a trademark associated with Sporting Supplies International (SSI), a corporation in the United States. 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 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. This means any component it comes in contact with will wear faster than if a shooter was running brass-cased rounds.