does steel cased ammo hurt your gun

The same held true a few years later when Russian Saigas, Mosin Nagants, and SKS carbines hit the market -but not for those guns. Most if not all of this ammo uses a copper coated steel jacketed bi-metal bullet which increases wear on the barrel. 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). I've reloaded .45 ACP steel cases for years. It is even worse if you fire a bunch of steel cased ammo then fire brass cased right behind it in a dirty chamber. We learn from our mistakes. I could be wrong but I wouldnt want to put something that harsh in my dies even if I could. In the end, workers will have to do some cleaning. Perhaps the biggest drawback to steel-cased ammo is that it is not easily reloadable. If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by about 4,000-5,000 rounds. 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. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The jury is still out on this one. I shot thousands of rounds of it in AKs SKS with out trouble. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. In addition, steel is more penetrating than lead since it does not expand as much. There is no other way to put it. I don't shoot match grade ammo in a field grade gun nor do I shoot bulk grade ammo in a match grade gun. Again, however, I am not really certain whether that is the case. ), How to Add Shelves to Your Gun Safe: A Step-by-Step Guide, Shipping Container as a Gun Safe (Yay or Nay? One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. Feel free to reach out to us or read our affiliate disclosure and privacy policy. Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues. So shooters generally believe it leads to more jams than brass ammo. The majority of steel cased ammo is Berdan primed. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Opinions vary, but I think the prevailing wisdom is that Yes, steel cased ammunition is hard on extractors. 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. Cartridges or shells of ammo are referred to as casings, not bullets. 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. In this blog post, we will explore both sides of the argument and let you decide for yourself! This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. I've read horror stories about steel cased ammo, but I've shot it a ton of it with zero problems. Funny how you didnt mention the elephant in the room RELOADING. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Many people in wheelchairs shoot firearms. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. In rifle calibres bi-metal jackets, which are common with steel cased ammo, will cause faster barrel wear, but the barrel life on a 9mm is so long you'll likely never wear it out regardless of what you shoot. I shoot steel case all the time in my ARs but haven't tried it in a pistol yet. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . The aluminum in the case will not damage your guns chamber, extractor, or ejector because they are made from steel. The answer is no at least not any more than brass-cased ammo. Find it here bigdaddyunlimited.com/login.php. They argue that the softer metal of the casing can wear down your guns barrel and chamber, causing problems with accuracy and reliability. However, it is much, Read More How To Inspect A Gun Before Buying?Continue, Guns have all kinds of different parts. Would shooting the steel cased ammo damage the pistol in any way? Sounds like a good argument - until you remember that the steel in your chamber is MUCH harder than the steel of the shell. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Generally speaking, its not gonna hurt it. 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. Using steel in the entire bullet is impossible because it would damage the barrel. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Have you searched on extractor wear with steel cased ammo? Its a small price to pay for the substantial savings steel ammunition provides over brass cased ammunition. Not really it always says that its Berdan primed, not Boxer. Foreign manufacturers often use powders that are dirty and contribute to the chamber fouling. I was told that it would tend to wear the ejector quicker because it was harder than brass. Not one mention of reloading. Some people might think that using cast aluminum instead of regular aluminum for bullets would make them stronger. Accidental shootings are a big problem, and they happen all over the world. 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. Then after it is worn out and too brittle to be used, I can turn it in for weight and get some money back!!! Is steel cased ammo bad for your gun? If depends on the quality of the ammunition and the quality of the firearm. Some lots of ammunition have too More work is involved if theyre berdan primed but it can be done. At the end of the day, its up to you to decide what you think is best for your gun. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and, Read More 5 Helpful Tips for Disabled ShootersContinue, Getting a new gun is not the easiest thing. 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. This makes a very strong piece of metal. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association. Should be fine for plinking and I can't see how it would hurt a quality firearm. 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 My understanding is that you cannot reload the steel cases. Most of them are Sig, Beretta and CZs. Brass shells may be collected by some ranges, reloaded, and resold. Do that with steel cases. So unless youre looking for an inexpensive way to practice shooting, its probably not worth using aluminum bullets. Steel cased ammo is non reloadable. Does putting water in a smoothie count as water intake? However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Mac, 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. Then, Winchester jumped into the steel-cased market. 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. While a more expensive option than brass, steel is a very durable, resilient metal. It is common for indoor ranges to have the same rules, but I dont always assume that is the case. The general rule for steel-cased ammo is high-pressure loads in straight-walled cases tend to have more extraction problems than high-pressure loads in tapered cases or lower-pressure loads in straight-walled cases.The benefits in favor of steel-cased ammo are mostly economic, making it cheaper to shoot than conventional brass offerings. 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. I suggest trying a box or two before buying a The brass case expands inside the chamber, the steel case does not and so there is a lot of blow back. I wouldn't use steel case ammo in any gun, except for an AK47 or SKS 7.62x39 type rifle. - AllOutdoor.com And you will start to notice reliability problems if your firearm is not properly maintained. Nope. The round would cost the business a lot of money to maintain, so the costs could be reduced by banning the round. Another often overlooked advantage is the spent cartridge cases can be policed up with a magnet. 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. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Brass is better at this sealing action because it is more malleable than steel. They have a nice feature that tells you what range the shipping is(low,medium,high). Steel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. The pellets weigh one-third less than lead pellets of the same size. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. Though lead core bullets deliver a quick and humane blow to big game animals, they do so at the cost of lead fragmenting throughout the wound tract. So, yes, steel-cased ammo will wear your AR-15 out faster than brass ammo will. The __qca cookie is associated with Quantcast. Steel cased ammo is definitely not known for its accuracy. That way you wont get stuck with a bunch of ammo that you cant use if it doesnt work in your particular gun. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases dont expand the same way that brass cases do. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. When most people think of rifle or pistol cartridges, they think of a shiny brass case with a copper jacketed bullet sitting on top. Steel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. 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. 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. There is a lot of debate surrounding aluminum cased ammo and whether or not it is bad for your gun. The shooting ranges do obviously recycle the lead. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? How can I stop being frustrated while reading? Bill, I know that there has been testing on it, though I dont have them bookmarked. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Steel retains less energy and may not kill birds cleanly at the same ranges. I received 35 dollars for it. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. In addition, there may be surplus ammunition from other countries that have higher lead prices than the United States. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The bullet traps are not designed to handle steel bullets. Steel creates more friction between itself, the magazine, and chamber. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Cast aluminum has a lot of great properties that make it perfect for manufacturing things like bullets: These qualities make cast aluminum an ideal material for making bullets and other ammo components. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. Copper bullets may be lighter than lead bullets, but they are also harder. If you are buying ammo for home defense or your carry weapon, then DO NOT BUY TulAmmo. Common brands of steel-cased ammo are TulaAmmo, Brown Bear, and Wolf. Its no secret that the cost of shooting ranges is high. Another good reason, and maybe the best reason you cant shoot steel ammo at the range, is that the bi-metal or steel bullets will damage the floor, walls, and ceiling and can damage the bullet traps. The reason is because steel is not as malleable as brass and therefore does not create as good of a seal between the shell casing and the chamber. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Tula has performed the worst in my firearms, and Brown Bear has performed the best. Well, it depended on the action and type more than anything. The biggest disadvantage of brass ammo was its cost and lack of availability in certain countries. Steel rounds also have a greater chance of backfiring. The steel used in the cases will still be softer than the type of steel used in receivers and extractors of Each one has its pros and cons and many shooters are firmly entrenched in one camp over the other. In a world where all ammo is accurately loaded, finely-tuned gas systems are ideal, the gun has less felt recoil, lasts longer, and requires less cleaning. 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. However, this is not the case. The solution was simple they over-gassed their guns.