Tula has performed the worst in my firearms, and Brown Bear has performed the best. I have found that my AR does quite well with steel case, where as my Mini-14 has trouble holding 4 MOA. Accidental shootings are a big problem, and they happen all over the world. I disagree on the viability of steel cased ammo in weapons when the mfg states otherwise. Brass Ammo Pros & Cons Brass ammo is generally considered to be better than steel-cased ammo because it creates a better chamber seal than steel. Pretty sure that anyone reading the article, especially this bunch would know that. Its a bolt gun and doesnt care. Also, some of the steel cased ammo is now polymer coated. A critical marksmanship skill that is easy to overlook. Where would we be, without the miracles of marketing? I have had very few issues with reliability when using steel-cased ammo. You save a few dollars, but usually give up good accuracy. 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. 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. 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. But for people who reload, shooting steel cased ammo may actually be more expensive. At the end of the day, its up to you to decide what you think is best for your gun. There is the grip, trigger, barrel, and even others. Another often overlooked advantage is the spent cartridge cases can be policed up with a magnet. Foreign manufacturers often use powders that are dirty and contribute to the chamber fouling.Steel cases have different expansion and contraction characteristics from brass or aluminum. 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. Don't worry, AKs won't get hurt by the steel case. I shot thousands of rounds of it in AKs SKS with out trouble. Aluminum, on the other hand, can be poured into a mold and will not fill all of the spaces. The design of the cartridge has perhaps the greatest effect on how extraction takes place with steel cases. Can You Shoot Steel Cased Ammo in a Glock? | The Ammo Blog Steel casings are therefore coated with a lubricant. Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. But are they really? Steel cased ammo use in a revolver The lacquer that coats the steel case can be problematic when a round sits in a hot chamber. My understanding is that you cannot reload the steel cases. Ammo with steel cores has a smaller steel bullet that is coated with lead on the outside. Your email address will not be published. Thus, inspecting a gun before buying is a crucial thing. This may be true in some cases, but it depends on the make and model of your firearm. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. (Video) HERE'S WHY YOU CAN'T SHOOT STEEL CASED the case is steel and the bullet has a mild steel jacket with a thin copper coating. Thus you have less blowback into the chamber and the receiver. It was founded in 2005. Then, Winchester jumped into the steel-cased market. Steel Case vs. Brass: Worth It? | Reload Your Gear This doesn't affect reliability as long as you keep shooting steel cased ammo or clean the chamber before shooting brass cased ammo. Using steel in the entire bullet is impossible because it would damage the barrel. 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. Some shooters believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your firearm. Steel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. Is there a difference between steel cased and brass cased ammo? It does not store any personal data. The direct-impingement AR-15 can be ammo sensitive especially when not ran, wet. Bill, I know that there has been testing on it, though I dont have them bookmarked. It can start a heck of a fire in a rubber backstop medium. The steel used for the cases is much softer than that in your gun. I f the chamber is on the larger side of the spec it isnt usually an issue. The steel case doesn't seal as well so you will get more carbon fouling in the gun. ), How to Safely Install Your Gun Safe on a Tile Surface, Why Keeping Your Gun Safe in a Shed is a Smart Idea. 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. Bullets with steel cases differ from bullets with steel cores. Not one good experience with steel case in an AR or AK. 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. This lacquer burns off and can potentially foul the chamber. The benefits in favor of steel-cased ammo are mostly economic, making it cheaper to shoot than conventional brass offerings. Steel rounds can even cause damage to targets, rail lines and cables. The guns are just slightly over-gassed to ensure reliable operation with underpowered cheap ammo. I received 35 dollars for it. Bullets With Steel Cases Versus Bullets With Steel Cores, Concealed Carrier Stops Mass Shooting After Being Shot in the Head Himself, DampRids on Gun Safes (Should You Use Them? 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. Envision the contact surfaces with the chamber as the cartridge case is being extracted. And always follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance. An example would be in comparing 7.62x39 mm and 5.56 NATO. Some firearms have no problem with using aluminum cases, while others may experience damage. I'll "stick" to brass hulls in my firearms. While it is false that steel cased ammo does damage to your rifle, it may decrease barrel life slightly. With the ammo supply issue nowadays, steel-cased ammo is significantly cheaper than brass-cased, sometimes less than half the price. In addition, steel is more penetrating than lead since it does not expand as much. 2. This can, however, be compensated with coating, but some worry that this coating could build up in your firearm and create long-term issues. There is literally no danger to your firearms steel parts when using aluminum cased ammo. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This grit and mess gets between the case and chamber wall and acts like sand paper. However, this is not the case. 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. The jury is still out on this one. Perhaps the biggest drawback to steel-cased ammo is that it is not easily reloadable. The former is utterly reliable in most platforms in which it is chambered. And, just like with any ammo, bullet weight and twist rate are also big factors when it comes to accuracy. This makes a very strong piece of metal. 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. Ability to Shoot Steel Case Ammo in So, it is important to follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance, regardless of the casing type. By comparison one was as accurate as the other in group size. Unlock the Benefits of Knowing Your Winchester Serial Number, Complete Buyers Guide to the Sig Sauer P228. What does it mean when your boyfriend takes long to reply? It was never engineered to be reloaded, while it isRead more . 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. My HK USPc owners manual specifically states: CAUTION: HK firearms are designed to function with quality manufactured brass cased ammunition. Customer Service at Springfield Armory had this to say about using steel cased ammo: BTW, as long as we are talking about it, what are the benefits to steel cased ammo ? I've read horror stories about steel cased ammo, but I've shot it a ton of it with zero problems. Should be fine for plinking and I can't see how it would hurt a quality firearm. No reason for outdoor firing ranges, especially if youre going to police your own brass. All those issues were worsened by pandemic-related workforce shortages and supply chain issues, which drove the prices up and up and up, Woodbury said. The depriming punch in the resizing die would be damaged in such a case. He also likes to take his kids shooting as often as possible. 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. Registered. 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. Vortex to take over customer service and support for the app. Americans first got a taste for steel-cased rounds when China began exporting its arms and ammo to the US in the 1980s. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. And it does not corrode, so it can be used in humid and saltwater environments without issue. As far as downsides, there are a few objective drawbacks to running steel and a few man-made ones. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. But dont get me wrong, they arent over-gassed to the point of negatively impacting performance. Another common reason people give for not shooting steel-cased ammo is how dirty it is. Steel cases may be more likely to get stuck in the chamber, particularly in lightly-extracting guns like the AR-15. Pretty much daily I get the question Is it okay to shoot steel cased ammo in my Windham Weaponry AR15?. If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. YouTube - Store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen - 2. 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. Is steel cased ammo bad for your gun? - Quora They last a lot! i can get american made quality stuff for the same price, or only a little more. This is why cast aluminum is used for things like engine blocks and transmission housings. There is no other way to put it. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. In addition, there may be surplus ammunition from other countries that have higher lead prices than the United States. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. I have never had a problem with it in my pistols. Does steel cased ammo damage your gun? [Solved] (2022) It is common for indoor ranges to have the same rules, but I dont always assume that is the case. The ammunition was mostly manufactured by Tula Cartridge Plant in Tula, Tula District, Russia from 2005 to 2009. what's the point? Thats why I bought an under-seat rifle rack from 4WheelOnline. In answer to your question specific to the. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. They argue that the softer metal of the casing can wear down your guns 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). Absolutely not for a lot of my guns. A lot of my guns are former Soviet bloc guns, specifically designed for steel case ammo. My guns that feed ste Do that with steel cases. Id take this ammo over a lot of cheap brass out there. 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. The firearm can be functional and perfect, but it can also be damaged, faulty, or even outright broken, or non-functional. So, I disagree with all steel case ammo is great. A shell contains a firing primer and gunpowder. Because spent shells are mixed with brass ammo, a gun range may prohibit steel-cased ammo.