If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by It has always worked fine for me. 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. Felt recoil was greater with the steel load but not by muchagain that stems from the difference in velocity.Winchesters USA-Forged steel-cased ammo performed as well or better than comparable brass-cased ammo in my guns. Any sparks from a steel round might also spark a fire, which is more likely. The steel case doesn't seal as well so you will get more carbon fouling in the gun. Cartridges or shells of ammo are referred to as casings, not bullets. 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. Sometimes these cases will stick so severely that it is difficult to remove them even with a cleaning rod. And for quite Amp up your AK with these exciting accessories. It doesnt contract as fast as brass does, but you can shoot it in a bolt or lever gun without any problem. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Some of it is sealed with lacquer that stinks. Foreign manufacturers often use powders that are dirty and contribute to the chamber fouling. WebSteel case ammo shouldn't damage your gun, though some guns will have reliability issues with it. The round would cost the business a lot of money to maintain, so the costs could be reduced by banning the round. Higher velocity bullets, such as the .223 Remington, will usually cause more wear. The Berger Hybrid design incorporates two different shapes within the nose. But I do question the hypothesis, unless demonstrated, that a new steel case increases wear over brass. Brass is better at this sealing action because it is more malleable than steel. | The Gun Owner The Gun Owner 558 subscribers Subscribe 893 100K views 3 years ago #TheGunOwner #Californiaguns No commercially available handgun rounds have the steel core as they would qualify as illegal armor piercing ammo under federal law. KyJim, you are correct of course. An example of commercial, Russian-made steel-cased, but non-corrosive 7.62x54mm ammunition. The answer is no at least not any more than brass-cased ammo. Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues. It is strong enough to withstand the stress of firing, yet light enough to allow for high-speed projectiles. The Best Firearm and Firearm Accessory Reviews. This may not seem like a whole lot, but if you are doing a lot of shooting, it will add up quickly. This is true of PSA, SIG, Anderson, Colt, and basically everyone today. Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. Then, Winchester jumped into the steel-cased market. If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. 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. A new and innovative take on an AR-15 compatible rifle. Some ranges may also ban aluminum cases for the same reason. One of them is the excellent LuckyGunner test. The __qca cookie is associated with Quantcast. 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. The depriming punch in the resizing die would be damaged in such a case. Do that with steel cases. So if you are going to use steel cased ammo I recommend breaking the rifle in with decent brass cased ammo first. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Steel is a tougher material than lead, so firing with a barrel made of solid steel would tear the barrel to shreds. It is also possible for steel jacketed ammo to ignite dustings of unburnt powder found on the floors of indoor ranges when it sparks when it hits a hard surface, making it a fire hazard. Does steel cased ammo damage your gun? However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. I f the chamber is on the larger side of the spec it isnt usually an issue. This is an Alexa Analytics cookie that is used to track user behavior. So, I disagree with all steel case ammo is great. 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. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases dont expand the same way that brass cases do. Mossberg 500 vs 590: Which Shotgun Is Right for You? The reason? A damaged steel target or, in this case, a backstop can also ricochet steel core rounds. Steel rounds can even cause damage to targets, rail lines and cables. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I have never had a problem with it in my pistols. 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. 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. I asked what ammo they were using and it was the steel case. It does not store any personal data. 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 cased ammo is said to be less expensive and brass cased ammunition more reliable. 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. 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. Imported ammunition that is newly produced has a steel core, so far as I know. This is because Berdan primers dont contain an anvil. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Pre-Covid, steel cased .223 ammo could be found 10-50 cents less per round than brass cased ammo. Whats The Problem With Shooting Steel-Cased Ammo At The Range? 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 Under federal law it is perfectly legal to make, sell and purchase armor-piercing ammunition as long as you have the proper licensing. These parts can generally be switched out with other parts of the same type to customize the gun to the way you want it. The main concern is that the soft metal of the casing can lead to wear and tear on your firearms barrel and chamber. The former is utterly reliable in most platforms in which it is chambered. In the end, workers will have to do some cleaning. On the one hand, some people believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your gun. It's important to point out one of the reasons why ranges are banning steel-case Russian ammo: some of it has copper-washed steel. So, it is important to follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning and maintenance, regardless of the casing type. However, some shooters believe that the softer metal can cause more wear and tear on your guns barrel and chamber. 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 was told that it would tend to wear the ejector quicker because it was harder than brass. 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. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. From discussion withRead more . In addition, there may be surplus ammunition from other countries that have higher lead prices than the United States. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. In fact, they argue that aluminum casings are actually more reliable than brass casings because they are less likely to corrode. Penetrator rifle rounds similar to M855 are available as well, and they do have steel core. A critical marksmanship skill that is easy to overlook. I suggest trying a box or two before buying a Backstops or traps made of steel will be damaged if steel core rounds are fired into them. This build up can cause stuck cases. For most people, it doesnt really matter at all. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Each one has its pros and cons and many shooters are firmly entrenched in one camp over the other. 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. Steel cased ammo is non reloadable. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 1 Why is steel case ammo bad for your gun? Those of that opinion are quick to reference extractor breakage or failure, especially in the AR-15/M16 platforms. Common brands of steel-cased ammo are TulaAmmo, Brown Bear, and Wolf. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. I am hoping to test that on camera. Due to the lower price of steel-cased ammo, steel-cased ammunition is popular. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Well, it depended on the action and type more than anything. Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. Your Arsenal build will be fine with it. While it is false that steel cased ammo does damage to your rifle, it may decrease barrel life slightly. The pattern element in the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to. I have some steel cased ammo in a few calibers556, 762x39, 9mm, .45because it's got incredibly long shelf life under adverse conditions. Also, make sure to keep your chamber clean. Brass shells may be collected by some ranges, reloaded, and resold. Most of the curved section of the bullet has a Secant (VLD-style) ogive for low drag. Steel cases may be more likely to get stuck in the chamber, particularly in lightly-extracting guns like the AR-15. This is partly due to the design of the tapered case, which enhances extraction regardless of case-material composition.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. Aluminum is a softer metal than lead, so it will not produce as accurate a bullet as lead. 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. Provided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services. Bill, I know that there has been testing on it, though I dont have them bookmarked. Many people think its dirtier because the steel case isnt as forgiving as brass and so more spent carbon theoretically gets deposited into the chamber. what's the point? The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. Thus, inspecting a gun before buying is a crucial thing. This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. WebWhat Steel Cased Ammo Does To Guns! Steel case ammo will not harm any part of your firearm. 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. So, not only is it a sustainable material, but it also has a minimal impact on the environment. 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. This cookie is used to keep track on user informations and reports it to Alexa analytics service. There is the grip, trigger, barrel, and even others. 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. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. In general, any type of ammunition can be harmful to your gun if it is not properly cleaned and maintained. By comparison one was as accurate as the other in group size. Registered. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. The majority of steel cased ammo is Berdan primed. Because spent shells are mixed with brass ammo, a gun range may prohibit steel-cased ammo. YouTube - Store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen - 2. WebAnswering: Is steel cased ammo bad for your gun? While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Also, if you use the steel cased ammo close to dark it had a massive muzzle flash, if things come to a combat situation you want the flash coming from the other side so you can see where, they, are, not the other way round. It is pretty dirty & tends to leave some lacquer when the gun heats up. I do. Steel cases are more difficult (if not impossible) to reload. These rounds are often maligned for performance, reliability, and being generally inferior to brass-cased ammo. 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. I am not sure that steel cased ammo would wear out anything faster than brass, and would like documentation rather than theory on this. Accidental shootings are a big problem, and they happen all over the world. This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall. 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.