Does the Russian military use steel cased ammo? Steel cartridge case use in handguns (as well as long guns) has been the source of controversy since their inception. From what I can tell and have seen/read..since steel is less malleable than brass, the cases dont fireform as well to the chamber when fired. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Then, the prices skyrocketed. At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide which ammo casing is best for you and your firearm. Having said that, I don't use it in my high end guns, What is M855? WebAnswer (1 of 2): No, I do not believe you can/will damage your firearm solely because you were shooting aluminum cased ammunition. Instead I donate them now and I actually get more money and it is less work. That using such ammunition is dangerous and will also void the manufacturers warranty. Availability may be different depending on where you live. The design of the cartridge has perhaps the greatest effect on how extraction takes place with steel cases. 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. 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. Reloading would lose the benefit of this coating, as it wears off. So, not only is it a sustainable material, but it also has a minimal impact on the environment. Pre-Covid, steel cased .223 ammo could be found 10-50 cents less per round than brass cased ammo. Steel-cored rounds have a much greater likelihood of damaging a backstop than lead FMJs do, so theyre nearly universally prohibited on indoor shooting ranges. This is partly due to the design of the tapered case, which enhances extraction regardless of case-material composition. Funny, you want to sell it and its not worth squat you want to buy it and steelRead more , If you look at a 5.56 besides a 7.62 russian round youll notice th x39 and x54 both have a taper from the base to the mouth. 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 ? There are two reasons ranges sometimes ban steel-cased ammo: They do not wish to deal with these 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. Felt recoil was greater with the steel load but not by muchagain that stems from the difference in velocity. The good news is that it seems as though demand might have peaked. If I were to try ANY steel cased ammo, it would be the new Hornady stuff. They do not wish to deal with these issues mentioned above. 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 Any sparks from a steel round might also spark a fire, which is more likely. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when doing so: That said, if you do choose to use aluminum bullets, be sure to clean your gun frequently and check for any signs of wear and tear. 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). 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 steel load printed a few inches higher than the brass load, most likely because it chronographed 60 fps faster. Others claim that there is no difference between aluminum and brass cased ammo. If you are buying ammo for home defense or your carry weapon, then DO NOT BUY TulAmmo. 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. Not good if he would have been a dummy and kept pulling the trigger. what's the point? Steel cases may be more likely to get stuck in the chamber, particularly in lightly-extracting guns like the AR-15. The pellets weigh one-third less than lead pellets of the same size. I reload, so Ive no interest in shell casings I cant reload. Should be fine for plinking and I can't see how it would hurt a quality firearm. The range may use a magnet to determine whether the ammunition is steel core or not. Thats it. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. The aluminum in the case will not damage your guns chamber, extractor, or ejector because they are made from steel. I shoot steel case all the time in my ARs but haven't tried it in a pistol yet. In addition, there may be surplus ammunition from other countries that have higher lead prices than the United States. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Undoubtedly, the floor can be covered with dozens, if not hundreds, of used ammo cases after a busy day. Mac, 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. Its only maybe $1 more per box but its worth it. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Even then, is the small savings worth the time and patience that it takes to reload? The biggest disadvantage of brass ammo was its cost and lack of availability in certain countries. Cartridges or shells of ammo are referred to as casings, not bullets. Different shooters prefer different ammo casings for different reasons. One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. The bullet traps are not designed to handle steel bullets. Sometimes the cases will be sticky, though, and will be harder to eject. YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. However, a lot of folks wont use aluminum Feel free to reach out to us or read our affiliate disclosure and privacy policy. 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 TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Unless you plan to reload the spent cases, Id say the steel is fine for general purposes, leaving price as the only consideration. Aluminum bullets also have a tendency to jam in the gun barrel, which can cause damage to your firearm. Also, they dont want steel mixed with that for obvious reasons. I do have to do a little more cleaning after shooting them but I was going to clean them after shooting anyways. If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by about 4,000-5,000 rounds. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but the majority of them are for companies that collect empty cases for reloading purposes. Another often overlooked advantage is the spent cartridge cases can be policed up with a magnet. With steel cased ammo the groups were all over the place at 6,000 rounds with many bullets tumbling and key holing. 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. They also claim that using aluminum cases can help reduce weight, which makes carrying your ammunition easier. i don't use steel case Russian crap. 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. This cookie can only be read from the domain they are set on and will not track any data while browsing through other sites. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The issue with steel cased ammo is that it does not occlude the chamber as well as brass. The depriming punch in the resizing die would be damaged in such a case. Exactly why I gave all my steel case .223 to my Brother who does not reload. Yet, the tapered 9 mm case enhances extraction once the chamber seal is broken. 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. Semi-autos sometimes have problems if the chamber is tight and because it hasnt fully contracted when the extractors try to grab it. 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. 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. There is a lot of debate surrounding aluminum cased ammo and whether or not it is bad for your gun. Yes they are bad for any firearm. However the AK47 and SKS rifles will tolerate the steel cases better. Brass cases are always kinder on any firearm. Basically, I feel it is the same as global warming, scientists just dont fully understand or know but they getRead more . On the other hand, the 9 mm, especially in military loads, is twice the pressure of the .45 ACP. Americas oldest Second Amendment News outlet. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. They argue that the softer metal of the casing can wear down your guns barrel and chamber, causing problems with accuracy and reliability. However, using steel casings with outdoor ranges should not be a problem. This can, however, be compensated with coating, but some worry that this coating could build up in your firearm and create long-term issues. But for people who reload, shooting steel cased ammo may actually be more expensive. the case is steel and the bullet has a mild steel jacket with a thin copper coating. This is because Berdan primers dont contain an anvil. Some ranges may also ban aluminum cases for the same reason. One reason people give for not shooting steel case-ammo is that it damages their rifle or pistol. The 556 has little taper. I received 35 dollars for it. I suggest trying a box or two before buying a I agree that the price of steel cases has gone through the roof so the affordable ones are only made in hard plastic. 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 Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Find it here bigdaddyunlimited.com/login.php. Survival | Will Steel Cased Ammo Hurt Your gun? Paper target scraps or gun powder residue might also ignite. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Berger Hybrid design incorporates two different shapes within the nose. 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. Using gas-powered cycling systems on firearms makes the extraction less effective. Most of them are Sig, Beretta and CZs. This causes additional blowback, which causes more residue buildup in the action. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. I am not sure that steel cased ammo would wear out anything faster than brass, and would like documentation rather than theory on this. Then the brass case expanding normally really sticks to the carbon left behind in the chamber. The steel case has a coating, which cushions against wear. In general, any type of ammunition can be harmful to your gun if it is not properly cleaned and maintained. 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. The same considerations can be utilized with pistol ammunition, especially when used in semi- and full-auto firearms. Yeah, I also have shot Tulammo from Russia with the steel casings. Funny how you didnt mention the elephant in the room RELOADING. Pretty sure that anyone reading the article, especially this bunch would know that. With the carbon ring you will build up, you can stick a brass case. 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. Small amounts of propellant gasses are able to get between the case and chamber and foul the chamber walls. The only items that are true is that steel-cased ammo runs dirtier (steel cases don't expand and seal out fouling as well as a brass), and you just have to clean your gun more often. Common brands of steel-cased ammo are TulaAmmo, Brown Bear, and Wolf. Amp up your AK with these exciting accessories. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases dont expand the same way that brass cases do. What are the disadvantages of brass ammo? Winchesters USA-Forged steel-cased ammo performed as well or better than comparable brass-cased ammo in my guns. Envision the contact surfaces with the chamber as the cartridge case is being extracted. My only experience with Tula steel cased ammo is 115gr 9mm, and I only used it in my G43. Pretty much daily I get the question Is it okay to shoot steel cased ammo in my Windham Weaponry AR15?. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . Over time, this can result in decreased accuracy and increased jamming problems. In semi-automatic firearms, this affects the timing of the cycle of operation, particularly in the extraction phase. Indoor gun ranges often have a rule such as Armor Piercing/ Steel Core rounds are prohibited or Steel core ammunition is not allowed.. 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. The steel case doesn't seal as well so you will get more carbon fouling in the gun. Generally speaking, its not gonna hurt it. I was told that it would tend to wear the ejector quicker because it was harder than brass. I have had six show up here in the last two years saying that they had an AR that was not working right. So, should you shoot steel cased ammo through your rifle or pistol? Steel-cased ammo may also be associated with an increased fire risk because it tends to cause more sparks than bullets without steel cases. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Brass is better at this sealing action because it is more malleable than steel. Or should you stay away from it? In fact, they argue that aluminum casings are actually more reliable than brass casings because they are less likely to corrode. Better not tell the hundreds of AK shooters whom are shooting thousands of Steel cased 7.62X39 rounds per day, here and world wide. The main concern is that the soft metal of the casing can lead to wear and tear on your firearms barrel and chamber. One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. By comparison one was as accurate as the other in group size. Not really it always says that its Berdan primed, not Boxer. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. If used exclusively however it will reduce the barrel life by Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The design of the cartridge has perhaps the greatest effect on how extraction takes place with steel cases. Id take this ammo over a lot of cheap brass out there. The money you saved on steel Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. As far as downsides, there are a few objective drawbacks to running steel and a few man-made ones. 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. So, there is no benefit to using cast aluminum over regular aluminum when making bullets. Cheap ammo is always good, or at least was. Steel cased ammo is definitely not known for its accuracy. Tula has performed the worst in my firearms, and Brown Bear has performed the best. The direct-impingement AR-15 can be ammo sensitive especially when not ran, wet. Registered. Ive been to some shooting ranges, and this actually bothered me quite a bit. What does it mean when your boyfriend takes long to reply? As far as man-made issues, many ranges ban the use of steel-cased ammo out of concern for their backstops this is particularly true with indoor ranges. My understanding is that steel cases are not reloadable and that the brass from the brass cases is sold in order to cover the range of upkeep costs. My HK USPc owners manual specifically states: CAUTION: HK firearms are designed to function with quality manufactured brass cased ammunition. Its more trouble than its worthalthough it is possible, especially with boxer-primed cases. Now, miraculously, steel-cased ammo will no longer hurt your gun. With a price tag well below the average cost of American-made brass-cased ammo, many American shooters on a budget gobbled up the ammo in droves. Are steel cases bad I'll "stick" to brass hulls in my firearms. 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. So unless youre looking for an inexpensive way to practice shooting, its probably not worth using aluminum bullets. i can get american made quality stuff for the same price, or only a little more. The steel used in the cases will still be softer than the type of steel used in receivers and extractors of If you are a reloader, dont bother with the steel cases. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. (SKS / AK owners, neednt worry.). I would sure hope not as they did issue steel case GI .45 during WW-2. This build up can cause stuck cases. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Our Sitemap. Up to 100 rounds, the more the better. Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues. ), How to Safely Install Your Gun Safe on a Tile Surface, Why Keeping Your Gun Safe in a Shed is a Smart Idea. 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. Cases made of steel cannot be reloaded, so they must be thrown away. 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). I noticed that there was some burning of the breach when using steel case ammo. Its no secret that the cost of shooting ranges is high. It should be noted that the rule about the use of steel core ammo can also be applied to outdoor ranges. 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. I wouldn't use steel case ammo in any gun, except for an AK47 or SKS 7.62x39 type rifle. Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. 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 why did mazelee move back to maryland, battlefront 2 best weapons for each class,