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. A: Yes. This build up can cause stuck cases. 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 argue that the softer metal of the casing can wear down your guns 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). Does steel cased ammo damage your gun? So, it expands to snugly fit the walls of the chamber. Benefits. These 5.56 cartridges push a 62 grain projectile designed with a boat tail, lead core, and a special steel penetrator tip. Some people shoot nothing but steel cased through their firearms, while others will not touch the stuff. I get paid cash for brass but they dont pay very good on either. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Backstops or traps made of steel will be damaged if steel core rounds are fired into them. Some shooters believe that aluminum cased ammo can cause damage to your firearm. One difference between steel-cased rifle and pistol ammo is the working chamber pressure. (Video) HERE'S WHY YOU CAN'T SHOOT STEEL CASED Americans first got a taste for steel-cased rounds when China began exporting its arms and ammo to the US in the 1980s. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Survival | Will Steel Cased Ammo Hurt Your gun? I am not sure that steel cased ammo would wear out anything faster than brass, and would like documentation rather than theory on this. There are different types of coatings (polymer and lacquer), both of which are used as lubricants. Yet, the tapered 9 mm case enhances extraction once the chamber seal is broken. 3 What are the disadvantages of steel cased ammo? YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. This in turn means more force is exerted on your firearms extractor which can lead to premature breakages if the gun wasnt designed for the rounds in the first place. While I dont generally recommend steel cased ammo, its not going to hurt your rifle in limited amounts. Also, some of the steel cased ammo is now polymer coated. This is partly due to the design of the tapered case, which enhances extraction regardless of case-material composition. I had to add that it was my first break-in session so the gun was brand new, but the very next session I used all brass cased ammo with not a single feed failure. This cookie is used to keep track on user informations and reports it to Alexa analytics service. 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. Wolf and the like are so dirty to shoot. AKs weren't "designed" to fire steel cased ammunition. It doesnt contract as fast as brass does, but you can shoot it in a bolt or lever gun without any problem. Aluminum bullets also have a tendency to jam in the gun barrel, which can cause damage to your firearm. 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. I am hoping to test that on camera. I used to shoot steel cased ammo through my Ruger P97 all the time, too. While it is false that steel cased ammo does damage to your rifle, it may decrease barrel life slightly. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Why would shooters pick steel-cased rounds over standard ammo? Most if not all of this ammo uses a copper coated steel jacketed bi-metal bullet which increases wear on the barrel. I have had six show up here in the last two years saying that they had an AR that was not working right. Aluminum is a softer metal than lead, so it will not produce as accurate a bullet as lead. 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 is true of PSA, SIG, Anderson, Colt, and basically everyone today. Envision the contact surfaces with the chamber as the cartridge case is being extracted. The projectiles typically have an lead core, not steel. God I hate ammo snobs. Steel cased ammo is not bad for AR-15s. It is only bad for people who suck at math. People will claim that the steel will w However, some shooters believe that the softer metal can cause more wear and tear on your guns barrel and chamber. 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 In fact, many experts say that aluminum cases are just as safe to use as brass cases. Bill, I know that there has been testing on it, though I dont have them bookmarked. It will still bend and deform under pressure, just like regular aluminum. However, there is an issue: some ammo is steel jacketed, so it has a layer of steel on top of a standard lead bullet. Everything I have shot through it has been either steel or aluminum cased. The steel used in the cases will still be softer than the type of steel used in receivers and extractors of Modern production steel-cased ammo is not corrosive, even when Berdan primed and it will not destroy your extractor. Find it here bigdaddyunlimited.com/login.php. Would shooting the steel cased ammo damage the pistol in any way? By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. So, I disagree with all steel case ammo is great. Different shooters prefer different ammo casings for different reasons. 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. It is strong enough to withstand the stress of firing, yet light enough to allow for high-speed projectiles. Nope. Using gas-powered cycling systems on firearms makes the extraction less effective. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and how well your particular firearm handles different types of ammunition. Opinions vary, but I think the prevailing wisdom is that Yes, steel cased ammunition is hard on extractors. Are steel cases bad The former is utterly reliable in most platforms in which it is chambered. For most people, it doesnt really matter at all. 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. The __gads cookie, set by Google, is stored under DoubleClick domain and tracks the number of times users see an advert, measures the success of the campaign and calculates its revenue. But are they really? Another problem with steel cased ammo is a lot of it seems to be somewhat underpowered which can cause short stroking issues. It was founded in 2005. Theres also the issue I've reloaded .45 ACP steel cases for years. It should be noted that the rule about the use of steel core ammo can also be applied to outdoor ranges. Your Arsenal build will be fine with it. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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. Bulk purchases of non-standard ammunition support a wide variety of U.S. military assistance programs, as well. The steel case has a coating, which cushions against wear. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and, Read More 5 Helpful Tips for Disabled ShootersContinue, Getting a new gun is not the easiest thing. 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. So unless youre looking for an inexpensive way to practice shooting, its probably not worth using aluminum bullets. That does tend to clean up the excess grass in the range area. Imported ammunition that is newly produced has a steel core, so far as I know. Tacoma, Washington 98424 USA, 2023 Rainier Ballistics | The Journey To The Top Demands Peak Performance, What is a Bull Barrel Bull Barrel Variations and Benefits. The primary, and really only, benefit of shooting steel cased ammo is the price. Depending on the caliber, barrel life can usually be decreased anywhere from 3-15 percent. Larry, who is a family man and a gun enthusiast, enjoys keeping his collection in pristine condition. Scopes, guns, boots and other tactical stuff in-between. More work is involved if theyre berdan primed but it can be done. 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. Further, HK specifically says: All USPs are approved for use with +P and +P+ ammunition as it appliesRead more . No issues with Steel (Tula or Wolf) and full power striker springs, occasional FTE with aluminum and I had one yesterday with Fiocci brass. Amp up your AK with these exciting accessories. Otherwise, you could end up with a gun thats not only ineffective, but also dangerous. Cheap ammo is always good, or at least was. Steel case ammo is cheaper to shoot and generally works well in most firearms, but does have some downsides. Most of them are Sig, Beretta and CZs. 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. Personally I do not use steel case ammo in ARs. YouTube - Store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.