Aluminum cased ammo for SD & long term magazine loading

[squeeze]

If Al ammo bothers you well just wait a while. Was reading an article in a very recent magazine about a company called something? Velocity making plastic cased rifle ammo. Their claim is that it is superior to brass in just about every way. The article did not address reloading just cost, weight and ballistics.
Can Al or steel be reloaded?

I also read about a company testing alloys of Al, brass, nickle etc, etc. The claim was that they can make a bullet case that is superior and cheaper than brass.

Shotgun shells have been made from plastics and paper; why not handgun/rifle rounds?

Any Al rimfire?

[gunsandrockets]

Aluminum is much more corrosion resistant than steel. I wouldn't be surprised if it is more resistant to corrosion than brass too.

There are self-defense loads in aluminum cases. In fact I picked some because of the loading used, and they just happened to have aluminum cases too. The Blazer .357 and .44 magnum with heavy semi-jacketed-hollowpoint bullets.

I haven't clocked these loads yet, but from what some other people say, those loads are what might best be described as low-recoil loadings: pushing bullets at about 1100 fps MV from a four inch revolver barrel. Weak for a magnum, but beyond any factory +P .38 or .44 Special load.

The aluminum casing and the light loading are probably causation instead of correlation.

[omega]

Aluminum cased ammo seems to have more problems with bullet set back or loose bullets

thats why I prefer brass, the brass conforms to the shape of the bullet and the crimp holds it more securely than aluminum.

[JTROKS]

[P5Ret]

What if bg is wearing fancy dolce gabbana jacket and your fancy hp pancakes before even getting close to the heart youll wish you packed milspec fmj.

When your milspec fmj over penetrates and strikes an unintended target you'll probably wish you had a round that expanded.

[eswrite]

Thanks for the real world data point!

[crufflers]

So not to downplay "corrosion" on an AL case in a chamber... but after 15 years you see some grey or black stuff or was it rust? If you pulled the trigger at the range do you think it wouldn't extract and load the next round? Just curious your thoughts. I think anyone who has used the AL cases are offering "real world datapoints" heheheh. Let's keep digging on this important topic. Maybe we will unearth a game changer.

[crufflers]

What if bg is wearing fancy dolce gabbana jacket and your fancy hp pancakes before even getting close to the heart youll wish you packed milspec fmj.

There are plenty of tests that show a BG made of gel and several layers of denim would consistently be damaged by HST rounds... I dunno about Dolce and Gabbana or what they are made of. How about LRG, Echo, or FUBU?

Polarizing thread! Keep up the good work guys!

[JTROKS]

Thanks for the real world data point!

You’re welcome.

So not to downplay "corrosion" on an AL case in a chamber... but after 15 years you see some grey or black stuff or was it rust? If you pulled the trigger at the range do you think it wouldn't extract and load the next round? Just curious your thoughts. I think anyone who has used the AL cases are offering "real world datapoints" heheheh. Let's keep digging on this important topic. Maybe we will unearth a game changer.

This pocket pistol and the CCI rounds shown spent many hours in my pocket while I’m in the garage working on my car or something. During the hot summer months I can imagine a bit of moisture from sweat and body heat making my pocket a little humid. I’m thinking the lint that collected inside the pistol helped in keeping it dry .

I’ll try to take a video when I shoot these 13 rounds.

This pistol went to last ditch standby duty as it was replaced by my S&W 640 and BG380 as pocket handguns when I’m doing something around the house.

[crufflers]

Cool. How do you like that BG380? I have a P380 I'm fond of.

Yep, my Makarov is just one of those guns in the dial combo safe that's loaded... not really ever grabbed first or last. There are Glocks and pump shotguns around. My cases had grey marks and scratches but nothing that didn't wipe away with my finger. Knowing the Makarov, it would just blow through whatever it got fed and I'm not worried about a Blazer case rusting through and exploding. Definitely I'd check a chambered steel cased round in something like an SKS that was shot in the rain and put away loaded and dirty... but that doesn't happen. Last time I recall seeing rust on a gun was a wet shotgun sling touching the barrel for a few weeks. I know it happens when you don't take care of guns... I've seen S&W's pulled out of closets that had plenty of red stuff. Typically mine just have CLP on them and stuff that sits like Mausers will get a shot of CLP from a aerosol can with the little tube foamed at the muzzle to let it slide down the barrel to the bolt once a year or so if I feel like it. Seems to work. Real world datapoint

[teflondog]

I wouldn't trust aluminum cased ammo for SD because I don't trust anything besides Federal HST or Gold Dot. Federal 9BPLE is the only exception I'll make if I have to.

[mikeyr]

I have never had any issues with Al cases, they all went bang and never an issue with feeding. I even reloaded some once, 16 rounds (2 mags worth) just to say I did and they went bang.

In normal conditions that you should keep your gun in, I would expect no corrosion or issues with long term storage of Al cased ammo.

For SD, I would prefer better ammo, I actually think my life is worth the few extra dollars that better ammo would cost, you of course may have a different opinion of what your life is worth. Unless its a revolver, I would never trust my life to a gun in which I have not run hundreds or more of the same ammo without failure of any kind. Yeah, it gets expensive to buy 200+ defensive rounds for plinking and function testing when you first buy the gun. And then periodically (twice a year ?) shoot through another box or 2 of defensive rounds just to make sure. In my opinion, if you are not willing or financially able to do that, you are far better off going back to a revolver for SD

[JTROKS]

Cool. How do you like that BG380? I have a P380 I'm fond of.

Yep, my Makarov is just one of those guns in the dial combo safe that's loaded... not really ever grabbed first or last. There are Glocks and pump shotguns around. My cases had grey marks and scratches but nothing that didn't wipe away with my finger. Knowing the Makarov, it would just blow through whatever it got fed and I'm not worried about a Blazer case rusting through and exploding. Definitely I'd check a chambered steel cased round in something like an SKS that was shot in the rain and put away loaded and dirty... but that doesn't happen. Last time I recall seeing rust on a gun was a wet shotgun sling touching the barrel for a few weeks. I know it happens when you don't take care of guns... I've seen S&W's pulled out of closets that had plenty of red stuff. Typically mine just have CLP on them and stuff that sits like Mausers will get a shot of CLP from a aerosol can with the little tube foamed at the muzzle to let it slide down the barrel to the bolt once a year or so if I feel like it. Seems to work. Real world datapoint

[crufflers]

My S&W Bodyguard 380 has proven very reliable. With a few hundred rounds sent downrange I have not experienced any light strikes, failure to feed/fire/extract. I like the idea of having the re-strike capability of the DA only feature. The sights aren’t the best for precision work or night shooting, but will do for a pocket pistol. It does have the OEM laser. I have 3 loaded mags with the pistol. 1 in the pipe is a hollow point with 6 more in the mag that’s in the pistol. My other 2 mags are loaded with flat nose FMJ. The pistol is equipped with a safety, but I do not activate it. When I do have to pick up this pistol if I hear a strange noise around the house I just reaffirm the safety is off. Unfortunately my wife likes this pistol, so if she wakes up the BG380 is her preferred pistol. I will then use the G23 if not the 12 gauge pump.

Re-strike is pretty cool... if for nothing else, dry firing is easy. Unfortunately I only have that on an old Taurus hahah. I still don't think the old PT111 is a bad pistol. I used to carry it around the house all the time and didn't even notice it was there but I never dropped it Sig P320 style.

I stocked up on the PMC Bronze .380 for my Kahr because I like the round nosed and it was cheap. Also have the Critical Duty/Defense Flex locks.

[I Swan]

If Al ammo bothers you well just wait a while. Was reading an article in a very recent magazine about a company called something? Velocity making plastic cased rifle ammo. Their claim is that it is superior to brass in just about every way. The article did not address reloading just cost, weight and ballistics.
Can Al or steel be reloaded?

I also read about a company testing alloys of Al, brass, nickle etc, etc. The claim was that they can make a bullet case that is superior and cheaper than brass.

Shotgun shells have been made from plastics and paper; why not handgun/rifle rounds?

Any Al rimfire?

Plastic cases have been done with 38 Special I've seen, used and fired them. I can't remember if has been done in past beyond prototypes with rifle rounds. Ever notice CCI Blazer doesn't come in rifle cartridges?

I've never seen aluminum 22lr I don't know if there is a reason for that. I have seen 22lr steel case and used it. Russian Junior brand, isn't very good.