Steel Cased Ammo

[glockfu]

I hear that you shouldn't fire steel cased ammo in ar15's although I'm not 100% sure why. All I heard was that you don't want steel on steel (the casing and the chamber of your gun) so you want a softer metal like brass.

Does the same hold true for handguns? How about a mini 14?

[ghost]

i shoot steel case wolf 62gr .223 in my oll ar all the time with no problems,it just gets a good cleaning when i get home.

[AaronHorrocks]

Steel Casings are tougher on your gun than brass casings. (namely the chamber)... If you shoot alot, and if you value your firearm and want it to last, you will only shoot brass out of it.

Steel is cheaper than brass, so lots of cheap ammo out there is steelcased.

[CHS]

The steel used in steel ammo casings is the cheapest, softest steal available to the manufacturers. It's WAAAY softer than the hard CHROME that your chamber is lined with.

There are no reasons to avoid steel due to MATERIALS involved.

Steel does present one unique "problem" when firing in any gun; the fact that it doesn't expand to fill the chamber as readily and easily and fully as brass does. What this does is allow gases to pass back into the chamber and action of your gun, leading to dirtier chambers and actions.

Do you clean your guns when you get back from the range? Then this won't ever be a problem for you.

Are you really lazy about cleaning? Then you should probably stick with brass.

Also, if you shoot a lot of mixed ammo at a time, shoot all of your brass first, BEFORE shooting steel, otherwise you can have stuck-case issues when switching from steel to brass.

Steel-casings will never damage your gun, contrary to what some misinformed people believe, but shooting it will be dirtier.

And remember, your AR chamber isn't steel, it's got a hard chrome lining.

[CHS]

Steel Casings are tougher on you gun than brass casings. (namely the chamber)... If you shoot alot, and if you value your firearm and want it to last, you will only shoot brass out of it.

Please back this up.

When talking about the AR specifically, you have a chromed chamber. Chrome is way harder than steel. The steels involved with firearms are also much stronger and harder than any steels involved with ammunition. Steel-cased ammunition uses the cheapest and softest steels available. Gun barrels are made from very high grade steels that are hardened for use.

Also, how can a steel cartridge casing that has trouble expanding fully in a guns chamber, be harder on the chamber than a brass cartridge, which does expand fully to seat in the chamber?

Urban Legend. All of it.

[AaronHorrocks]

So what if a chrome chamber is harder than a steel casing? Just because its harder, it doesn't mean that it's not being worn down. The harder and tougher the casings you use, the faster the chamber will wear.

The super-duper diamond tipped sawblades that are used on table saws are much tougher and harder than the materials they cut, but they still have to be replaced.

Engineering. All of it.

[1lostinspace]

I only shoot my reloads through my AR's the Saigas eat what ever is on the table.

[vwynn]

stay away from steel... if you have any please send them to me. jk.

How is the steel case harder on the chamber? It doesnt expand like softer brass so it doesnt have a way of scratching the chamber... if anything it gets the chamber dirtier n thats pretty much it..

[97F1504RAD]

The steel used in steel ammo casings is the cheapest, softest steal available to the manufacturers. It's WAAAY softer than the hard CHROME that your chamber is lined with.

There are no reasons to avoid steel due to MATERIALS involved.

Steel does present one unique "problem" when firing in any gun; the fact that it doesn't expand to fill the chamber as readily and easily and fully as brass does. What this does is allow gases to pass back into the chamber and action of your gun, leading to dirtier chambers and actions.

Do you clean your guns when you get back from the range? Then this won't ever be a problem for you.

Are you really lazy about cleaning? Then you should probably stick with brass.

Also, if you shoot a lot of mixed ammo at a time, shoot all of your brass first, BEFORE shooting steel, otherwise you can have stuck-case issues when switching from steel to brass.

Steel-casings will never damage your gun, contrary to what some misinformed people believe, but shooting it will be dirtier.

And remember, your AR chamber isn't steel, it's got a hard chrome lining.

Exactly.

I have been using steel cased WOLF for years and have never had any issue's at all.

Just remember not to shoot steel cased ammo and then go to the brass ammo without first cleaning the Gun. Very simple deal to prevent any issues.

[1lostinspace]

What I have heard is that steel cases dont expand like brass so you get a carbon deposit in the chamber, also is hard on the extractor been steel on steel, and that the Russian copper jackets are not pure copper and have steel mixed in so when you take a magnet to them it sticks. If that is true then you would not want to shoot that through your rifle it would wear the barrel out been steel on steel.

But like I said this what I have heard and not fact.
I have took a magnet to them and Wolf bullets stick. I have also cut them in half and there is no steel rob like in M855


If I were you I would not but cheap ammo through my AR, get a Saiga for that they eat anything, hell you can stick a rock in them and they will shoot it out.

[CHS]

If that is true then you would not want to shoot that through your rifle it would wear the barrel out been steel on steel.

If it's an AR then it is steel on hard chrome. Not steel on steel.

Steel bullets/jackets are a different story than steel casings. But the OP was asking about steel casings.

[1lostinspace]

If it's an AR then it is steel on hard chrome. Not steel on steel.

Steel bullets/jackets are a different story than steel casings. But the OP was asking about steel casings.

What if the barrel is not chromed? And again I said that most russian ammo sticks to a magnet because the copper is not pure and has steel in it, there for its steel on steel
Either way I stay away from steel cased Russian ammo. I shoot it only out of my Saiga.

[Jon Se]

Most of Wolf's ammo is what they call 'bi-metal' and will attract a magnet, however they do sell a copper jacketed variant (gold box) for more $$ also with a steel case.
My SLR-95 has shot over 3.5k rounds of steel cased / bi-metal ammo without any noticeable degradation in accuracy or function.

[1lostinspace]

Most of Wolf's ammo is what they call 'bi-metal' and will attract a magnet, however they do sell a copper jacketed variant (gold box) for more $$ also with a steel case.
My SLR-95 has shot over 3.5k rounds of steel cased / bi-metal ammo without any noticeable degradation in accuracy or function.

what kind of accuracy are you talking about? With my reloads I can group .76" 5 shots at 200 yards. With wolf I would get about a 6" group.
Unless you are shooting match grade ammo you would not notice accuracy diminish.

[IceMan711]

I don't think "bi-metal" means they mix the copper jackets with steel. The bullets have an inner steel jacket, and an outer copper jacket that is bonded to the steel - not mixed. The barrel never comes in contact with the steel inner jacket.

I have heard that the outer gliding metal in some bullets is a copper / tin alloy, and a slight increase in hardness can really reduce copper fouling to your barrel.

I actually shoot Hornday TAP practice ammo exclusively now. Definitely the best plinking ammo I have ever used, and it is lacquer coated steel case. I have been increasingly impressed with how accurate and reliable functioning this stuff is.