Wolf .223 Woes

[Full Clip]

Took my SU-16CA out for a spin with a couple different kinds of ammo but ended up poopping off a string of about 140 rounds of Wolf HPs toward the end. The first 120 rounds went fine, but then I started having some extraction problems, and then it just stopped working reliably, failing to extract about every third round. Time to stop shooting. Opening her up, I found a clot of carbon crud caked around the bolt head/extractor. Damn thing was choking on the stuff. I know you get what you pay for, but I have never had this problem with my SKSs and almost only feed them Wolf, often running 300 rounds during a session and never having a single extraction problem. Do I just need a better grade of .223 ammo, flat out? (I'm cheap, so I have to ask...)

[maschronic]

i had the same problem with my kel-tec and ar's. i think the lacquer melts off and gets the round stuck. i dont' run wolf for any of my guns except for sks.

[Teletiger7]

Stay away from Wolf

Wolf with the gray casing is not recommended. The lacquer actually sticks on the chamber surface and hardens, eventually your ammo wont fit into the chamber and failures will occur. The have a brass .223 that they call the wolf goldline and that stuff works OK.

[stator]

Wolf with the gray casing is not recommended. The lacquer actually sticks on the chamber surface and hardens, eventually your ammo wont fit into the chamber and failures will occur. The have a brass .223 that they call the wolf goldline and that stuff works OK.

Those cases are polymer coated, not lacquered. The greenish cases are lacquered.

[patman]

Several prior threads on the subject have suggested that due to lack of case expansion with the non brass cases may be allowing some carbon fouling in the chamber thus leading to extraction problems especially in tighter tolerance rifles.

Simple fixes have been recommended such as not mixing between brass and the non brass cased ammunition during a session, using a chamber brush, or as bwiese often says get 'chrome lined.'

I have no personal experience with the above rifles , but my lowly mini14 gets fed mostly wolf, barnaul, or silver bear with no starting problems. I shoot at the BIG gongs so accuracy does not matter

Pat.

[stator]

Yes, you had it right before. I guess the one who did the chewing desired it instead.

With regards to Wolf not expanding due being steel case, this had to be pure BS. If the case does not expand onto the chamber wall, then it would stand to reason that Wolf steel case ammo can take the PSI load without the support of the chamber. Or in other words, it would not rupture if unsupported. Does anyone really believe this is possible?

[Full Clip]

Yeah, I was using the polymer stuff. From a visual inspection, I really think the extractor was just so clogged with crud that it couldn't get a good "grab" on the shell. Is this possible?

[cornholio1]

A lot of people have extraction problems with a KelTec. I've never had problems with Wolf.

[CWM4A1]

I have heard that SU-16 extractor is not the most reliable; buy an AR-15 extractor and replace original extractor seems to improve the extraction reliability quite a bit and it's a easy fix. Since I don't own SU-16 so I can't comment on Wolf reliability, but Wolf has being pretty reliable in my AR (need 500+ rounds before gun start to act up on carbon built-up). BTW, anyone knows if SU-16 has chrome line bore/chamber? None chome-lined bore/chamber AR-15 is not recommend to use Wolf as well.

[vega]

I've never had problems with Wolf.

On a Keltec rifle?

[glockk9mm]

Will wolf be a good choice of ammo for a bolt-action?

[jumbopanda]

www.theboxotruth.com did a test on Wolf .223. What happens is the steel case doesn't expand like a brass case does, which leaves space in the chamber for the gases to blow into and deposit carbon. After a while, this will gum up your chamber and make it difficult to extract the cases. They found that shooting a few brass-cased rounds after a few dozen Wolf will help clear it up.

[cornholio1]

On a Keltec rifle?

No, an AR

[stator]

www.theboxotruth.com did a test on Wolf .223. What happens is the steel case doesn't expand like a brass case does, which leaves space in the chamber for the gases to blow into and deposit carbon. After a while, this will gum up your chamber and make it difficult to extract the cases. They found that shooting a few brass-cased rounds after a few dozen Wolf will help clear it up.

Space between the shell and the chamber would have to result in either one of two outcomes. One, a fire-formed case will emerge. Two, a ruptured case will emerge. I cannot see how Wolf steel case could withstand the PSI load and not result in either one or two. It sounds more plausible that the carbon comes from dirtier powder when the case is ejecting. I like Old_Painless and the Box'O Truth, but if he conjectured that, I would just have to shake my head.

Steel is definitely stronger than brass, but to say that it can withstand pressure without the support of the chamber wall, one then must believe that barrels are much too thick since these are made with even tougher steel alloys.