Beware Steel Jacketed Ammo

[ciscosixgun]

I love my steel jacketed ammo. Shoot it all the time.

[30Cal]

Do you have hardness measurements or other data?

[coehorn]

You are confusing Nickle plating for steel! Did you know that Nickle is also MAGNETIC? They make magnets out of Nickle.

[chim-chim7]

Lead, steel, copper JACKET. Unless the copper jacket was to come detached inside the barrel and expose the steel how you explain excellerated wear. I thought Wolf and Tula was bi-metal jacket, not steel jacket with a copper wash?

I like Yugo 7.62. Brass cased FMJ, and corossive. Love the stuff.

[Low-Pressure]

Why are the surplus Swiss K31's don't show much of this wear? I could swear the GP11 are steel jacketed.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

You are confusing Nickle plating for steel! Did you know that Nickle is also MAGNETIC? They make magnets out of Nickle.

There isn't any plain nickel plated ammo. There is a lot of cupronickel

Why are the surplus Swiss K31's don't show much of this wear? I could swear the GP11 are steel jacketed.

Yep, Swiss GP11 is steel jacketed. Most European surplus is steel jacketed, with either a copper or cupronickel wash or plating over the steel.

I thought Wolf and Tula was bi-metal jacket, not steel jacket with a copper wash?

The term "bi-metal jacket" was just created by ammo sellers to calm the fears of people (like the OP) who freak out when they hear the words "steel jacketed". Bi-metal jacketed projectiles are just the standard steel jacketed projectiles with a copper wash. The steel in the projectile jackets is a soft steel. It does increase barrel wear slightly over copper jacketed ammo, but not enough to freak out about like the OP has done. But some people are so in denial that their ammo is steel jacketed that they will make claims that it's the nickel that attracts a magnet or that there are flecks of iron in the copper jackets that attract the magnet and not steel. But it's really steel that is attracting the magnet.

[The War Wagon]

LOTTA surplus M855 hitting the market these days. I'd count on finding even more of it in your sweepings next year.

[bruceflinch]

Glad I only shoot my own reloads.

[morrow]

Do what you want at your range. I personally do not load steel penetrator or bi-metal bullets.
However
That is completely false. The steel penetrator is incased inside of the copper jacketed bullet. It doesn't touch the barrel at all.

[Manolito]

I am very pleased that you are seeing this trend. First off the public areas on BLM ground are seeing less lead contamination which is fine with me. The Marine Corps just finished testing non lead bullets and has a ton of scientific data on barrel life and it doesn't show a problem at all.
By reading the amount of lead recovered by shooting facilities you can see why they are concerned with this trend a big part of their profit comes from recovering brass and lead.
I would like to see your data on increased wear if you have any. I will point out there is a reason for hardened barrels and soft steel bullets. The chrome lined barrels are even more resistant to wear.
Looking forward to your data
Respectfully,
Bill

[Bill Steele]

I have shot a lot of Dynamit-Nobel (mfg by RUAG) in 9mm Luger in the past. This is steel jacketed with a thin copper coating. I never noticed any negative side effects from this ammo.