Is steel case ammo bad for guns?

My Boxster

Even lower quality premium fuel will be noticed in a Porsche. I made the mistake once of filling my Boxster S with Costco premium gas.
It's the only time I ever heard that dreaded. octane knock noise from it. Did not buy fuel for the Porsche there again...Shell or Chevron only, no issues ever.
My Prius gets 3-5 MPG better mileage on Premium, consistently. My friend has the same year Prius, an he was the one that insisted I try premium. He was so adamant about it that I did as he advised.

He was right, better mileage. The newer engine electronics can indeed take advantage of the better fuel. Prius owners manual says to run regular. I suspect it's the freakin alcohol that is 10% of most cheap gas here in the NW.

Yes this is thread drift, just expounding on an incorrect analogy used earlier in the thread.
 
....Soviet designed guns are made to shoot Soviet steel case ammo. Our guns aren't. Steel will work, but its not what our guns were designed to shoot.
Click to expand...

Hogwash.
I've yet to read anything from any US gun designer EVER that indicated his design was intended for brass case ammunition only.
Click to expand...

Nor have I. Nor do I ever expect to, but I don't see where that makes any difference. I make a differentiation between "not designed to run on steel" and "brass only".

You can run a Plymouth Duster on Rifle Bore Cleaner (I saw it done) but I would seriously doubt the guys in Detroit had that in mind, nor would I expect them to publish a statement that they didn't design it to run on RBC, mostly because I don't think it would occur to them to do so.
 
Um . . .

I had a Rem model 7 chambered in 223. Shot some wolf steel out of it and one round jammed the chamber so hard it took a plastic hammer to work the bolt. Not sure what happened, but that was the end of my using steel in anything save for my Mosin.
 
Steel cased in the past was known to be battle field surplus. Cheap to make and once fired nothing of value left behind the enemy can make use of. Some such cartridges may yet today have corrosive primers. Maybe powders too.

Any steel such cartridge case has the ability to gall softer metals including softer steels. Those who want to shoot such ammo Fine and Dandy. As for me. No. I rather not. Being a home reloader I yet can pick and choose the best components for my sporting firearms use.
 
I don't shoot steel cased ammo much. I have read reports that at least some brands of steel cased ammo may have caused increased erosion of the breech face in some guns due to primer flow. Ed Brown has reportedly said as much in warning against steel-cased ammo in his pistols.
 
I took a three day class with John Farnam last summer, and most of the 556 ammo I took for my AR was steel cased. I did make it through 600 - 700 rounds with my low dollar M&P Sport AR15 without a hiccup, but John said that for some reason steel case cartridges have a tendency to break extractors in ARs. Not wanting to push my luck, I will buy brass cased ammo next time, and take along a spare extractor as well.
 
When a gun company like Springfield Armory tells me that I shouldn't shoot steel cased ammo in the firearm I've purchased from them...I listen. I don't reload steel cases so I shoot brass. Now revolvers are a different story. I'd shoot steel cased ammo all day without concern.
 
dajowi When a gun company like Springfield Armory tells me that I shouldn't shoot steel cased ammo in the firearm I've purchased from them...I listen....
Click to expand...
Where did you read that?:rolleyes:
None of the Springfield Armory Owners Manuals say anything of the sort.


http://www.springfield-armory.com/customer-service/faq/
What ammunition should I use in my Springfield firearm?
Never use reloaded, remanufactured, or handloaded ammunition. Ammunition that does not meet SAAMI, CIP or NATO standards could cause death, serious personal injury, or property damage. Only use high quality commercially manufactured ammunition in the same caliber as your pistol. (Note: Use of reloaded, remanufactured, or handloaded ammunition may void the warranty.)
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
You are absolutely correct, I see nothing in my manual that states anything about steel cased ammo. I made a verbal inquiry regarding steel cased ammo to a person I talked to at the Springfield Custom Shop. He said that I shouldn't shoot steel cased ammo in my new gun. I have no problem with this.
 
I'm not sure.....have never shot one single round of steel cased ammo.....that should tell you something.....besides, the price difference is negligible anyway, especially if you want to reload the cases....which I do.
 
The Soviets and Communist Bloc have used steel cased ammo for decades WITH NO PROBLEM. Are Commie gun designers better? After all their guns run with any ammo.
Click to expand...

The taper of the round usually found in com-bloc calibers aid in the reliable extraction of steel cased ammo quite a bit. An AK extractor is also a good bit beafier than an AR one. So it's not just the rifle... it's also the ammo design. A 7.62x39 AR will likely extract about as reliably as an AK.


At any rate, as many have said the steel jacket isn't really the issue. It's the bi-metal jacket. Even then, you will have saved enough money to pay for a rebarrel job by the time you wear out the barrel. FWIW, I choose not to shoot steel. I can reload much better ammo for much less money.
 
Damon555 I'm not sure.....have never shot one single round of steel cased ammo.....that should tell you something.....
Click to expand...
It only tells me you have zero experience with steel cased ammunition.:rolleyes:


5whiskey......At any rate, as many have said the steel jacket isn't really the issue. It's the bi-metal jacket.
Click to expand...
No, the steel case (not a jacket) DOES cause more carbon buildup in the chamber than does a brass case. This is well known issue. If you know how to clean your guns its not really that big of a deal.
 
I will keep running the steel stuff through my Saiga, thats why I bought it. I only shoot a couple hundred rounds through it a year, I don't think I will wear it out...:).
Wow, just looked at my round count and I have only thrown 280 rounds through it since I bought it NIB two years ago...thats just sad...:(.
 
5whiskey said:
The taper of the round usually found in com-bloc calibers aid in the reliable extraction of steel cased ammo quite a bit. An AK extractor is also a good bit beafier than an AR one. So it's not just the rifle... it's also the ammo design. A 7.62x39 AR will likely extract about as reliably as an AK.
Click to expand...


My 7.62x39 Windham has not failed to extract a single casing so far.
Have about 500 rds through it so far.
ALL STEEL CASE BTW.

Shoots quarter size groups at 100yds with ease as well





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
No, the steel case (not a jacket) DOES cause more carbon buildup in the chamber than does a brass case. This is well known issue. If you know how to clean your guns its not really that big of a deal
Click to expand...

I understand this and I agree with you, but this doesn't shorten the life of the rifle. At worst it could lead to reliability failures as the chamber gets dirty. As you said, proper cleaning makes it no big deal. Hence why I don't consider it a major "issue."
 
I'll run steel and lacquer cases through an SKS or Mosin, they're cheap enough that I won't be too bothered with chamber wear, if it occurs.

My main problem with steel case ammo is it's a one-shot deal. I prefer to reload brass cases and get some use out of the most expensive part of the cartridge.

Making and shipping 100 brass cases uses a lot less energy than making and shipping 1000 steel-case rounds, makes sense to me.
 
I'm no fan of steel cased rounds either. I'll stick with the few extra bucks and keep my sanity. I'm way to fussy to be using that stuff. I'm also a re loader.
I can produce a great 5.56 round for about .20 cents each at least 5 times.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top