Is steel case ammo bad for guns?
- Thread starter leolb1
- Start date
steel cased ammunition
I only shoot steel cased ammo out of my sks, Tokarev pistol, Makarov pistol, and my Mosin NaGant M44
the bi-metal bullet is my main concern, but most combloc guns have a chrome lined bore, except the Mosin Nagant rifle.
I just hope the bi metal jackets dont wear my barrels prematurely.
I only shoot steel cased ammo out of my sks, Tokarev pistol, Makarov pistol, and my Mosin NaGant M44
the bi-metal bullet is my main concern, but most combloc guns have a chrome lined bore, except the Mosin Nagant rifle.
I just hope the bi metal jackets dont wear my barrels prematurely.
FrankenMauser
New member
Is steel-cased ammo bad?
That's up for debate (as is going on here), but I really don't think it's "bad".
In my own firearms, though...
I haven't fired a round of steel-cased ammunition in about nine years.
I don't like it. It causes more malfunctions and has more case failures than brass-cased ammo (in my experience). And it isn't reloadable.
Why waste my time, if I don't like it?
There's an old saying, something like:
"He who buys steel is cheap and likes to deal. But he who buys brass is not one to smell his own ..."
I may have made that last part up.
That's up for debate (as is going on here), but I really don't think it's "bad".
In my own firearms, though...
I haven't fired a round of steel-cased ammunition in about nine years.
I don't like it. It causes more malfunctions and has more case failures than brass-cased ammo (in my experience). And it isn't reloadable.
Why waste my time, if I don't like it?
There's an old saying, something like:
"He who buys steel is cheap and likes to deal. But he who buys brass is not one to smell his own ..."
I may have made that last part up.
cc-hangfire
New member
Three sure-fire subjects to get gun folks excited:
1. 9mm vs. .45acp
2. keeping a firearm in a vehicle
3. brass vs. steel case
It's always entertaining to read! Opinions are like elbows - everybody has a couple.
IMHO: Some firearms are expensive, rare, or both. Treat them with care & shoot high quality brass cased ammo.
The rest of them are tools, either for serious use (defense, etc) or recreation (hunting, competition, etc). Use them, wear parts out, repair & replace those parts & move on. Shoot whatever is safe, and whatever is appropriate for your purpose and your budget.
There is no one right answer that fits all situations.
1. 9mm vs. .45acp
2. keeping a firearm in a vehicle
3. brass vs. steel case
It's always entertaining to read! Opinions are like elbows - everybody has a couple.
IMHO: Some firearms are expensive, rare, or both. Treat them with care & shoot high quality brass cased ammo.
The rest of them are tools, either for serious use (defense, etc) or recreation (hunting, competition, etc). Use them, wear parts out, repair & replace those parts & move on. Shoot whatever is safe, and whatever is appropriate for your purpose and your budget.
There is no one right answer that fits all situations.
Double Naught Spy
New member
Back in the olden days around 2002 when I was shooting 1000-1500 rounds a month with a group of guys during weekly shooting sessions, this issue came up - the horrors of using steel cased ammo in pistols.
So one guy said he would test the steel cased ammo in his gun. He used nasty, stinky lacquered Wolf ammo. It stank. He got some red lacquer build-up around the extractor that would sometimes cause him a problem if he didn't clean his gun after 2 or 3 range sessions.
Did it ruin his gun? Well, no. In fact, after about nine months, he bought a brand new gun with the savings. So he then had a range gun to continue "abusing" with steel cased ammo and a brand new version to serve has his carry gun. He did give up on the Wolf a few months later and went into reloading.
While I could not deal with the smell of Wolf myself, but I switched over to Blazer (aluminum) after that and also saved at LOT over brassed ammo. I wore out the rifling on two barrels with Blazer, not the chambers, but the rifling from high round counts.
So one guy said he would test the steel cased ammo in his gun. He used nasty, stinky lacquered Wolf ammo. It stank. He got some red lacquer build-up around the extractor that would sometimes cause him a problem if he didn't clean his gun after 2 or 3 range sessions.
Did it ruin his gun? Well, no. In fact, after about nine months, he bought a brand new gun with the savings. So he then had a range gun to continue "abusing" with steel cased ammo and a brand new version to serve has his carry gun. He did give up on the Wolf a few months later and went into reloading.
While I could not deal with the smell of Wolf myself, but I switched over to Blazer (aluminum) after that and also saved at LOT over brassed ammo. I wore out the rifling on two barrels with Blazer, not the chambers, but the rifling from high round counts.