RUSSIAN=Steel Case/ Americans and NATO=Brass?

I have a partial answer. Steel is cheaper than brass. Brass is more ductile and I believe that as a result it forms a better seal. Brass also cannot rust under less than optimal storage.
 
I think the Russian steel case is primarily made for the U.S. civilian market, altough I could be wrong.

It's my impression that Russian military uses brass cased ammo as well.
 
Nah the Russian military uses steel casing too. Probably more of the world uses steel than uses brass. It is cheaper, and has some very good qualities as a casing. Has a couple problems for enthusiasts though... it can rust, and you can't reload it. The other drawback is that it wears out your breech faster than brass because it's a harder material.
 
Also the lacquer used to prevent the steel from rusting can make for some nasty rifle chambers if you don't maintain the weapon well.

A lot of Russian weaponry is designed to be mass-produced with a short-battlefield life (based on their experience in WWII). So long term problems like lacquer build-up and wearing out the breech from the harder metal are probably not major concerns for them.
 
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