Why not steel casings?

B

BfloBill

New member
I was just reading the thread on Tulammo and now I have to ask a question that makes me feel stupid because I should probably already know the answer.:mad:

Aside from not being able to reload steel casings, why do people either not shoot them, or only use them in revolvers?

Do they damage autos?

If so, what part do they cause the extra wear/damage to?

Or, is it just one of those things that shooters tend to dislike without any concrete reason?
 
I don't think it's so much that they do any damage, but that they might cause a higher rate of wear. If you're not reloading though, the cost savings might make it worthwhile anyway. Plenty of people do shoot steelcase in autos.
 
There are a variety of reasons why people don't shoot steel. Just to be clear I myself reload.

1. Perceived as cheap and dirty, right or wrong.
2. Perceived as being harmful to the gun, right or wrong.
3. Perceived as being corrosive, right or wrong.
4. Not suitable for hunting.
5. Not available at Wal-mart.
6. Some shooting ranges won't allow it.

I'm sure there are others but it only takes one reason really.
 
Might be tougher on the extractor unless the gun was designed for steel-case ammo. I do shoot them in my Commie pistols, but I'd rather shoot brass so I can reload 'em.
 
I agree, it's difficult to prove but in theory: brass is softer than a steel slide and the steel extractor it comes in contact with.

For dirtiness: if it is indeed more dirty the explanation often given is that steel is more difficult to deform than brass. This means that upon firing the case mouth wouldn't expand as easily as a brass case. Either it simply doesn't expand as much as a brass case or it does so more slowly - end result is more soot and carbon can blow past it and dirty up the gun.

Wear and tear aside, the one time I might use steel cases would be at a class where I wouldn't be allowed to retrieve my brass anyway.
 
Might be tougher on the extractor unless the gun was designed for steel-case ammo.
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People like to claim this to be the case, but I cannot find any direct evidence of this being a problem. You can find folks with thousands and thousands of rounds of steel cased ammo through their Glocks, 1911s, etc. with no extractor issues.

If you are worried about extractor wear, look at it this way. For every case of steel cased ammo you buy, chances are that the savings are enough to buy you a couple new extractors and recoil springs with each case.
 
Nothing makes steel cased ammo unsuitable for hunting. The case has nothing to do with the hunting, though you may have trouble finding steel cased hunting rounds.

I see online that you can get Tulammo for about $14 a box. S&B, Fiocchi, and Magtech brass-cased ammo for about $20 (Prices are approximate after shipping price). You save $120 a case for to use steel as compared to inexpensive brass ammo.

If you shoot a Glock, you could buya new Glock with the savings made after just 5 cases. Maybe it takes you 8 cases to buy a nice 1911.
 
Individual experience has some influence.

I just broke my first extractor. Ever. In my Combat Commander.

Shooting steel-cased ammuntion.

Doesn't really prove anything, of course. It could have been ready to go anyway; I was using the same ammunition in two other 1911s w/o problem.

But I think I'll quit using steel cases just the same.

Best,

Will
 
since the steel cases have to be soft enough to be formed I think you would have to shoot a lot of it to show any wear on the gun.
 
I don't believe the steel case was ever really the problem. Think it had more to do with the corrosive powders, gummy protective coatings, hard Berdan primers, and possibly a rooted animosity toward who the primary manufacturers were/are.

Food for thought...That gummy protective coating may have had a side benefit. It may have acted as a lubricant. Don't know. Just a thought.
 
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If I do not do it I have a reason, when it comes to shooting steel cases I have two....reasons.

I like the embed ability of brass, everyone lives in a sterile environment, free of dirt, grit and grime, except me, so I only shoot brass cases with nothing between the case and chamber but air, BUT! on the outside chance dirt, grit and or grim does get between the case and chamber most of it will be embedded into the brass, I like a smooth/shiny chamber with 100% contact, working cases in and out in a dirty environment dulls my chambers, Nothing works better than 100% contact.

F. Guffey
 
Not being able to reload steel casings is one of those urban myths that goes on and on and never seems to die. I have been reloading steel casings for years and have no problems. Is it the optimal and preferred casing for reloading? NO, but it is done all the time. I use steel reloads especially for my .223 when I am out at my place in West Texas where collecting casings after firing is impractical. Others use steel reloads when they shoot while over water and collection of casings is impossible. Those that think that steel casings are not reloaded might want to discuss this with the Afgans/Taliban that have been reloading steel by hand for decades from the time of occupation by the Russians up until today.
 
I may start using steel .45 acp reloads for outdoor ranges, if I can find some Boxer primed steel. Finding my empties will be a cinch, just get a magnetic "floor sweeper" to pick up my "brass".
 
Brass is a better material for cases. It will expand to seal the chamber better, is able to be sized back down when reloaded and is resistant to corrosion from the combustion process. It also causes much less wear on your dies and your extractor. Steel cannot do all of those things as well as brass.
 
Bullets have been made with steel - Norma made a laminate steel jacket with gilding metal [90 % Cu-10 % Ni] on either side.
 
It also causes much less wear on your dies and your extractor. Steel cannot do all of those things as well as brass.
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I have a buddy with about 20K or so through his Glock of Wolf ammo. That is all he shot for years. He is on the same extractor. I am not so sure about the notion of being hard on the extractor. Besides, compared to ammo, extractors are cheap.

Just point me towards the factory load you would use for handgun hunting.
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http://www.midwayusa.com/product/87...un+-+Self+Defense-_-PriceCompListing-_-878358
 
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