I have read a lot of the discussions on the pros and cons of steel vs brass cased ammo, but have not seen anything regarding the ammo with Aluminum cases. Blazer, for one company, is making aluminum cased 9mm ammo. I recently purchased a quantity of ammo for my M & P, Shield 9mm and meant to buy brass, which I did in 3 out of the 6 boxes I bought, but I ended up with 3 boxes of the aluminum cased ammo. Gander won't take it back - says there are Fed regs that prohibit it. OK, so then any feedback on the pros and cons of this stuff ( since I'm stuck with 150 rounds of it) ? ?

Shoot it, it is fine ammo

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Old paratrooper in NC

Have no worries, you should have no problems with aluminum cased ammo unless your pistol(s) are picky about what they will function with.

CCI has constantly been improving their Blazer ammo since its inception. I've literally gone through over 5K+ just in 9mm alone and I'm really not that active of a shooter anymore. (I still have 4K in 9mm). I've used CCI's Blazer in .25, .380, 9mm, .38/.357 and 44Mag before and no problems except a handful of dud primers, but that's to be expected in cheap range ammo.

I've had no problems with it, but I'd be concerned shooting it in older Glocks. I have read claims they can bulge brass due to the cases not being fully supported in the feed ramp area - so I'd be really leery of shooting aluminum cases in them.

But then again, there are those who dispute that the issue even exists, and I don't own Glocks so I can't say one way or the other from personal experience. So YMMV.

Shoot it often. Shoot it in Glocks and in S&W and in revolvers and in Sigs and HK No problems.

Those are only regarding older 40s&w Glocks and while it's not a rumor it is extremely overblown. It's happened but has nothing to do with any specific material of the case and never in any consistency. It's one of those things that happened here and there ....basically a few lemons

So I've literally shot 1000's upon 1000's of rounds of 9mm in aluminum cased over the years, with absolutely zero issues.

Well guess what (as I posted last night in another thread).
I go to the range yesterday with my Glock 22 (gen 2), and I'm shooting Federal aluminum cased 40sw.
In 150 rounds I had 5 failure to extracts (between both mags).

Does it worry me about a kaboom or anything? Not yet, but it does bum me out about reliability in my glock, at the range with alum cased ammo.

As others have said, no problems. I have fired many thousand rounds of aluminum in my Sigs, Smiths, BHP's and Glock. I don't think you will have any problems at all.

It's fine ammo, only con is if you reload you are out of luck!

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Stay safe people!

The only problem with Aluminum cases is that they are NOT re-loadable. Other than that they seem to work just as good.

As I always say, if you are serious about shooting and are in it for the long haul, get yourself a descent reloading outfit. Pay the extra money for Brass cartridges and keep reloading them. I do not know ANY shooters who shoot with any regular frequency and don't reload now-days.

If you are a casual, once a month shooter and fire 100 rounds of 9mm or 45 acp then yes the Aluminum will save you a few bucks and be fine to shoot. USE BRASS for self defense.

Thanks for all the input ! Hope everyone has a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year ! and.....God Bless the US of A !

I shoot Blazer aluminum cased ammo when at the range, where I cannot pick up my brass, because it's cheaper than the brass casings. I have experienced no difference in performance between the two.

Shooters generally refer to CCI Blazer ammunition as practice or range ammunition, I notice that CCI Blazer 357 Magnum 158-grain JHP ammunition, for example, is available. While I have never shot any Blazer ammunition except for CCI 45 Colt shotshells (on birds nesting in my eaves where it proved useless yet loud), on paper this 357 ammunition appears to be intended for self-defense or hunting. And if Blazer quality is consistently high quality, why is it not used for such and publicized on the forum?

I've fired and chronographed a fair amount of .380 and 9mm
Blazer ammo over the years and velocities are as high or
higher than brass cased ammo usually. I believe this is
because there is less back thrust from the light aluminum
case compared to brass so it is necessary to keep velocity
up or malfunctions will occur. Even so there are some autos
that will tend to stovepipe with Blazer ammo. But those
who have chronographed magnum revolver rounds report that
velocities are somewhat lower than brass case ammo. The
quality of blazer ammo has improved over the years and I
had a few early rounds of 9mm drop the primer out of the
case and down into my gun. Not what you want in a SD
situation and there's probably some of the old stuff sitting
in people's homes. I haven't had any problems with recent
lots of 9mm but I still like to put a tiny bit of green loctite
on the primers before I shoot it.

I've had good performance w/no issues from several boxes of Blazer Al-cased 9mm Largo. The only issue I had was from their .357 JHP in a Rossi Puma carbine. They would regularly separate at the head, leaving a "chamber sleeve" behind. Out of 50, about a dozen came apart in the Rossi, but all worked fine in my M13. Likely a headspace issue.

Larry

Blazer ammo has been out for a long time now and it seems like I
remember that early on CCI advised against using .357 mag Blazer in
lever action rifles but I'm depending on my old memory so I'm not sure.
There's probably nothing wrong with your rifle. People always assume
that a rifle is stronger than a revolver and will handle more pressure.
Probably true in many cases but lever actions have bolts that lock at
the rear and do spring slightly upon firing which tends to stretch
cases a little bit. Brass is quite malleable and will bulge and stretch
some without cracking. But aluminum is much more brittle and will
crack rather than stretch and I think that's probably why Blazer ammo
in magnum calibers is held to modest ballistics.

If you don't reload..............

Aluminum is a great way to keep the price of factory ammo as
low as you can go with jacketed bullets.
It is one way the companies try to help shooters out that are on a tight budget, that need target ammo.

If it works ............... use it.

Blazer .25 ACP Al-cased ammo is the ONLY brand I have tried which gives me 100% functional reliability. And the MV is also a little higher than other brands with the 50 grain FMJ bullet. I wouldn't use anything else.

Just put 100 rounds through my SD40VE with no problems at all. This was the first time I had purchased Blazer aluminum and will definitely buy it again.

I have used various calibers of Blazer aluminum cased ammo for many years and actually prefer it in places that I can't pick up my brass. It has always worked in every gun I have used it in and is usually pretty accurate. I have never tried the Federal aluminum though.

Just picked up 9 boxes of 9s from Wal-Mart for less than $10 a box.

Couldn't resist...

ran 150 through my 9c today and one FTF, so I'm pleased.

I was at Walmart today and they had Federal 9 mm in alum. For 9.95 and brass Federal for 12.97 so I bought the brass because I wanted the brass cases. But at one of the ranges I fire at maybe should have got the cheaper stuff. I could lay down a tarp because the grass is high.

I've picked up boxer primed Blazer aluminum 45 ACP cases and reloaded them. Their only problem was short case life.

They had none of the sticking problems one encounters with steel cases.

I put 100 rounds of 9mm and 100 rounds of .40 S&W through my SD9VE and SD40VE respectively yesterday and had no issues with Independence Aluminum. Decent stuff and not overly dirty either.

I have shot several hundred rounds of the Walmart bought aluminum cases in 9mm through my XDs 3.3 without a problem of any kind. Shot magazines, 7 and 9 capacity, full of mixed aluminum and brass cases again without a problem*.
Have read on the net that some ranges do not allow aluminum cases, presumably as they keep the brass for reloading, but no personal experience with this.

*Maybe jinxing myself or inviting Mr. Murphy to visit, but only use the aluminum cases for range use as the bullets are some version of fmj. 😕

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Wherever my mind isn't
Jim

My baby is a new M&P CORE Ported 9mm 4.25"

I started using 9mm brass ammo from Walmart and just fine, then I noticed the 9mm Aluminum ammo at $9.97 per box so I started shooting that and it seems almost the same, the only difference is that the Pistol does get dirtier, that I did notice right away, but other than than it shoots just the same. It must be the black powder.

I will continue using Aluminum casing for the price (I found a couple of local Ranges in Miami that don't like the use of Aluminum casing)

I am in the No issue with the Aluminum Blazer Ammo ! I have burned about 1k rounds of it in my Ruger SR9E and my Shield ! The bad part is if you reload you can not reload it! So burn it up

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9mm Shield

Blazer ammo is just fine to shoot, by using aluminum the cost is somewhat lower, the only downside is the aluminum cases are not well adapted to reloading. I did reload a few, once , but it wasn't that successful . Aluminum is not as ductile as brass , when reloaded it cracks and doesn't have proper neck tension like brass cases do.
Gary

I haven't shot any aluminum Blazers since the 80's, but it was always fine then.
In the past year or two, I've shot quite a few boxes of the Federal aluminum from Walmart, in both 9mm and 45acp, and it's functioned 100% in numerous pistols between me and a few freinds guns (Walthers, Glocks, CZ, Sig, Springfield 1911, 3rd gen Smiths and Shield, Canik, etc. )
I check threads on the stuff whenever I run across one, on several forums, and I just about haven't heard a bad word about it.

The only issue I have with aluminum cased ammo is You should not reload it.

Groo here
If your gun feeds the Blazer, it would make a good backpack/
bailout ammo.
It is SO much lighter and you usually don't carry reloading gear.

Fired lots of it, mostly 9 mm. In S&Ws, Colts, Ruger, Browning, Lugers
ect. Never had a hic- up. Can say anything about it in the plastic ware.

The consensus appears to be no issues with functional reliability of Blazer ammunition regardless of cartridge. My impression is that the replies all pertain to using the ammunition for practice and/or at the range.

Has anyone used any Blazer ammunition for hunting or "duty" or as everyday carry ammunition? I am particularly interested in Blazer's 357 Magnum version of Buffalo Bore's heavy +P "FBI Load."

I refer to Blazer's 158-grain JHP as similar to Buffalo Bore's because Blazer's .357 Magnum cartridge is catalogued as having ballistics nearly identical with Buffalo Bore's heavy +P .38 Special - that is, a mid-range 357 at about 1100-1150 fps, probably from a test barrel. Test barrel muzzle velocities usually drop in the real world, where I expect the 1100-1150 to become 1000-1075 fps.

One important unknown is whether the 158-grain JHP expands comparably with either the Remington/Winchester/Federal "FBI Load" or Buffalo Bore's enhanced version.

If expansion and penetration are favorably comparable with Buffalo Bore's, Blazer's killer advantage enters the discussion. Buffalo Bore's ammunition is priced well over $1.00 per cartridge. Blazer's 158-grain JHP 357 Magnum ammunition is, I believe, less than 1/3 that price.

My local gun range is isolated for the winter. The road is a skiing/snow mobile trail. The $290.00 ticket I received three years ago for talking with my friend instead of noticing the CLOSED ROAD sign sort've delays my testing the Blazer ammunition for several months.

Blazer .25 ACP Al-case ammo is the only brand that gives complete functional reliability in my pistol.

Shoot it, don't try to reload it, and you will be fine.

The problem I have is not with the aluminum case but rather:

I hope they charged you differently for the aluminum versus the brass. My experience is that they sell the aluminum a little cheaper than the brass. Probably not worth the drive to get a refund, and it's probably too late, but one might have been in order.

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18-4, 15-4