There are A LOT of misconceptions and myths about steel case ammo. Myself, I shoot it about 99% of the time in my AR-15's. WHY? It cost A LOT less than brass ammo and will do the same job, IMO. In my hand guns, about 10%. WHY? Because prices for brass ammo and steel case ammo for handguns are very close to one another.
This video is one of the better videos that explains the myths about steel case ammo. Enjoy!

Wolf Steel cased ammo- Dispelling myths (particularly in ARs) - YouTube

I will use the steel cases as well as the cheap aluminum cases,
for when I go to ranges where reloaded ammo is not accepted
or where you can't retrieve your brass from your pistols.

One reason I like a revolver or bolt action for range work.

My 9x18 Maks love steel casings...that is what they were designed for

I think there's a lot of misconceptions about steel casings. Many Western countries used them in times of need, and I don't think it destroyed the guns (extractors, etc).

I use steel with my Eastern Bloc guns (SKS, 9x18's etc), they run great, and those are about as reliable as any guns there are.

That said, I use brass in most others.

Many will know that during WWII steel cased .45 ACP and .30 Carbine cartridges were very common, and steel cased ammo continued to be used by the U. S. Military even later. The Germans also used steel cased 9mm and 8x57mm ammo. I've never heard about any problems.

My only personal observation is that when I have used WWII steel cased .45 ACP ammo in my Colt M1917, the cases tend to stick in the chambers and are difficult to extract. I've had no other problems with steel cased .45 ACP or .30 Carbine.

I forgot - Russian steel-cased .22 LR ammo. At one time, maybe 20 years ago, it was imported here, and I have fired quite a bit of it. I have one unopened brick of "Junior" (their brand name) left. It seemed to work fine, but the MV is quite low.

That's another common misconception. Soviet guns were not designed for steel casings. No one built a gun around the material of the casing. They simply used good raw materials and good milling/machining whatever the case may be. The firearms were simple but material quality was good. Same thing with the AKs. In the 50s they were stamped but in the early 50s Soviet stamping technology wasn't that good, Soviets recognized that and went back to milling untill their stamping technology caught up. The early stamped rifles worked fine for your typical civilian ownership but failed under strenuous military use so milled we're used until such a time when stamped receivers could withstand the same abuse.

There is also a common misconception in the US that the steel used in casings is much harder than that of brass when in fact it's almost on par and in some cases the brass is actually stronger/harder.

Steel Casing Myth - YouTube

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Can't be true cus people on here told me that's junk foreign ammo that will ruin my gun

No...

AK was designed with a milled receiver. To save time and money, the AKM revision went to stamped sheet metal receiver.

Ah...YEAH...The very first were stamped with milled trunions but they went to milled receivers because there were problems with welding rails and ejectors which led to a high failures.


The AKM (Modernized) with a stamped receiver finally went into service in 1959

Original stamped receiver for AK-47. -1B modified for underfolding stock. It went into production between 1947 and production ended in 1949.

The first milled receiver made from steel forging. It went into production in 1949 and production ended between 1953 and 1954. The Type 2A has a distinctive socketed metal "boot" connecting the butt stock to the receiver and the milled lightening cut on the sides runs parallel to the barrel. Final" version of the AK-47 milled receiver made from steel bar stock. It went into production between 1953 and 1954 and production ended in 1959.

receiver stamped from a smooth 1.0 mm (0.04 in) sheet of steel supported extensively by pins and rivets. It went into production in 1959. Overall, the most-used design in the construction of the AK-series rifles

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Notice now most shotgun shells have steel heads rather brass....Steel is cheaper..........A LONG time ago I reloaded WWII REM-UMC steel case 45 acp ammo because I was a lot poorer back then......Work fine in my 1911 colt...

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I use Wolf Steel Case Ammo only in the M1 Carbine and it is reliable and accurate, although stated velocity is consistently 100 fps slow. For punching holes in paper I could care less.

The one issue I do have is that after 800 - 1000 Steel rounds it beats up the Extractor and it must be replaced. Since USGI Extractors are only a few bucks and I save BIG BUCKS on the ammo I don't care! The Extractor removal tool is kind of a must to do so IMHO. Other than the Extractor issue, the 75 year old Carbine doesn't complain.

" WWII REM-UMC steel case 45 acp ammo"

Virtually all steel-cased .45 ACP (and .30 Carbine) ammunition used during WWII was made by Chrysler's Evansville (IN) Ordnance Plant, with the headstamps E C or E C S. There were some minor amounts made by Frankford Arsenal, but only on a developmental basis. If you have any of the REM-UMC steel cases left, I would like to see a picture of the headstamp. I have seen no Remington .45 ACP brass-cased military ammo from WWII marked with other than R A headstamps.

"Since USGI Extractors are only a few bucks and I save BIG BUCKS on the ammo I don't care!"
Usually more than a few bucks. The Gun Show robber parts people usually want $40-$50 for a Carbine extractor. I think Sarco sells then for around $20. You can probably find some on eBay priced in between. And while the Carbine bolt disassembly tool makes changing out the extractor simple, the job can be done without one. There is a good YouTube video which shows how it is done. But using the tool is much faster and easier. It's always a good idea to change out the bolt's extractor and ejector springs while you have the bolt apart. And those are usually only a few bucks.