Hey guys. Wut I first got into guns I bought brass cci ammo. As I used that up I next bought steel tula ammo because it was cheap. After being told steel is harder on the gun I went back to brass, Winchester white box. That's what I've been buying. I was at Wal-Mart picking up more today and was looking at Winchester and federal and they offer aluminum cased ammo. What's the deal? Is brass the best? Is steel bad for the gun? Is aluminum fine? I don't reload. I just shoot at the range and they don't have restrictions on case type. The other range I went to did, no steel.

If you don’t reload, whatever is cheapest is just fine.

Won’t hurt the gun.

I would not use steel cased ammo under any circumstances. (personal preference) Aluminum or brass is fine.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

People who reload want Brass ammo cases to reload for their next range visit. No one reloads aluminum and steel is cheap but harder on your guns. So it all comes down to cost and whether you reload.

Steel is cheap but harder on the gun. I saw a study using steel .223 ammo and eventually it had a impact on the gun functioning however by that point in time you could have bought a new gun multiples times over with the savings of $.10 per round.

I only buy brass because I reload.

I buy nothing but brass myself. I respect my guns enough to not run steel and the only aluminum cased ammo I've ever shot (CCI Blazer) was some of the absolute dirtiest stuff I've ever shot. I also reload, so if I am buying store bought ammo I want the cases for reloading also.

I reload, and I won't even pickup range cases off the floor unless they are brass.
Consider holding your own brass, even if you don't reload. That may change, and it would be great to already have 1,000 or more of once-fired brass.

My local state of the art indoor range only allows brass. I think they resale the brass. They have a sweeper and he keeps all the brass pushed down range. I'm not sure what the reloading people do .

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Carpe Diem

If the aluminum ammo is cheaper, you don't reload, and it functions fine in your gun, then go with the aluminum. If you ever think you might reload in the future, then the brass ammo is worth buying, and keeping the empties. I only use steel cased ammo in the guns designed for it - AK's, SKS's, where it seems to work fine (as long as accuracy is not the prime concern).

Larry

I agree with using aluminum case ammo if price is a concern, I personally have not had good luck with steel. FTEs like crazy

It would have been a big help if the caliber had been specified. Back in the day, I burned over one thousand rounds of 1943 steel case .45 ACP with no excessive wear issues. Yeah, the corrosive primers made cleaning a wee bit more of a chore, but I was used to that and it was dirt cheap.

I wouldn't use the stuff in any AR system, the cartridge/firearm was designed around brass cases.

The only issue with aluminum cases I'm aware of is that HK specifically noted not to use them in any of their roller locked guns and the P7 series. I''ve burned thousands of rounds of 9mm with no issues in other designs.

9mm specifically. I own a shield, a 2.0 and a walther ccp

Most steel cases are almost as soft as brass cases. You will not hurt the firearm unless you have a cheap pot metal gun

No steel for me. I like brass. Not much experience with aluminum.
You are not reloading today but it's a fun part of the sport. You might just change your mind in a few years. Buy brass and save it

Actually some do - like me. Whenever I find boxer primed aluminum cases I pick them up for a one time reload for field ammo when I may be shooting in a manner where picking up brass is not practical when shooting SA pistols.
Neither do I, or would i unless I was just slinging lead with some cheap AK but I don't have one so no steel.

One indoor range will not let you pick up your spent auto pistol cases...... so I shoot aluminum.

In my revolvers I use brass, since it can be saved. It can be sold
or reloaded at a later date.

I have never used steel cases but they do work............ just a matter
of what you think should be used in your weapons.

Hard to resist the $9.98 steel and aluminum ammo if you can find it..........
Brass at $12.98 is not too bad, either. ( 9mm )

Good luck.

If I had an AK 47 I might use steel cased ammo but then I couldn't reload them. Aluminum is fine for one firing. Just don't make it so popular that they quit making brass so I can keep reloading.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I guess I'll stick with brass. Aluminum isn't much if a difference in price at the amount I buy.

The ONLY TIME I have used Steel Cased Ammo (Wolf brand) is in a M1 carbine. I can tell you first hand the Steel is hard on the Extractor and it was not too long before it needed replacing. Since I do have the special Military issue tool to do this, it took 2 minutes and the part cost $3 Bucks so it's no big deal - but steel is harder on a gun - no doubt about it!

I would NOT shoot steel in any of my guns anymore as I have seen the difference. Aside from which, Brass can be reloaded and for the most part I do reload my cases. Any ammo I buy because I don't reload I buy in Brass versions - but that's not much.

If they work in your gun they're fine. Steel isn't all that much harder on your gun. It doesn't expand as well as brass and can get fouling in between the case and the chamber making a slightly harder extraction. You're not going to notice it. The gun doesn't slow down or anything but technically there is more resistance. The steel itself is very soft, often softer than brass. There's a lot of rumors and half truths on the internet about it. I've been shooting for 20 years and have had two or three issues all related to hard primers. The biggest negative about it is that many ranges don't allow it. Otherwise I stock everything and shoot everything

I shoot it in every I own that's chambered for a caliber made with steel case. I've shot it in 1911s, HiPowers, Lugers, 120 year old Enfield, ARs, you name it. A lot of people get hung up on how dirty it shoots and it's true the stuff is dirty but I don't shoot for sale of cleanliness, the "dirt" wipes off in 2 seconds.

Typically damage, if any, done is offset by the savings. Right now I can buy brass 223 for $306 shipped or steel at $220 shipped. With 2 cases of ammo you've already saved enough to buy a good new barrel. For 9mm brass the cheapest is $189 shipped and steel is $166 shipped. Not as big a difference, which is why I buy both. You get $23 in savings. Most parts on a handgun are only a few dollars....for the avg handgun. A barrel is around $150 but by the time you shoot that barrel out you would have saved enough for several

I shoot Glocks more than anything and have successfully shot all three in them. As a rule though I stick to brass as I reload. Have shot aluminum in my 1911s and they’ve digested it fine I just spend a few more bucks and spring for the brass.

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Some Might Say.

I've shot several thousand of the Winchester USA Forged steel and never a problem. No wear on the extractor or any other parts. My only dislike is the dry lube that they use on the cases, as it does get your hands nasty.

I have also reloaded just as many and never a problem. I've reloaded them up to 5 times before pitching them. They will rust if you're not careful, though. I've reloaded the Al Federal cases, but I only load them once before I pitch them.

All of this is in 9mm and with a GLOCK 34 and 17L.

Forgot to mention that I did have a problem loading steel cases into my Sig 220 mags. It would only load 4. Still worked fine in the gun though

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I won't buy steel, and aluminum is only 2 or 3 cents cheaper than brass. Even if you don't reload you can usually sell your once fired brass for more than enough to make up the cost difference. This is true for 9mm but is even more applicable to other calibers...

i only use brass as it seems any of the indoor ranges I've frequented allow only that casing. And as i get my ammo on good enough sales i dont worry about looking for anything else.

So just noting on the range part; I'd suggest to verify other ammo types can be used before purchasing it (if that is a concern)

My experience- 9x19 and .45 acp, I shoot brass. I've shot aluminum, but it seemed to be inconsistent and weak loads.

9x18 I shoot a lot of steel (Russian) cased. Maybe it's because it was the rd they used, but I find it tends to shoot quite well, no difference between that and the occasional brass I've shot through it.

I think the QA and loading is more important than the case, and I think the Russians don't put out good quality 9mm or .45.