All I have ever used in my M&P15 was PMC Brass Ammo...
What would be the downside to using Steel Cased Ammo?
Does it do damage that brass doesn't do? Thanks

you save money.


If you do, stick to the non-lacquered stuff (polymer coated) I have seen 1 (one) lacquered steel round stick in an AR chamber, and have to be beat out with a cleaning rod.... only that once, and he was not firing fast.... just a little too much stuff on that one i suppose. They are also a bit rougher on extractors, but those are cheap and easy to replace..... stuff a spare up in the pistol grip and you are GTG.

I shoot almost exclusively steel in 223/5.56.... its just too cheap to pass up, but I only average 2-3K rounds per year tops of it.. haven't had a problem yet...

There are more differences than saving money. Today there are different types of steel case ammo. There is American manufacturer steel case copper jacketed projectile ammo (Hornady). There is Russian manufacturer steel case, bi-metal jacketed ammo.

In terms of only the cases (no other part of the cartridge), it's not that big of a deal. The steel case is not as elastic as a brass case and may not create the same seal as brass when the propellant ignites, increasing fouling. Some steel cases are polymer coated, some are lacquer coated. After shooting steel case ammo, give your chamber a good scrub with a chamber brush. Steel is harder than brass, so your extractor will wear quicker.

More important than the case is the projectile. Bi-jacketed projectiles have a mild steel jacket that is copper washed. Mild steel is harder than copper. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to conclude what effect that has on the barrel service life. If you exclusively shoot bi-metal jacketed ammo, cut your barrel service life in half. Is this a big deal? IMO, not really. The money saved in ammunition cost by shooting Russian manufacture steel case bi-jacketed ammo will generally cover the cost of a new barrel.

All you ever wanted to know about Brass case FMJ vs Steel case bi-metal.

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/bras...el-cased-ammo/

IMO, the LuckyGunner link should be a sticky. The Brass v.s. Steel question is one that all new AR-15 enthusiasts eventually ask.

Another F.Y.I. for brand new AR-15 enthusiasts. Many parts on your beloved AR-15 are wear items. They have a service life. They are meant to be replaced. The most straightforward example is the barrel. The average service life of an AR-15 barrel chambered in 5.56 NATO, firing copper jacketed ammo, is around 10,000 rounds. Keep in mind the cost of maintenance over time and round count so you will not get caught off guard. Say you've hit the 10K round count and your rifle starts to evidence a marked degradation in precision and accuracy. Time to replace the barrel right? Well you don't just replace the barrel. After 10K rounds the bolt lugs are worn. It's pointless to install a new barrel with a very used bolt. It's time to replace the barrel & bolt.

Some AR-15 enthusiasts will never fire 10,000 rounds in their lifetime. Some shoot 10,000 rounds a year. Some (like me) average 3,000 rounds per year.

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-John

I've also read that steel cased ammo is hard on extractors. It won't necessarily break them but wear and tear is accelerated.


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I sometimes buy both steel jacket and brass. I went to Walmart today and bought the remaining three 50 round boxes of Perfecta (brass) .223 and then to Midsouth Shooters and bought 10 20 round boxes of TulAmmo (steel). I buy the cheapest of whichever (or a mix of both) I can find. I really don't feel comfortable only buying the TulAmmo because of the damn magnet test some ranges perform. So far I've only bought their TulAmmo so they don't test it but I've heard some won't let you use the same exact ammo if you bring it from outside just because it fails the test due to the steel case. And, of course, the range ammo is much more expensive.

One more reason I'm glad the range I go to is a 30 second walk from my front door.

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Bob | KM4DEO
Sport | Glock 22

Yes. Maybe...

Worst case, if a case gets stuck in the chamber, that steel rim could rip your extractor off. Best case you'll be beating it out with cleaning rod as mentioned above.

Some indoor ranges won't allow it. One of the indoor rifle ranges here locally doesn't allow steel case ammo. Check your local range before you buy a bunch of it; if you shoot outdoor rifle, then it's not a problem.

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M&P's and K Frames Pleeze!

The biggest negative I am personally aware of is "I Reload".

Interesting, a website I frequent is down on polymer and love is abound for lacquer. Albeit it is 7.62x39 heavy. I only buy AK ammo and have a mix but no experience on which is best. Good luck!

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Webfarmer

The lacquer is better for its intended purpose (protection of the steel case) than the polymer, but the 7.62X39 (Designed as heavily lacquered military ammo) has a significantly more tapered case than the 5.56/223.... this is not by accident, that taper helps prevent sticky extraction....

This is the problem we have with mixing a round designed around a quality brass case, with technology used to get around the high price of brass.... Hence, Lacquer is good for AK/SKS/Mosin Nagant/etc chambers, but very poor for AR chambers (which are typically specd a bit tighter also).

Polymer is a workaround to be able to sell cheap steel 5.56 that won't rust through in a year of sitting, but will still function in an american AR chamber......

I use lacquer exclusively for my com bloc toys, and still have some lacquer 223 from way back that the H&Ks love..... I have used both in my AR's, with never any problems, but have seen 1 (one) lacquered case stuck....

I agree with you on the tapered cartridge being helpful in preventing stuck cases. I shot approximately 5,000 rounds of Academy Monarch brand lacquered steel cased 5.45x39 ammo through a Smith & Wesson MP-15R before I noticed the accuracy significantly degradged and the rounds started keyholing. I never experienced a stuck case or a failure to extract during that time.

Really the only stuck case I have personally experienced was a stuck brass case in a 5.56/.223 AR 15, after shooting about 60 to 100 rounds of polymer steel cased rounds and then following up with some brass cased ammo (no cleaning of the chamber in between). So no lacquer to blame. I believe it was just soot and grime from the steel cased cartridges as they don't expand as readily as brass and the don't seal the chamber as well as brass cased ammo.