Elder Shooter
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I'll let you others shoot it. Not worth the trouble of debating its merits.
Aluminum Case Ammo
- Thread starter jimmyj
- Start date
Pros: Usually a bit cheaper; good practice ammo and you don't have to bother picking up the cases.
Cons: Limited bullet types; mainly FMJ.
I actually like the CCI aluminum case 95 grain .380 ACP and it works flawlessly in the Glock 42 or the CZ-83. I would even trust it as carry ammo, since hollow points don't work well in this caliber anyway.
Cons: Limited bullet types; mainly FMJ.
I actually like the CCI aluminum case 95 grain .380 ACP and it works flawlessly in the Glock 42 or the CZ-83. I would even trust it as carry ammo, since hollow points don't work well in this caliber anyway.
Lt.Donn
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I believe the main motivation was during a spike in brass prices years ago...I even remember during the first great ammo shortage many years ago, vendors were selling special reloading set ups for steel cases...for those members here younger than 40...the first ammo scare was a real hassle for the industry and even more for civilian shooters...there was quite literally not a box of Anything for sale Anywhere...those of us fortunate enough to have a supply stored up weathered the crisis well...the rest vowed to never be caught short again...that remains sound wisdom today
That's an extremely simplistic approach, IMO.
There's a big difference between "harming" an extractor & "stressing" one. The difference is steel cases have no give in them, brass has some slight give to it. I've seen extractors come in a shop for repair when broken, no steel cases involved.
So to save pennies per box, I'm gonna risk having to buy a new extractor? Maybe pay a gun smith to fit & install it? That's a big huge "nope" from me. If I can't afford the brass price, I'll not be shooting until I can.
YMMV.
larry8
Member
If they make the cartridge with a cheaper aluminum case they are going to reduce the cartridge cost. So one has to think what else are they cheapening up??? The powder??? the primers?? They are going for the cheapest cartridge they can make and sell for the cheapest price.
Jay Dee
Member
My Smith & Wesson 39-2 doesn't like CCI aluminum cases. I may have to check the extractor and possibly replace the extractor spring. My CZ P-09 goes through them like a teenager with a bag of potato chips. Both guns just love Winchester's USA Forged ammunition.
This may be a bit controversial but CCI aluminum cases and Winchester USA Forged cases are reloadable.
I've reloaded the CCI cases up to 5 times. Mostly I load a moderate pressure practice round. I haven't tried max loads yet. The DOD tried aluminum cases in the 1950s. The big issue was age hardening. The case necks would split after a few years of storage. This particular example has been sitting on my desk for three years now. Give it another 5 years. They may have solved the issue.
The USA Forged cases easily reload using standard primers. This particular example is on it's fourth round. I'm a little concerned about the dry phosphate coating wearing out my tungsten carbide sizing die but dies are replaceable. Again, I haven't tried max loads in these cases yet.
This may be a bit controversial but CCI aluminum cases and Winchester USA Forged cases are reloadable.
I've reloaded the CCI cases up to 5 times. Mostly I load a moderate pressure practice round. I haven't tried max loads yet. The DOD tried aluminum cases in the 1950s. The big issue was age hardening. The case necks would split after a few years of storage. This particular example has been sitting on my desk for three years now. Give it another 5 years. They may have solved the issue.
The USA Forged cases easily reload using standard primers. This particular example is on it's fourth round. I'm a little concerned about the dry phosphate coating wearing out my tungsten carbide sizing die but dies are replaceable. Again, I haven't tried max loads in these cases yet.
shil
Member
I've never tried any aluminum-cased ammo. Steel cases? My SKS handled them well but that rifle, I believe, was INTENDED for the use of steel-cased ammo. Isn't that all the Russians used? I also tried some Wolf through my Hi Power just to see if it would work. One box. It worked but, man, what dirty ammo! No more. The SKS still gets steel; everything else gets brass. I do reload, but I shoot 9mm infrequently enough that reloading it, to me, isn't worth the bother. .45ACP is a different story.
max503
Member
Would it help to put a thin coating of Never-Seize on the inside of the chamber? (Asking for a friend.)
OK, OK, OK. From decades of shooting these.
Nothing wrong with aluminum or steel cases, every type will get dirty, collect a tarnish and eventually get tight in a chamber. Then slow down the action, put stress on the extractor and start causing jams. Just like rimfire, some causes issues sooner than others.
The #1 problem of ammo extraction and jams, is a rough or not so good chamber. 100% the fault of the owner. I use Flex Hones on every chamber and never have a problem with aluminum or steel cases, if you have a mirror shine on your chamber and touch it up ever 500 rounds or so, and keep your gun lubricated, you will never have a problem. If you do not, you will blame the ammo.
I have shot tens of thousands and thousands of aluminum and steel cases, and the problems all went away when I learned about shiny chambers and proper lube, and that is what I have taught in my CCW classes since 1996.
I have been reloading steel Wolf and Tullamo 45 acp cases since 2011, they last longer that brass alloy cases, and being soft steel alloy have no affect on extractors or dies, that is hype. The entire reason they have boxer primers is because they thought American buyers would reload them. Lane Pearce did an article about 2012 or so.
I also formed them into 400 Corbon, a bottle neck case, no problems whatsoever, the 45 acp Wolf steel is soft a malleable, only very ignorant people "think" otherwise. Here is a pic of some 400 cases, some brass and some steel that I formed, these have been reloaded several times. 400 Corbon are loaded to about the same velocity as 10mm. They are 100% reliable as long as you (1) polish your chamber like you should on any carry gun, and (2) lubricate the gun normally, as you should.
I have also reloaded the aluminum 45 acp and shoot them in the wheel guns. Aluminum will split after only one or two reloads, so not recommended. I used them because they have small pistol primers and work great for one time gallery loads or plinking loads. Here is a picture of one I loaded, with a 154 grain round ball and 5.5 grains of Green Dot, great plinking load, and then I toss the case after that one reload. I have buckets of 45 acp brass, just my simple attempt at recycling. Why not, they are free. Just takes a knowledge of reloading.
There is zero downside to cheap aluminum cases, as long as the gun owner treats his gun properly, none whatsoever. I still have a large stash of the Federal 9mm that I bought for $8 a box. Would love to buy a ton more at that price. I do not like to reload anything I can buy for say $12 box,
Just saying. Unless you actually have tried it an actually know, why trash them. If you are having jams or extraction problems, odds are it is not aluminum or steel cased ammo, it is your lack of taking care of your gun.
I also reload the Tullamo 357 Mag cases, steel cases are stronger, you can reload them hotter, that is why the new 277 military caliber or 277 Outback caliber is now loaded to 80,000 psi, steel is safer.
Check it out. Polish those chambers on all semi auto guns, always. Everybody learned that on ARs long ago, it applies to pistols too.
Nothing wrong with aluminum or steel cases, every type will get dirty, collect a tarnish and eventually get tight in a chamber. Then slow down the action, put stress on the extractor and start causing jams. Just like rimfire, some causes issues sooner than others.
The #1 problem of ammo extraction and jams, is a rough or not so good chamber. 100% the fault of the owner. I use Flex Hones on every chamber and never have a problem with aluminum or steel cases, if you have a mirror shine on your chamber and touch it up ever 500 rounds or so, and keep your gun lubricated, you will never have a problem. If you do not, you will blame the ammo.
I have shot tens of thousands and thousands of aluminum and steel cases, and the problems all went away when I learned about shiny chambers and proper lube, and that is what I have taught in my CCW classes since 1996.
I have been reloading steel Wolf and Tullamo 45 acp cases since 2011, they last longer that brass alloy cases, and being soft steel alloy have no affect on extractors or dies, that is hype. The entire reason they have boxer primers is because they thought American buyers would reload them. Lane Pearce did an article about 2012 or so.
I also formed them into 400 Corbon, a bottle neck case, no problems whatsoever, the 45 acp Wolf steel is soft a malleable, only very ignorant people "think" otherwise. Here is a pic of some 400 cases, some brass and some steel that I formed, these have been reloaded several times. 400 Corbon are loaded to about the same velocity as 10mm. They are 100% reliable as long as you (1) polish your chamber like you should on any carry gun, and (2) lubricate the gun normally, as you should.
I have also reloaded the aluminum 45 acp and shoot them in the wheel guns. Aluminum will split after only one or two reloads, so not recommended. I used them because they have small pistol primers and work great for one time gallery loads or plinking loads. Here is a picture of one I loaded, with a 154 grain round ball and 5.5 grains of Green Dot, great plinking load, and then I toss the case after that one reload. I have buckets of 45 acp brass, just my simple attempt at recycling. Why not, they are free. Just takes a knowledge of reloading.
There is zero downside to cheap aluminum cases, as long as the gun owner treats his gun properly, none whatsoever. I still have a large stash of the Federal 9mm that I bought for $8 a box. Would love to buy a ton more at that price. I do not like to reload anything I can buy for say $12 box,
Just saying. Unless you actually have tried it an actually know, why trash them. If you are having jams or extraction problems, odds are it is not aluminum or steel cased ammo, it is your lack of taking care of your gun.
I also reload the Tullamo 357 Mag cases, steel cases are stronger, you can reload them hotter, that is why the new 277 military caliber or 277 Outback caliber is now loaded to 80,000 psi, steel is safer.
Check it out. Polish those chambers on all semi auto guns, always. Everybody learned that on ARs long ago, it applies to pistols too.
McChemist
Member
I did download this report and geeked out. It would seem that Al is less elastic than Brass or Steel. Subsequent developments (6.8 mm caseless ammo) seem to have gone in a different direction. Question is whether Pickenny Arsenal is still developing Al case ammo.
langss
Member
I personally have used the Aluminum Case Blazer in everything Semi-Auto I have, with not one single issue. I do reload and when I was going to the "Indoor Range", anything that went past the bench was lost. They were making good money grabbing all that brass and getting it reloaded to sell in the store. So much so that the Aluminum Case became an issue. I broke my "Home Built" PCC in using only Blazer to work out all the Magazine Feeding Issues. Cannot fault the ammo. Over 750 rds through that gun now.
I used to regularly buy the Federal aluminum from Walmart. I never had an issue, and even now I'd buy all I could get, if i saw it at what it cost 10+ years ago.
Never an issue with the Blazer aluminum either, but I never used it as much as I have that WM/ Federal.
Never an issue with the Blazer aluminum either, but I never used it as much as I have that WM/ Federal.
Many firearms manufacturers have ammo recommendations about their specific firearms.
I prefer to have ammo that can be used in all my firearms. Therefore No aluminum ammo and I use a defensive ammo that runs in all applicable firearms. I don't have issues with steel-case ammo though I use it for specific shooting purposes.
One has to go with what they have experienced but reading the manual is still important.
HTH
javbike
Member
I used the aluminum blazer out of my bersa and cz no problems but the only thing is you have to separate them at the range from brass to much trouble I just use the brass
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In a rare departure from handloading everything, I fired at least ten boxes of Blazer aluminum-cased 9mm about thirty-five years ago in a Beretta. Worked perfectly, but I'm not really concerned with the alleged positive and negative aspects of aluminum cases. It seems some have good results, others are snakebit. Looks like the same applies to guns.
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
Aluminum (or steel for that matter) has never been a problem for me.
The Owner Manual has information that I follow.
The Owner Manual has information that I follow.
If you want a broken extractor and a lot of jams then buy aluminum case ammo. I have seen so much of this on our range at our club I have lost count of the number of times.
I have been teaching and certifying CCW students since 1996. I have never seen or heard of an extra being broken while firing aluminum ammo or steel ammo. As stated, it is a gun owner problem. They are having a rough chamber which holds the ammo back and increases the pressure, or they are not lubing the gun properly.
No gun with a shiny chamber and a bit of lube is going to break an extractor, something has to add the additional pressure for a steel part to break.
I do not care what they use as lube, Ballistol is great, any gun oil is great, even WC 40 which is not really a lube is great on the range. It displaces the dirt and crude like Ballistol and keeps the gun running longer.
We learned that on Ars and steel and lacquered ammo 20 years ago. No one gets jams on the range anymore with ARs, except maybe new guys...Mag dumps are fine, as long as you add a little lube every 2-3 mags.
Same here. Walmart quite selling handgun ammo on Sept 3, 2019 after the Parkland incident which was unrelated. Hopefully they will bring handgun ammo back.
