The Viking
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Anybody run steel case and aluminum case ammo in their M&P 2.0? Any trouble from it?
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Steel case and aluminum case ammo
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LVSteve
Member
Most likely because their scrap merchant wants only brass.
Actually, I was told it had to do with the coating on the cases. They say it prematurely clogs their filtration system. They allow aluminum.
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I only use brass or nickel plated.
My state law enforcement agency used aluminum cased ammo for practice over the years. We were not going to reload and never saw any difference in the way it shot in our weapons. It was a small bit cheaper also.
Modern steel and aluminum cases that you buy off a shelf work fine. They won't expand and seal the chamber as well and let more stuff pass by, but that really is not a problem these days, just more work to clean up.
Now if you go back 25 or more years, and the steel cased stuff is surplus ammo that was loaded a few decades before that in some country you have a hard time finding on a map, there were some issues. The problem is with the corrosive primers and propellants that were used. A firearm that was designed for military service will handle it fine, having features like chrome lined barrels and chambers, since they were designed to survive the environment they were designed to be in. Where you ran into problems was with using the stuff through guns that did not have these features and not cleaning them.
I'm in my early 50's now, but was taught shooting and guns by a bunch of WW2 and Korean War vets. The surplus ammo we shot in the late 70's and 80's was the stuff they were using as young men while serving, and they all had the habit of cleaning their weapons after shooting them, no matter what the ammo was, because of what it could do if they didn't.
For the most part, a range will not allow steel cased ammo since the magnet test they do to detect steel core projectiles cannot tell if it's the case or bullet, and a steel core penetrator out of a round that someone just brings in is something they have no idea of how hot it could be loaded, being something that could beat up their backstop, or in the worse case go through it.
Now if you go back 25 or more years, and the steel cased stuff is surplus ammo that was loaded a few decades before that in some country you have a hard time finding on a map, there were some issues. The problem is with the corrosive primers and propellants that were used. A firearm that was designed for military service will handle it fine, having features like chrome lined barrels and chambers, since they were designed to survive the environment they were designed to be in. Where you ran into problems was with using the stuff through guns that did not have these features and not cleaning them.
I'm in my early 50's now, but was taught shooting and guns by a bunch of WW2 and Korean War vets. The surplus ammo we shot in the late 70's and 80's was the stuff they were using as young men while serving, and they all had the habit of cleaning their weapons after shooting them, no matter what the ammo was, because of what it could do if they didn't.
For the most part, a range will not allow steel cased ammo since the magnet test they do to detect steel core projectiles cannot tell if it's the case or bullet, and a steel core penetrator out of a round that someone just brings in is something they have no idea of how hot it could be loaded, being something that could beat up their backstop, or in the worse case go through it.
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i've shot at least a thousand rounds of aluminum cased handgun ammo out of various guns. No problems.
I know I ran a thousand rounds of WWII era galvanized steel case .45 through a 1911 without issue. However, it had corrosive primers and required prompt cleaning after every outing. Given the rust resisting coatings they now apply to steel cased ammo, I'd be reluctant to use it.
I know I ran a thousand rounds of WWII era galvanized steel case .45 through a 1911 without issue. However, it had corrosive primers and required prompt cleaning after every outing. Given the rust resisting coatings they now apply to steel cased ammo, I'd be reluctant to use it.
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I had a neighbor gift me 1800 rounds of Wolf steel cased 9mm. My Shield and Glock 48 went through it with no malfunctions. Some rounds had a lighter report and recoil than others but all made it to the target.
sousana
Member
Don't use steel cased ammo, but my shields and m&p's have seen thousands and thousands of aluminum cased ammo with narry a problem.
No issue with alum case ammo. Maybe a couple thousand rounds of 40SW and 9mm.
THE PILGRIM
Member
Have shot both in my Kahr and Glock.
No problems!
No problems!
CBStuard
Member
20 yrs ago we shot a lot of steel cases. But at some point the stuff became unreliable in our Beretta 92s. Then we had a squib which we didn't realize until too late. No damage to either of us but it split the barrel. A year later I still had 4 boxes of the stuff so decided if I were very careful and shot slowly enough to notice a squib I'd use it up. I was shooting my M&Pc9mm and had a problem. Couldn't get the case out of the barrel. Stopped shooting and went home. There I carefully measured how far a brass rod would go into the barrel. I was able to determine that all that was in there was an empty case. So used a hammer to push the case out w/ the brass rod. Since then no steel at all. But over the last 5-6 years we have shot a lot of Federal and CCI aluminum case. Between 25 and 35% of all our ammo is aluminum. It has been 100%.
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Rlg#17
US Veteran
Steel no way, I have seen extractors ripped out of ARs with it. Maybe good in an AK, for sure NOT in any type of handgun.
Aluminum is okay in handguns. Way long ago I bought 10 k of aluminum in 45 GAP and it ran fine. Cheap, like 40% cheaper then brass at the time.
Most everything now is brass cased. We reload a lot.
Regards, Rick Gibbs
Aluminum is okay in handguns. Way long ago I bought 10 k of aluminum in 45 GAP and it ran fine. Cheap, like 40% cheaper then brass at the time.
Most everything now is brass cased. We reload a lot.
Regards, Rick Gibbs
N4KVE
Member
That’s exactly why it’s forbidden at our range. The scrap $ we collect pays for the filters that keep the air clean on the range. At least we don’t insist you must buy the ammo from us like other ranges do. GARY
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S&W revolverman
Member
Here is my opinion: Steel cased ammo COULD cause premature wear or even breakage of the extractor. Steel on steel - not good.
Aluminum cased ammo - no problem, as aluminum lots softer than steel as is brass.
But, I know lots of folks shoot steel cased ammo and never had any problems. For that, I say - go for it.
Aluminum cased ammo - no problem, as aluminum lots softer than steel as is brass.
But, I know lots of folks shoot steel cased ammo and never had any problems. For that, I say - go for it.
