10,000 round test, brass vs. steel. End all experiment

[PCCARBINE9mm]

Brass vs. Steel Cased Ammo - An Epic Torture Test

The best write up I have found on the subject. I think all will find this interesting. Four brand new bushmasters, one firing brass cased federal .223, one firing steel cased Tulammo .223, one firing steel cased wolf .223, and one firing steel cased brown bear .223. All 55grain FMJ. The results on wear and malfunctions after 10,000 rounds will suprise you.

I for one but cheap and stack it deep, but also enjoy shooting my lake city brass. I have never had a problem with steel ammo but then again I don't shoot enough. So read this you will love it! Thank you lucky gunner labs for settling this for good!

 

[sgtsandman]

The summary video is interesting. I'll have to dig into the rest of the provided link to get the meat of the findings.

Thank you.

 

[McE]

Important summary- case material didn't matter, but the jacket material did. It just so happens that the problematic bi-metal jacket material is paired with steel casings.

However, the point was brought up that shooting out barrels with bi-metal jacketed ammo saved more than enough money to just replace the barrel. Pick your poison, really.

 

[JaPes]

I've been here long enough to come full circle. Amazing.

 

[CATI1835]

Would be interesting to see this same test in an AK.

 

[Arik]

Brass vs. Steel Cased Ammo - An Epic Torture Test

The best write up I have found on the subject. I think all will find this interesting. Four brand new bushmasters, one firing brass cased federal .223, one firing steel cased Tulammo .223, one firing steel cased wolf .223, and one firing steel cased brown bear .223. All 55grain FMJ. The results on wear and malfunctions after 10,000 rounds will suprise you.

I for one but cheap and stack it deep, but also enjoy shooting my lake city brass. I have never had a problem with steel ammo but then again I don't shoot enough. So read this you will love it! Thank you lucky gunner labs for settling this for good!

This has been around for a while. Take into consideration that it was none stop shooting. No one shoots like that. I have more that that through my Colt without any accuracy or reliability problems. It would be no different than taking a belt fed machine gun with several thousand rounds and not letting off the trigger till it broke or ammo ran out. Even with firearms like that the training is to shoot in short bursts otherwise the barrel will be ruined fairly quickly. This is also why some machine guns are equipped with a second quick change barrel as part of the kit. Because a lot of fire very fast will quickly destroy the barrel

 

[Arik]

Would be interesting to see this same test in an AK.

Depends on where the barrel came from. European barrels are cold hammer forged and chrome lined with an exception of Yugo AK which didn't use chrome. These outlast the US made button rifling barrels.

 

[sgtsandman]

This has been around for a while. Take into consideration that it was none stop shooting. No one shoots like that. I have more that that through my Colt without any accuracy or reliability problems. It would be no different than taking a belt fed machine gun with several thousand rounds and not letting off the trigger till it broke or ammo ran out. Even with firearms like that the training is to shoot in short bursts otherwise the barrel will be ruined fairly quickly. This is also why some machine guns are equipped with a second quick change barrel as part of the kit. Because a lot of fire very fast will quickly destroy the barrel

You make a valid point. From the way the summary video illustrates how they did the test, the shooting was abnormal for how people normally shoot. Even specifically made barrels for such shooting were expected to wear out often enough to need a quick change.

 

[PCCARBINE9mm]

You make a valid point. From the way the summary video illustrates how they did the test, the shooting was abnormal for how people normally shoot. Even specifically made barrels for such shooting were expected to wear out often enough to need a quick change.

Very true! I don't shoot enough and that fast for it to really apply to me. But the fact little by little the bi metal jacket is tearing my rifling out makes me cringe. I wonder if Tulammo new zinc jacket will perform any better in wear. I understand there is supposed to be a 15% increase in accuracy.

 

[sgtsandman]

Hard to say. The big question on this subject is where are you willing to spend your money? More expensive ammunition and have a longer barrel life and have the ability to reload. Or save money on the ammunition and change the barrel more?

Since I haven't crunched the numbers or had a chance to thoroughly read the Lucky Gunner review, I can't say if it is a break even proposition or if the steel case users are actually ahead in the long run.

Personally, I want to be able to reload what I've shot. So I'll get the least expensive brass cased ammo I can. Then I can decide if I want better bullets, stick with FMJ bullets, or a combination of both. Regardless, they will need to be resized so I can run them in both my AR and my bolt rifle. But that is me. Some people have no interest in reloading, so don't care about being able to do it.

 

[McE]

Hard to say. The big question on this subject is where are you willing to spend your money? More expensive ammunition and have a longer barrel life and have the ability to reload. Or save money on the ammunition and change the barrel more?

Since I haven't crunched the numbers or had a chance to thoroughly read the Lucky Gunner review, I can't say if it is a break even proposition or if the steel case users are actually ahead in the long run.

Personally, I want to be able to reload what I've shot. So I'll get the least expensive brass cased ammo I can. Then I can decide if I want better bullets, stick with FMJ bullets, or a combination of both. Regardless, they will need to be resized so I can run them in both my AR and my bolt rifle. But that is me. Some people have no interest in reloading, so don't care about being able to do it.

Steel always ahead, but reloading closes the gap a little, maybe a lot.

 

[sgtsandman]

I figure reloading would fall somewhere along the 1 new barrel, two new barrel lines on the cost vs rounds graph. More than likely more in line with two barrels. One has to take account for the equipment needed to be able to reload and if you want good results, you don't want to go cheap. Even then, I might be being too optimistic.

 

[McE]

My thinking is, you don't really reload for the savings, you reload for the hobby, control, and maybe performance.

 

[sgtsandman]

There is that too. If done right, you will save money and have ammo that is much better than factory.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I've never known anyone that shot enough to wear out a barrel who was the least bit concerned about tossing on a new one. It's really a non-issue.

 

[sgtsandman]

The biggest thing about this test is most people don't shoot like they did in this test. So, it probably is a non-issue for most people. I certainly don't. Heck, I don't know if I'll ever shoot 10,000 rounds out of any of my rifles before I kick the bucket. That being said, I would prefer to make my bore stay in the best condition possible for the longest time possible. But also, to each their own. I won't blast someone for using steel, if that is what they want to shoot. It isn't my rifle and it isn't my money. Also, they are not causing harm or risk to anyone else, so it isn't really my business either.