New First Shoot "Ammo" Question

[tcon]

With new semi-automatics and first shootings, I never paid much attention to what but how. I have always initially put a single round in the mag, racked, fired and made sure slide stayed open. Then TWO in the mag, paid attention to proper operation.

After that... let 'er rip. Just something I've always done.

 

[Disabled1]

Actually, it doesn't matter what you shoot in it; it will eat ANYTHING you feed it! These pistols are tanks. A lot of people with other firearms calibered in 9mm or .40 cal seem to look down upon the SDVE series. The best thing to do to shut them up very quickly is to show them how well it shoots, and ANYTHING you feed it, that it will shoot it as well! I love the looks on their face afterwards upon doing this!

 

[ADP3]

Welcome to the forum from Anderson. Just my 2 cents and I'm certain others will reject this advice, but I recommend staying away from steel cased ammo and plated bullets. Steel cased ammo is hard on extractors, and it can scratch chambers when grit accumulates. Brass on steel is easier on a gun than steel on steel. The lacquer and plastic coatings on steel cases leave deposits in your chamber that builds up and with the heat of firing adheres to chamber walls and is not easy to remove. Steel cased ammo was developed as a substitute for brass cased ammo in WWII. Warring powers see weapons as an expendable item and weren't trying to make them last forever so they didn't particularly care if steel cased ammo was hard on guns.

Several manufacturers are using plated bullets instead of jacketed bullets in their bargain line ammo, Federal Champion for one. Plating sometimes strips off in the bore and when the next cartridge is fired the bullet rams into the shed plating and you have a bulged barrel or worst. You can look at a bullet and usually see multiple small dings under the plating. A true jacketed bullet will be nice and smooth. Cheap ammo is cheap for a reason. You may save a few pennies per round but you'll pay more for gun repairs and/or replacement down the road.

Best Regards,
ADP3

54+ years of shooting and counting

 

[ou1954]

Case and plating

Welcome to the forum from Anderson. Just my 2 cents and I'm certain others will reject this advice, but I recommend staying away from steel cased ammo and plated bullets. Steel cased ammo is hard on extractors, and it can scratch chambers when grit accumulates.

<snip>

Several manufacturers are using plated bullets instead of jacketed bullets in their bargain line ammo, Federal Champion for one. Plating sometimes strips off in the bore and when the next cartridge is fired the bullet rams into the shed plating and you have a bulged barrel or worst. You can look at a bullet and usually see multiple small dings under the plating. A true jacketed bullet will be nice and smooth. Cheap ammo is cheap for a reason. You may save a few pennies per round but you'll pay more for gun repairs and/or replacement down the road.

Best Regards,
ADP3

Don't know about plating vs jacketing, will have to check. Are saying that Federal Champion FMJ RN is plated?

May I assume that FMJ is not plated? I do know that FMJ does mean that lead is exposed on the rear end of the bullet.

About steel cases, they are not allowed in any of our 5 local ranges.

 

[Disabled1]

Don't know about plating vs jacketing, will have to check. Are saying that Federal Champion FMJ RN is plated?

May I assume that FMJ is not plated? I do know that FMJ does mean that lead is exposed on the rear end of the bullet.

About steel cases, they are not allowed in any of our 5 local ranges.

The ranges I had been to in the past only allowed brass casings.
I owned a Sigma SW9VE & a SW40VE both at the same time. I would shoot the cheapest *** ammo for target practice through both of them with very few FTF or FTE rounds. And, I shot well over 3K rounds through both of them. I never had bore problems, extractor problems, basically NOTHING wrong with each pistol! I sold both of them to my best friend in FL about 4.5 years ago and he is still shooting *** ammo through them with NO problems at all! S&W builds these pistols to be TANKS!
Don't worry about what you feed them! They can handle it!

 

[ADP3]

ou1954,
I don't know about the entire line but the Federal Champion ammo that I've examined from Walmart in 9mm and .45 ACP has plated bullets. A few strokes with a file should let you know, or if you have a bullet puller you can examine the base and see if it has exposed lead. A recovered bullet from shooting a steel plate target would also let you know. Watch out for bullets bouncing back though. I can't swear to it, but if I remember correctly the CCI Independence and Speer Lawman lines may also be using plated bullets. Federal, Speer and CCI are all owned by ATK so I imagine they share quite a few of the same components. The discount houses demand ammo at rock bottom prices and manufacturers are cutting corners as a result. The "Winchester Steel" and Hornady "whatever they're calling it steel" product lines are other example of this cost cutting.

Best Regards,
ADP3

 

[ou1954]

Lead showing

ou1954,
I don't know about the entire line but the Federal Champion ammo that I've examined from Walmart in 9mm and .45 ACP has plated bullets. A few strokes with a file should let you know, or if you have a bullet puller you can examine the base and see if it has exposed lead. A recovered bullet from shooting a steel plate target would also let you know. Watch out for bullets bouncing back though. I can't swear to it, but if I remember correctly the CCI Independence and Speer Lawman lines may also be using plated bullets. Federal, Speer and CCI are all owned by ATK so I imagine they share quite a few of the same components. The discount houses demand ammo at rock bottom prices and manufacturers are cutting corners as a result. The "Winchester Steel" and Hornady "whatever they're calling it steel" product lines are other example of this cost cutting.

Best Regards,
ADP3

I have shot at steel targets outside but of course wouldn't have been able to retrieve the slugs.

Anyhow, I once looked up the definition of FMJ and it said that lead was exposed on the rear end. Hollow point ammo may have the opening on the front end.

I see that there are TMJ rounds, intended for use in indoor ranges because the rear end of the bullet is covered, but I have never seen one on the market.
======================
EDIT-Just did a search for TMJ ammo and there are many listings including some 9mm for 24 cents, I think that's a bulk price. I do know that our local ranges have to have special ventilation for lead vapor removal.