What is the problem with steel cased ammo?

[Double-O-Dave]

Greetings,

I was shopping at a local sporting goods store when I noticed several boxes of 9mm ammo cheaply priced (less than $9.00/box of 50). I was going to buy several boxes when I noticed that they were steel cased as I recall hearing that some firearm manufacturers won't honor their warranties if steel cased ammo has been used. Is this because the steel casings are, or can be, rough on the chamber? If so, would there be any negative consequences in shooting this ammo in a revolver?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Greetings,

I was shopping at a local sporting goods store when I noticed several boxes of 9mm ammo cheaply priced (less than $9.00/box of 50). I was going to buy several boxes when I noticed that they were steel cased as I recall hearing that some firearm manufacturers won't honor their warranties if steel cased ammo has been used. Is this because the steel casings are, or can be, rough on the chamber? If so, would there be any negative consequences in shooting this ammo in a revolver?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Forester]

Steel cased ammo is hard on extractors. Also, if it still has the lacquer finish on it you will have to clean more frequently and thoroughly. Regarding the manufacturers, many also claim you should not shoot reloads either. Take it with a grain of salt. Shouldn't be any problem in a revolver.

 

[silvercorvette]

It does not function well in full auto weapons

 

[Stevens]

It would sure rust around here, South Louisiana.
Steve

 

[Broker57]

I have used steel-cased ammo in many calibers and in many different firearms without a problem. I have a Bersa .380 that I have read has an anodized feed ramp and supposedly the warranty can be voided by the use of steel-case. I think the argument against it is in respect to the extractor wear (although I have heard about the lacquer problem from people who have never used it; none from those who have). My guess is that it should present no problem whatsoever in a revolver.

 

[Hermann]

I use steel cased ammo from Wolf (.40) in my 4003 - never a problem, they are more dirty then Remington brand, but half their price!

 

[gunsmith11]

what about steel cased bullets,,I have a thousand rounds of it in 9mm

 

[NFrameFred]

Only time I ever had a broken extractor was using some steel cased stuff in a rifle. The main reason I don't like it is the same reason I don't like Blazer aluminum non-reloadable rounds.

Folks won't police it and throw it away and it litters up the range - it's a blight on the environment (had to get that in there since that qualifies as "doing my part" for earth day

Now I can go home tonight and dump my used motor oil in the creek and burn some old tires)

 

[44forever]

what about steel cased bullets

I think the BATFE may consider steel jacketed bullets to be armor piercing. If so, there may be prohibitions on retail sale if they can be fired in a handgun.

 

[gunsmith11]

Nframe i agree
I always dump the used oil back into the ground..hell it came out of it too start with

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Thanks to all for your responses and advice. I have shot the ammo before, but in a brass case, not the steel (Monarch, made in Russia). The ammo functioned just fine, but as is reported by others who use Russian/Eastern Block manufactured ammo, it is dirty ammo. I have an H&K PSP that I was wanting the ammo for, and until recently, I never planned on reloading for it, but now with ammo prices the way they are, I am reconsidering. I really need to find a good deal on a used 9mm Sigma that I won't feel bad about shooting the Monarch ammo out of.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Racegunner]

Originally posted by gunsmith11:
Nframe i agree
I always dump the used oil back into the ground..hell it came out of it too start with

Sorry, I had to edit my comment on account of being rude, but I disagree with dumping oil or spraying on roads. Sorry it doesn't have anything to do with steel cased ammo...that's been answered here successfully.

 

[onegunshort]

I've used nothing but steel cased ammo in my AK with no problems. Of course an AK is quite robust. Yes it is dirty ammo.

 

[ToddS112]

The little steel shavings and chips from the cases will rust very quickly and adhere to the metal parts inside your gun.

 

[feralmerril]

When I was a kid just about everyone dumped their used motor oil on their dirt driveway to hold the dust down. Havent you ever seen county trucks spraying down dirt roads with oil?
Gad! If its okay for the goverment to do it, just how bad is it really? I just dont happen to belive everything the greenies tell me. I have seen natural oil seep out of the ground around santa paula california area and never heard of trouble with their water. Chill. Kind of like the libs stopping lead shot. Where do they think it comes from? And I thought the guns were made of metal. Maybe they should blue those caseings?

 

[Racegunner]

Originally posted by feralmerril:
When I was a kid just about everyone dumped their used motor oil on their dirt driveway to hold the dust down. Havent you ever seen county trucks spraying down dirt roads with oil?
Gad! If its okay for the goverment to do it, just how bad is it really? I just dont happen to belive everything the greenies tell me. I have seen natural oil seep out of the ground around santa paula california area and never heard of trouble with their water. Chill. Kind of like the libs stopping lead shot. Where do they think it comes from?

Yes, I remember the trucks oiling the dirt road in front of my grandparents house in the '70s. The reason they stopped is because the oil was showing up in the wells and lake. I'm far from Green peace and it may be a different story in Texas or AZ, but dumping oil near fresh water is a bad idea no matter how old and stubborn one might be.

 

[GatorFarmer]

Originally posted by 44forever:

what about steel cased bullets

I think the BATFE may consider steel jacketed bullets to be armor piercing. If so, there may be prohibitions on retail sale if they can be fired in a handgun.

Only if they were 1. could be fired in handguns and 2. if the weight of the steel jacket was more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile would a steel jacketed round be classified as an AP round.

 

[john traveler]

Sreel cased ammo has higher extraction forces than brass cased ammo. Steel cases are less resilient ("springy") than brass cases. Military designs that routinely use steel cased ammo have notably large and strudy extractors (SKS, AKM, AK-47, SGM, PKM, etc).

As a matter of fact steel cased ammo works very well in full auto weapons, and all NATO countries have alternate ammo procurement specs that include steel cased ammunition. The reason the eastern bloc countries use so much steel cased small arms ammunition is that they take their lead from Russia and the former Soviet Union which has developed small arms ammunition production based on WWII standards and have maintained a "war footing" in their production capacity. Steel is much cheaper than the renewable brass casings.

When firing steel cased ammo in revolvers, the only downside I can think of is that using the steel cased .45 ACP without moonclips can leave burrs in the chamber headspacing surface which can result in later hard extraction. Extraction problems in semiauto pistols can be reduced if you wax your cartridges. Military steel cased ammo is protected against rust with copper wash, chromate wash, lacquer, or varnish.

 

[lcdrdanr]

I've never heard of steel case ammo being unreliable in a full auto weapon, I know most of the SovBloc firearms routinely use steel case ammo. My Norinco SKS has never had anything else go through it since I bought it new. I probably don't clean it enough either but I've never had a problem with Wolf or TC steel cases.

Dan R