Posted on 11/02/2020 5:12:46 AM PST by MtnClimber
So we’re all in a similar conundrum- ammo is hard to find, and right now beggars can’t be choosers. On the other hand, it’s not like you were [not] warned or anything, multiple times, and even told earlier this year that ammo was never cheaper than it was at the time I told you. Regardless, we’re here now, and the panic buying bug is hitting everyone.
Patriotman and myself were headed down to the Scout Course in TN last week and swung by Smokey Mountain Knife Works. There was a giant pyramid of ammo sitting beside the ESEE knives counter- all Wolf, mostly 5.56, for around $220 per 500 rounds. Kinda high for steel case but that wasn’t slowing anyone down. By the time we slid back in Sunday afternoon, it was all but gone. This begs the question again- just how destructive is steel case ammo, exactly? We’ve all heard its both just fine and bad for our weapons. So let’s see what American Partisan affiliate Brownells has to say:
(Excerpt) Read more at americanpartisan.org ...
A good description of an AR 15 bolt override malfunction that could be more severe with steel cased ammo.
Whether there’s any proof to steel case ammo damaging a weapons I don’t know and I don’t care. I will not run steel cased ammo through any of my guns!
oh boy...a weapon/ammo thread. You are in for it. lol
Im sure Ill get some blow back (no pun intended) for this, all kidding aside, I have had steel jacketed .223 jam my AR a couple of times so I stay away from it.
No, but it may cause jams.
yep, that was my issue.
This article may be helpful to you:
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/
Ammunition with steel cartridge cases has been used in battle weapons for over 70 years without problems; 100% of the Soviet and Chinese military ammo is steel-cartridge-cased ammo.
Yet another stupid issue to waste time on for the "experts".
I haven’t had any problems with it, but I’m not a high volume shooter.
I saw a professional study, I won’t bother to go retrieve the url, but from what I remember:
Steel will wear down a chamber more than brass, but it takes like 30,000 - 50,000 rounds.
Steel is less accurate than brass, noticeably so.
Wolf is more accurate than the other common steelcase round (forget the name).
I guess it’s okay in a pinch.
Smokey Mountain Knife Works has a product called “Herbs Yellowstone” Use this to polish your chamber and feed ramp, Viola!
Puts a razor edge on knives too, I swear by the stuff.
Just looking at the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion between brass and steel, iron, carbon steel, and stainless steel, BRASS is almost TWICE that of any steel in linear and volume.................
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_expansion
Can you reload steel?
I have an SKS so the steel cased ammo question with that is moot. Russian weapon, Russian ammo. In other words, “nyet, rifle is fine”.
CC
AK’s run fine on steel casings.
I have read (FWIW), that there’s also greater tolerances in AK’s and IIRC AK’s and SKS’s perform better at higher firing temps than the AR.
Anyone that does not want theirs or their crappy soviet weapon may send theirs to me at BR549 E, padooka USA care of mylife
After steel jammed my AR a second time I browsed youtube on the subject....boy what a mistake. Testosterone overload and as many opinions on it as videos I watched. Everything from don’t ever use it to if steel is jamming your AR your an idiot and your doing it wrong. sheesh
How do use it for sharpening knives? I am guessing you apply it to a buffing wheel.
Just buy an AKM and you can shoot steel 7.62x39mm all day. You can still find 7.62x39mm ammo for 31-33 cpr.
Everybody here will have a different opinion based on their own experience, but my opinion is: Probably not. My experience using steel exclusively at the range through a Czech-built rifle is that it works fine, is a bit cheaper, and substantially dirtier than brass. The only real misgiving I have about steel is that they all have some kind of coating, polymer or lacquer, to help them chamber more easily and prevent rusting. I’ve found lacquer deposits in the chamber after a few hundred rounds, so if I use steel case ammo, I only use polymer coated now. And of course steel cannot be safely reloaded.
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