[FrankD]

I have a Les Baer 1911 using CCI Blazer ammo. I have no problems using this ammo and the cost is also great. Les Baer does not like this ammo and says that it'll pound out the breach. He certainly knows more about guns that I'll ever know, but he causes me to scratch my head and say to myself,, huh.? As far as I know, the Blazer case is aircraft grade aluminum being softer than steel. I can't see how this can do any breach damage. Can anyone shed some light on this.?

[GoRon]

I have run thousands of rounds of the aluminum stuff through my Springfield Armory TRP with no ill effects.

I was bummed when my range stopped buying it for the inddor range. I always thought the stuff was a good bang for the buck.

[LanEvo`]

I've been using CCI Blazer ammo (185gr JSWC) in my Springer Compact and CZ 97B for a while now and have not run into any trouble at all. As you said, the cases are made of aluminum, so they shouldn't be any harder on the extractor or breech than brass.

The only problem I've noticed is a single case rupture (with my 97B). I was checking through the used "brass" and it caught my eye. This was one round in maybe 800 or so that I've put through the gun. As far as I could tell, there was no damage to the barrel, nor was there a failure to extract. So, I'm not sure what to make of that. Maybe this is what Les Baer is worried about?

Having said that, I've had lots of problems over the years with commerically reloaded 185gr LSWC ammo. Cases with bulged bases. Rounds that weren't crimped properly. Bullets pushed back into cases. Failures to fire, feed, and extract. Etc. Yet, I've never heard Les Baer (or any other 1911 pistolsmith) warn against using commercial reloads. In my experience, CCI Blazer has been far more consistent.

[denster]

I've been using the new Blaser Brass ammo for the last several months. Still about the cheapest ammo out there and in a brass case. Good stuff.

[Handgun Midas]

I've put at least 400rds of CCI aluminum through my new-ish Kimber in the last month or so. I've had one FTL and one misfire in that batch; the FTL was on a slide stop release and the misfire was re-fired.

I think that it is perfectly good ammo, and I got it for $8.17 a box from Natchez.