Alum 45cases

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WALKERs210

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Received a Cabela's sale paper this week, while thumbing thru the pages I saw a listing for 45cal ammo that uses "Aircraft Grade" Aluminum for the casing. I can see that weight saving might be a positive, but as in the words of a very dear friend I don't want to be the first to try but don't want to be the last. Anyone use these and what would be the general thoughts about them.
 
CCI has been producing Al cased handgun cartridges for many years. They are Berdan primed to discourage reloaders. I don't think they make magnum pressure cartridges (I may be mistaken in this) but .32, .380, .38 Spl and .45 ACP for sure.
 
Not all of the aluminum cases are Berdan primed. A quick peek at range discards shows many are now Boxer primed. They're still stamped "NR" though.
 
I don't believe that the "aircraft grade" has anything to do with saving weight, but rather a relative representation of the strength of the case.

That being said, my personal experience with al cased ammo is not good, after having to shove a cleaning rod down the bore on more than one occasion to remove the remains of a broken case.

Maybe using "aircraft grade" is an attempt to solve that problem. I however will stick with brass, Thank you!
 
No aluminum is "aircraft grade" until they make an airplane part out of it.

As already noted, CCI/Blazer has been using aluminum cases for years.
It is entirely an economy measure, not to save weight.
Aluminum is cheaper then brass.

They work fine in .357 Mag & .44 Spl revolver calibers I have shot them in, and I imagine they will work fine in most pistols too, or they wouldn't still be making them this long.

rc
 
I've used them in 9mm, 40S&W and 45ACP. Never had a problem with them that could be attributed to the ammo.
 
most types of aluminum have been used on airplanes which doesn't mean much. where it starts to mean something is when you put the heat treat process along with the alloy such as 2024-T6. the heat treat proess is the "T-6" and there quite a few of them.
 
rcmodel said:
No aluminum is "aircraft grade" until they make an airplane part out of it.

As already noted, CCI/Blazer has been using aluminum cases for years.
It is entirely an economy measure, not to save weight.
Aluminum is cheaper then brass.

They work fine in .357 Mag & .44 Spl revolver calibers I have shot them in, and I imagine they will work fine in most pistols too, or they wouldn't still be making them this long.

rc
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It isn't even "Aircraft Grade" when they make an aircraft part out of it. It doesn't become "Cartridge Case Grade" when they use it to make aluminum cartridge cases either.

Aluminum is defined by alloy, temper and hardness, not by "grade". The words "Aircraft Grade" are nothing more than marketing buzz words.

Dan
 
I've fired plenty of aluminum 9mm with zero problems. It worked as well as if not better than Rem UMC or WWB ammo.
 
"Aircraft grade" is hyperbole. I seriously doubt if the aluminum alloys used in cartridge cases have the properties required for the structural parts of aircraft.

There is nothing wrong with it, however. I have shot up a pretty large quantity of CCI Blazer aluminum, in both pistols and revolvers, over the last ~25 years, and it generally works well, the only exception I have found being some failures to eject in a CZ pistol. Try a box to see if your gun "likes" it before committing to case purchases.
 
"Aircraft grade" used to be a range of alloys and heat treatments that basically meant it had a certain strength-to-weight ratio. 6061-T6 is the common one, and is what a lot of things are made of because it's just about everything grade. 7075 is another--stronger but tougher to work with, and it can't be welded. 2021 (or 2024, I can't remember), on the other hand, is 'free machining' which means it's easier to cut, but probably not as strong.

It's a buzzword now.

In fact, I would think that any of the 'true' aircraft-grade alloys would probably not work all that well for cartridge cases.
 
"Aircraft grade" is consumer marketing. There is nothing magical.

In aerospace, certified laboratories do chemical and physical analysis to verify the aluminum being purchased from a vendor for making parts falls within the tolerance of what that alloy is defined as.

That's the only difference. You pay to get the material certified so there is traceability and verification, but the exact same batch of material from a company like Alcoa can go into making a strut in a Boeing 787 or a tennis racket.

I work in the aerospace industry.
 
I've shot 'em in a couple of calibers and they work. The aluminum isn't going to wear on the pistol as steel cased stuff might. The weight saving isn't noticeable in my .45. I've seen tons of the stuff on the ground at our county range and all of it I've looked at doesn't show any splits or bulges. All indications are that it works well. My objection is that I reload so there's no point in using them. Besides brass cases are so pretty when they come out of the tumbler.
 
I used aluminum case ammo in .45 and .38 special in the past with no problems. Certainly wouldn't hesitate to buy it again if the price is right, seeing as I do not reload.

Cesiumsponge pretty much nailed the aircraft grade thing. I feel compelled to sigh whenever I see that used in marketing. I will add that there are quality standards and criteria that certain aluminum alloys used in aicraft may be held to that typical material may not be, such as ultrasonic inspection for internal defects, stress corrosion cracking, etc.
 
I have used Blazer Aluminum case ammo in .38Spl/.357Mag/.45ACP. 4000+ rounds later, no problems in any calibre.
 
I've shot to much to count of CCI Blazer in .38 and .357 with never a blink, accept my Euroarms lever action .357. The extractor just about will not go over the aluminum rim.

Only problem (if you can call it one) was with some .45acp about 20 years ago, that shot fine, but picking them up later, the case mouths were all split about 1/8th" from the rim.

Only happened in 1 of the 3 1911's I had at the time, so I assumed it had something to do with that gun, but it didn't do it with any brass cased ammo.
 
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