Aluminum 45 ACP cases

[Walkalong]

I personally would have no issue with the aluminum 45 acp cases purchased pre-primed.

Yep, I see no reason they shouldn't work once, or they wouldn't sell aluminum cases ammo. I assume these were loaded and had the bullet pulled, but surely they can make one loading. Other than that, there is too much good brass out there to worry with it.

There are no special properties of brass that other metals can't duplicate. If someone feels there are, I would love to hear them.

Brass is very malleable/elastic, which is one thing that makes it so suitable. It can be sized and fired many times without cracking. Steel and aluminum can't do that. Brass can be hard at the web where it needs to be and soft through annealing up top where it needs to be more elastic. We also know how to predict when a brass case is no longer suitable for use much easier than aluminum.

Steel and aluminum can't do what brass does, which is why it fails much sooner than brass. For most it isn't worth fooling with, for some it is, with limits.

 

[Walkalong]

People get "shocked" all the time without getting killed, they just didn't have enough juice go through them. If you get into an electrical source with enough amps available and are well grounded it can kill you in a split second. Not grounded at all (Linoleum floor rubber shoe soles) and touch 120V, you won't even get shocked, as the flow has nowhere to go. The higher the voltage the easier it is for it to find a ground. It will jump to a ground, through you if you are hanging onto it.

 

[Dog Soldier]

How did electrocution get into a discussion on cartridge metal alloy? I think a firing squad would have been more in keeping.
No one is wrong. We all have had different experiences with many phases of the shooting hobby. I wish I had a cheap alternative to my Norma .45-110 Sharps brass. They are $4.00 each. I bought 100 last year.

 

[jmorris]

You were actually dead & brought back of is this just a matter of using the wrong word?

Good point, no death or injury, was "shocked" in the non physical impact or surprised way.

 

[jmorris]

How did electrocution get into a discussion on cartridge metal alloy? I think a firing squad would have been more in keeping.

An analogy, the fact that it has been reloaded once without issues doesn't eliminate the potential of having problems.

I don't know how many I fired without an issue before I finally had a problem, so I liked them before they caused damage.

Mine wasn't the most expensive damage I have seen, though. These are pretty bad ones from aluminum cases though.

 

[Dog Soldier]

If I were you I would not use Aluminum cases.

 

[Decoy80]

I almost bought a thousand 9mm primed aluminum cases just a few days ago. 60 bucks free shipping was 30 bucks worth of primers and no shipping was almost too much to resist. I happen to be flush with 9mm at present thus was saved. I even started to go back on second thought. Thanks for the read and consider me spared any damage that could have occurred. Dog Soilder americanreloading.com was where they were if youre interested.

 

[Walkalong]

How did electrocution get into a discussion on cartridge metal alloy?

You must have missed that earlier thread veer.

I can always delete it if it makes you happier.

 

[Dog Soldier]

No don't do that. I posted that as a question. Not a condemnation. Thanks for your post very nice.

 

[Catpop]

IMHO, steel cases are better for this purpose, they rust away to practically nothing in a few years, the aluminum sit there a very long time, as will brass.

Steel oxidizes very fast in the presence of moisture and oxygen. Aluminum tends to be self inhibiting as it covers itself with a white powder coating.
I too have retrieved aluminum cases from the range. I found if the aluminum cases were rained on and left any peroid of time (ie 2 weeks) they quickly oxidized beyond safe use.

 

[jmorris]

Well, it took me almost a week to find it but here is the firing pin stop, I was talking about in #24, that was "torched" using CCI blazer aluminum cases (factory new). IIRC was in the 15-20k round count area before noticed. Part is factory Springfield Armory.

 

[Walkalong]

60 bucks free shipping was 30 bucks worth of primers and no shipping

At the price on the web page right now it would be $76 for a 1000 primers and cases good for one firing. An expensive way to buy primers. $35 for 1K primers (Can be done cheaper) and $40 for 1K brass cases, and you're better off.

 

[kingmt]

You did forward that to Blazer didn't you.

 

[Decoy80]

Americanreloading.com sends a plethra of e mail specials and they dont charge for shipping. The deal offered was 1k of new primed FC aluminum 9mm cases. 59.95 if memory serves me correctly. I have a fat 50 ammo can of primed brass in 9mm when I get ready to load a few more its just throw charges and seat bullets. My Mother once old me it wasnt really a bargain if you didnt need the merchandise, rest her soul. That advice kept me from learning the hard way about loading aluminum cases. Thanks to all of you folks for the comments and sharing the things yall knew from not having the benefit of reading posts but through hard learned knoweledge.

 

[kingmt]

9mm brass is free anywhere the public shoots with no call for policing it. The primers I'm on cost me 2 cents each including shipping.

I don't like leaving brass but I have enough these days I can.

I don't think there is a hazmat charge on primed cases. However there not legal to ship USPS. This comment is going to catch a bunch of flack but the last time I read it even fired cases with the primer still in it wasn't legal. I know it's done all the time but do is speeding & some people are never caught at that. Others ship illegal drugs & are never caught. Just FYI.

 

[Walkalong]

My Mother once old me it wasnt really a bargain if you didnt need the merchandise, rest her soul.

Smart women.

 

[Walkalong]

I don't think there is a hazmat charge on primed cases.

Correct, there is not.

 

[DeadEye9]

Just wondering, where does one buy never fired aluminum cases?
Or are this Blazer cartridges that have had the bullets pulled

I get them from American Reloading sometimes. They're decently priced. I actually do keep some in one of my bug out bags, but they're properly sealed. I did this for weight savings purposes. Haven't loaded .45 in aluminum but approx 1500rds of 9mm of which I've fired about half so far with no issue. I use moderate to high charges of CFE Pistol for this purpose. Shoots well, ejects well and so far has stored just fine. Just keep them sealed up and I don't forsee any issues of corrosion, but the CFE was used as an extra safety net as I figured the corrosion inhibitors in the powder may not help but they surely won't hurt either. 45 ACP is a low pressure load so I thing you would be fine with any moderate book load that has proven its worth in brass, however as is always the case with new cases of any manufacture you should work up and a ladder and test in YOUR guns. Good luck.

 

[DeadEye9]

And just out of curiousity How does aluminum case anmo destroy a gun now? I think it's more of an issue of the gun itself isn't versatile then the ammo is "destructive". Just like there's dozens of articles about how "steel ammo broke my AR" but it was in fact an inferior rifle design from the gate because some weapons can in fact function with brass/aluminum/steel all uniformly with zero issues.

 

[Load Master]

And just out of curiousity How does aluminum case anmo destroy a gun now? I think it's more of an issue of the gun itself isn't versatile then the ammo is "destructive". Just like there's dozens of articles about how "steel ammo broke my AR" but it was in fact an inferior rifle design from the gate because some weapons can in fact function with brass/aluminum/steel all uniformly with zero issues.

Now you guys are string the pot!! I'm not going to try and convince someone that aluminum or Steel cases didn't destroy their gun. I just don't understand the mechanism behind this theory that all aluminum or steel is bad. How many rounds of these other than brass cases does it take to destroy one's gun? One, two, ten, hundreds, thousands?

 

[kingmt]

I get them from American Reloading sometimes. They're decently priced. I actually do keep some in one of my bug out bags, but they're properly sealed. I did this for weight savings purposes. Haven't loaded .45 in aluminum but approx 1500rds of 9mm of which I've fired about half so far with no issue. I use moderate to high charges of CFE Pistol for this purpose. Shoots well, ejects well and so far has stored just fine. Just keep them sealed up and I don't forsee any issues of corrosion, but the CFE was used as an extra safety net as I figured the corrosion inhibitors in the powder may not help but they surely won't hurt either. 45 ACP is a low pressure load so I thing you would be fine with any moderate book load that has proven its worth in brass, however as is always the case with new cases of any manufacture you should work up and a ladder and test in YOUR guns. Good luck.

How about a 38 with a couple dozen brass & 1K primers to save space?

 

[Walkalong]

And just out of curiousity How does aluminum case anmo destroy a gun now? I think it's more of an issue of the gun itself isn't versatile then the ammo is "destructive". Just like there's dozens of articles about how "steel ammo broke my AR" but it was in fact an inferior rifle design from the gate because some weapons can in fact function with brass/aluminum/steel all uniformly with zero issues.

You are way off base with this. Firearms are designed to function with brass ammo, and brass is used for a good reason. Steel and aluminum simply don't have the needed elasticity to be optimal for ammunition. It's cheaper, and that is the only reason it is used at all. Nether steel or aluminum cases were designed to be reloaded, and there is where people have had trouble. It can function reliably for one use, but after that it's ability to do the job gets less and less. Brass is much better suited for making ammo, and exponentially better suited for reloading.

 

[Catpop]

Whoa, did I miss something here? Weren't we talking about new unused aluminum cases at the beginning of this thread? We all know you accept a liability with reloading once fired aluminum cases.

 

[DeadEye9]

You are way off base with this. Firearms are designed to function with brass ammo, and brass is used for a good reason. Steel and aluminum simply don't have the needed elasticity to be optimal for ammunition. It's cheaper, and that is the only reason it is used at all. Nether steel or aluminum cases were designed to be reloaded, and there is where people have had trouble. It can function reliably for one use, but after that it's ability to do the job gets less and less. Brass is much better suited for making ammo, and exponentially better suited for reloading.

Actually every metallurgist I've ever spoke to about it says that steel/aluminum FIRES just fine. The difference in these versus brass is that us does not contract after it expands and may cause ejection or extraction issues because of this, and is also the reason it cannot be reused. I don't see how a firearm with properly designed clearances can't be touted as running all cases equally, because I own a few of said firearms. S&W M&P line, my 15's eat steel without a single hiccup or part failure, always have. My M&P and Glock pistols never hiccuped with steel or alloy cases either. The weapons I hear people have issues with? Custom 1911s, self built or "top notch" ARs etc. (Why you would buy a $3,000 gun and feed it steel/aluminum is beyond me anyway, that's like putting no brand 87 in your new Ferrari) The main reason these particular guns don't function well with anything but brass is because they have extra tight tolerances with ultimate accuracy in mind. Saying that all guns are designed with only brass cartridges in mind is a very old way of thinking and is not accurate for 80% of the modern mass production firearms made today. Oh and the revolver with a few dozen cases and 1k primers is a good survival idea, but I'd rather have ready to go ammo for my bug out scenarios. I don't imagine time to be abundant in a critical situation so I really don't want to be fumbling with a cylinder, retaining brass etc. I want to change mags and get back to defending myself. That is a great long term option though, and I do have a lightwght single stage Reloading setup with a few choice dies and some components in a pelican case along with my bug out supplies should the need to relocate quickly ever come up. So your ideas do not fall on deaf ears my friend!

 

[Tcruse]

You are way off base with this. Firearms are designed to function with brass ammo, and brass is used for a good reason. Steel and aluminum simply don't have the needed elasticity to be optimal for ammunition. It's cheaper, and that is the only reason it is used at all. Nether steel or aluminum cases were designed to be reloaded, and there is where people have had trouble. It can function reliably for one use, but after that it's ability to do the job gets less and less. Brass is much better suited for making ammo, and exponentially better suited for reloading.

Certainly, brass is considered the standard today. However, in the past (WWII) time frame the US and other countries mostly used steel ammo. In the non-US world steel ammo with by-metal jacket is much preferred.