AR-15 & Steel Cased Ammo (i.e. Wolf)

[phoglund]

I built an AR-15 last year and would like to know if there are issues with shooting steel cased ammo. I don't worry about such things with my SKSs but then again I didn't spend $800 on them either. I'd like to get a lot of shooting in this summer without breaking the bank (or my AR!). Any information on this is greatly appreciated.

 

[Guns R Tools]

You might find following link's information useful.

http://theboxotruth.com/docs/edu18.htm

 

[phoglund]

Thanks! Interesting information.

 

[Joe7cri]

I've never had a problem with Wolf, but I usually shoot for accuracy and only pull the trigger every 3-4 sec. Some people say if you start pulling as fast as possible, you'll get a jam. But as I said, I've never had a problem!

 

[possum]

Try yo use the search function, we talk about this topic alot, and just the other day had a thread going. But I will say that I have never had any issues in an ar with wolf ammo, It is definetly not the most accurate ammo you can buy but it isn't supposed to be, it is good for close range work, and cqb drills which is over 75% of the trainning I do with my ar. I like it, for cqb drills It is perfect and even out to 150meters, decently accurate. No malfunctions, no relaibility issues with the ammo or the rifle/ ammo combo!

 

[Kevlarman]

Wolf (poly coated) works fine for me in my Cali-legal AR-15 wannabe as well as my SU-16A.

 

[Gary G23]

My experience has been it works okay in some rifles but not others. A chrome lined Nato chamber should help but is no guarantee. You just have to try it and see.

 

[Onmilo]

I am not a big fan of Wolf ammunition except the 7.62X39 stuff.
Shoot what you want though, I make pretty decent pocket change extracting Wolf cases from AR15 chambers.

 

[RomanKnight]

I thought it was OK, until the extractor from my M1A went flying, after about 400 rounds of 308 Wolf, the new and "improved" polymer coated. Steel case=bad mojo! Keep Wolf for Ak47s!

 

[Grump]

Well, I wouldn't blame that M14-type extractor failure on steel case ammo. I've known three people who had them fail in either M1 Garands or M14 types (design difference is inconsequential), PLUS my own, and not a single one had had a single round of steel-case fired.

That extractor is a known weak spot, and is why the mandatory spare parts kit includes all the bolt innards for both types of rifles.

I've fired only a few Wolf and Silver Bear steel-case rounds through an AR and there was no issue at all. Velocities out of a 20-inch tube were light--maybe 3050 to 3100 fps with 55-gr FMJBTs, but was not a problem for my 200-yard and less shooting.

 

[lycanthrope]

Runs very well in the four AR's I've used it in. None had chrome lined chambers.

One went 1000 rounds without cleaning the bolt or carrier.

Have bump fired a few mags and then followed up with some brass cased handloads and never had issue.

 

[g56]

Some AR's are picky about ammo, try some and see how your rifle handles it. I have shot about 1,000 rounds of Wolf 223 in one of my AR's with absolutely no problems, it's my plinking ammo for the AR.

 

[swingset]

posted by Onmilo
Shoot what you want though, I make pretty decent pocket change extracting Wolf cases from AR15 chambers.

Wow, I never thought of that as being a source of revenue. I have seen stuck cases in chambers, and plenty of shooters popping them out with cleaning rods but never imagined that people pay someone for the technical wizardry to do so.

Learn something new every day. So, how many Wolf-in-the-chambers do you see a day? 25, 30?

 

[Onmilo]

No, seven total.
It doesn't take a wizard to extract a stuck case with the base still intact if it is approached carefully.
It does take the skills of a gunsmith to extract a case that has had the base torn off or the remaining cartridge rim chewed up from improper attempts at removal or pieces of you can only imagine wedged into the bore and stuck in the cartridge case after the shooters attempt to remove the case went horribly wrong.

I just see the really bad cases.
That tells me the event is common enough to be a cause for concern.

Like I said, shoot what you want, shoot cheap, plan for problems and they won't be problems.

 

[Thin Black Line]

6K+ rds of wolf (not to mention ?K of various domestic and foreign
brass) thru one of my AR15s without a single case sticking.
Keep your chrome chamber clean and there won't be a problem.

Yes, a light tap of the cleaning rod will take care of most of the
stuck case problems. If you find yourself ready to resort to the
leatherman, you may want to ask for help instead.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I had several S&B cases stick in my Colt AR15. The Wolf was fine until the barrel got thin and did not spin the rounds sufficient. I don't know why, but Wolf lost flight capability before other brands. Eventually, the barrel had to be replaced. I went through about 4K of work ammo, saving some $$300 at the time. I was getting 1K of Wolf for like $125 versus $200 for Federal or Lake City. It was the nasty old green stuff. I hated the smell.

Making change removing stuck cases is nice. Owning a brass rod and doing it yourself is cheap and smart. If people were paying to have this done, they weren't so bright or didn't bother with the right gear. If they paid more than a brass rod would cost for the repair, they were not smart at all. If they did it more than once, they were clueless. A brass cleaning rod works nice, but you can get a cheaper solid rod from the hobby shop.

As for extactors, to my knowledge, the M1A isn't an AR15. What happens on the M1A isn't relevant. I have seen guns break using "good" ammo. When it happens at a low round count, it is usually a defective part. When it happens at an ammo change, it may be the part is stress or the ammo. I take it the M1A guy probably improperly diagnosed the problem as the ammo and didn't shoot it again. It may have been the ammo, but without following up, who would know for sure.

As for those who claim the steel is hard on the extractor, you can buy a couple with each case of Wolf and still save money. You can buy a new Bushmaster Bolt and carrier, all the parts, with savings from the purchase of 2-3 cases. If you like it for what you shoot and it works in your gun, you would almost be stupid NOT to shoot Wolf for plinking and play.

How does the new ammo smell?

 

[CPPME]

Wolf ammo for .223 is a bit dirty for my taste in a AR
7.62x39 runs fine thru my SKS however the last few boxes purchased had about a 10% FTF due to bad primers.

 

[Still 2 Many Choices!?]

There are exactly 2 problems with Wolf ammo in .223 and AR's...

One, the case for .223 is not sloped like that of 7.62X39 wich can make extration harder if the chamber gets ,"gummed up". Two, Wolf ammo(poly or the old stuff) uses a nasty red primer sealant, that flakes off and gets into everything from the magazine body, to the chamber, to the shooters face if not careful... Shoot some Wolf ammo, atleast a few hundred rounds and then check your mags, chamber, and internal surfaces of the AR you will find primer sealant flakes everywhere. It is not a super major issue if you clean your weapon but it does amount to more cleaning. I fired 650 rounds of Wolf laquer back in the day without cleaning the weapon as a test with nary a failure, but the cleaning of the chamber and all my magazines was a ROYAL PITA. Having said all that, Wolf is cheap, and I have found it to be reliable minus the odor and slower muzzle velocity it generates. I agree with most people that it is fine for close up plinking, but do yourself a favor and clean your MAGS and WEAPON full...

To the myth that it is harder on the throat of a weapon, it is just that, a myth. If you can live with the above defficiences of the ammo, shoot till you empty your supply and then clean the heck out of your weapon. Just my 0.02 cents .

 

[MechAg94]

If you want cheap ammo, Wolf is some of the best I have used in that category. I have tried to use cheap no name ammo bought at gun shows with poor results, but Wolf has functioned very well for me for plinking.

 

[iamkris]

How many times must this subject come up?

 

[phoglund]

As many times as it takes I guess.