Broken extractors due to steel cased ammo?

[tnieto2004]

How many people have actually broken an extractor while shooting steel cased ammo? I hear people say, “I’ll never shoot steel case through my gun”, but don’t hear or witness any broken extractors. Just wondering how common it is and if I should keep backup extractors if I want to shoot steel cased ammo. Thanks for your input!

Ar15's specifically...

 

[gvnwst]

Most of it is just mall ninja like people complaining about something that don't exist, i fire almost ALL wolf through my AR, and it is fine.

 

[madcratebuilder]

+1
You may, just maybe see some additional wear after 10-20,000 rounds.

 

[marktx]

Why not just pick up a spare and not worry? Armalite has them for $15 and CMMG has a bolt refurb kit with extractor and some other extras for $25.

 

[briansmithwins]

About 2k of Wolf thru my ARs. Still on the original extractor.

The cash I've saved by shooting Wolf would have paid for a new bolt.

BSW

 

[Onmilo]

I have had this happen with two different rifles using Chinese steel case .308 ammunition and the extractors weren't broken, they were blown off the bolts.

One rifle was a Century Arms L1A1 FAL type rifle and the other rifle was my beater M1A.

I have yet to see an extractor failure from any .223 rifle using steel case ammo though I have removed my fair share of stuck cases from the chambers of .223 rifles and have not seen this issue in any other caliber though I have had to remove a couple of cases from chambers that the heads had seperated from, one in .30/06 Silver Bear and one from an SKS, ammo unknown, but the case body looked like Wolf.
The .30/06 came from a bolt action Mauser action rifle.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I have had this happen with two different rifles using Chinese steel case .308 ammunition and the extractors weren't broken, they were blown off the bolts.

Blown off or pulled off? If blown off, then it would not be a product of the case being steel. If pulled off, then maybe so.

 

[SHvar]

Never actually heard of a damaged extractor on any rifle using steel cased ammo. Within 2 cases you can save enough money to buy an extra bolt assembly within 3 you could buy an enhanced bolt assembly with the savings.
If you are really rough on it in around 30,000-100,000 rds you might need to replace it probably (30-100 cases later).
Dont be scared by the hype. I use loads and loads of barnaul brown bear.

 

[nalioth]

I believe this got started a few years back with a crop of cheap-chinese parts from a fly-by-night vendor.

. . and once the story got out. . .

like the "WASRS ALL HAVE CANTED SIGHTS AND MAG WOBBLE!!!"

and "BULGARIAN 1953 7.62x25 AMMO WILL BLOW UP YOUR PISTOL"

and other myth-proportional stories, it has never gone away.


You should never have an issue with a quality firearm and steel cased ammunition.

 

[WardenWolf]

Most likely it occurs due to a combination of lacquer and carbon buildup. And / or people trying to shoot brass after shooting steel. Shooting brass after shooting a lot of steel is a surefire way to have problems, as fouling that gets past the non-expanding steel shrinks the chamber too small for the expanding brass. I'm guessing someone tried this combination, then blamed the steel cased ammo because that's the only thing he could think of, never thinking that you shouldn't mix the two. Properly cleaning before switching ammo types will prevent the problem.

 

[Gary G23]

I broke one in a Bushmaster after ten thousand rounds of commie ammo.