STEEL CASINGS vs BRASS

[trackskippy]

I do.

Wasted an hour of my morning loading the half a case of 9mm I shot last week.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Steel cases don't expand as readily as brass, so "sealing" the chamber may be an issue. This means more carbon will flow back past a steel case mouth. As it builds up it may hinder extraction, putting more stress on the extractor as it does its job.

2019 Lucky Gunner steel ammunition testing

THAT makes sense to me, because I fully understand steel case does not expand like brass with the resulting cleanliness issues you described.

However, I did not consider how this would affect the extractor.

Thank you!

 

[hawg]

THAT makes sense to me, because I fully understand steel case does not expand like brass with the resulting cleanliness issues you described.

However, I did not consider how this would affect the extractor.

Thank you!

I've ran several hundred rounds through my AR with no extraction issues. Back in the early days of steel cases they used varnish on them to keep them from rusting. When barrels got hot it started to melt and that made extraction difficult. They haven't used varnish for many years.

 

[lysanderxiii]

This whole "should only be fired in guns designed for it" is nonsense. Steel cased ammunition has been around for over a century. It was and still is, not as desirable as brass. It may mean more diligence in cleaning, but is not harmful in the least.

A few billion steel cased .45 ACP and .30 Carbine were made during WW2, and used until the 1980s.

 

[dogtown tom]

A few billion steel cased .45 ACP and .30 Carbine were made during WW2, and used until the 1980s.

Yup, see the link I posted in this thread: Post #33

 

[Seven High]

Has anyone called Sig or Glock customer service about their opinion on steel case ammunition? I would be interested, but not enough to actually call them…..

 

[Whiskeyhotel2020]

Foxtrot Mike products inc. Says that their FMP 9 actually runs great with steel. They strongly advice against aluminum. I have not run steel cased ammo yet however, I do plan on ordering from freedom munitions.
I can't bring myself to use anything but brass in my 1911s but will consider it if ammo keeps getting hard to find and costly.

 

[dogtown tom]

Has anyone called Sig or Glock customer service about their opinion on steel case ammunition? I would be interested, but not enough to actually call them…..

Or you could read the owners manual:

Do not use reloaded, remanufactured, or handloaded ammunition because it may not meet applicable SAAMI, CIP or NATO standards and could cause death, serious personal injury, and/or property damage. Only use high quality commercially manufactured ammunition in the same caliber as your GLOCK pistol. (Note: Use of reloaded, remanufactured ,or handloaded ammunition will void the warranty).

Back when most manufacturers included a fired cartridge case in the box, Glock was using aluminum CCI Blazer 9mm.

 

[Bcwitt]

Makes little difference w practice loads. I'd use brass for more serious use.

 

[Reloadron]

There are quite a lot of references to .45 ACP being manufactured with steel cases during WWII and quite a lot of folks here have actually encountered it. What I've not encountered is any reference to a requirement of firearms being designed to use steel ammo during the war years. I've also not found any reference to an acceptable level of risk of/or damage to existing firearms from using said steel ammo.

Yep, 1943. Here are a few examples of steel case .45 ACP and those steel pennies we tried finding as a kid.



The head stamps are ECS 43. Not all US Arsenal .45 ACP was steel case in 1943 but some were. They worked just fine in the 1911 guns they were made for.

Ron