What’s the status of aluminum case handgun ammo?

[jski]

I remember the negativity surrounding aluminum case ammo for it first appeared in the ‘70’s (?). What’s the status of aluminum case ammo for handguns today? I assume it’s progressed since then?

A) For revolvers?
B) For autoloaders?

 

[DaddioDan]

I’ve shot the Blazer aluminum case thru both revolvers and semiautomatics. Not a problem with either.

 

[buck460XVR]

Not really reloadable is the only issue it has. For those that don't reload and are looking for cheap plinking ammo, it's a good option, similar to steel cased .223. Most that I have shot(not much and not for a while) was pretty anemic stuff. Good range fodder, but not much else.

 

[Jonesy814]

I know a guy with a real deal full auto Thompson submachine gun. The last time I visited him, we bought a case of Blazer aluminum 45 ammo. The Thompson ran 100% with it

 

[Riomouse911]

I’ve shot aluminum Blazer in pretty much every caliber they load. To the best of my recollection it’s always been 100% reliable and decently accurate for me...in semi auto, revolver or rifle .

I use it in my Rossi .357/.38 a lot because the extractor is really stiff and chews up the rims on my reloadable brass cartridge cases (even after a Steve’s Gunz extractor Fix!). No worries about chewing up the non reloadable Blazers.

Stay safe!

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I shoot lots of the Federal Aluminum FMJ 9mm and .45, good range ammo. Never had an issue.

 

[beag_nut]

Because I reload whatever cases I shoot, I won't go near the aluminum stuff, since it is non-reloadable.

 

[JohnKSa]

I have one gun (CZ75B) that doesn't seem to like it. It fails to eject once every box or two.

I noticed that with one of my semi-autos, it seemed to be MUCH less resistant to setback due to rechambering. Not a problem, just something to be aware of.

I've shot a lot of it over the years and other than the two issues above, I've never had a problem.

Used to be it was about half the price of the brass-cased ammo. These days the much smaller price difference makes it much less interesting to me.

 

[MedWheeler]

I remember it being pretty bad back in the '80s, but I found about half a box of it from back then and ran it through a Bersa Thunder 380, and the gun ate it all up with nary a choke. It was a Interarms/Walther PPK/S I had issues with back then; the gun ran brass-cased stuff fine. To be honest, I don't remember shooting it in any other caliber back then.

Now, the only gun for which I have any Blazer alum-cased stuff is a Bulgarian Makarov, and I don't think there is a round made that a PM won't run.

 

[jski]

I’ve shot aluminum Blazer in pretty much every caliber they load. To the best of my recollection it’s always been 100% reliable and decently accurate for me...in semi auto, revolver or rifle .

I use it in my Rossi .357/.38 a lot because the extractor is really stiff and chews up the rims on my reloadable brass cartridge cases (even after a Steve’s Gunz extractor Fix!). No worries about chewing up the non reloadable Blazers.

Stay safe!

I’ve read that CCI aluminum case .357 rounds are really wimpy, more like 38 Specials -P? Someone in a review commented that he had chronographed them at ~750 FPS. BUT that review was from ~9 yrs ago.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I've shot aluminum cased ammo in both revolvers and pistols without issue. When traveling, I would buy CCI Blazer aluminum in preference to Winchester White Box for classes

Some early stuff was a little reluctant to eject from a J-frame, but brass cases were almost as reluctant (short ejection rod). The CCI .44Spl loading is my default factory defensive load in my S&W 696

 

[TTv2]

I've found that PPU and Fiocchi brass ammo is so good, there's no reason to bother with Aluminum. Yeah, the prices are a couple bucks more a box, but you get brass you can keep forever or sell to others if you want and the accuracy with PPU and Fiocchi is much better than the Aluminum crap that Federal/CCI makes.

 

[jski]

I'd certainly take aluminum over steel. The steel has to be lacquered or covered in a polymer to prevent rust. The Tula .30 Carbine rounds had to be hammered from my Blackhawk cylinder using brass cleaning rod. In autoloaders you have the steel of the action v. the steel of the case.

And then there's the polymer cases waiting in the wings. Call me old school but I'd rather have a metal v. a plastic case.

 

[huntsman]

The status is it’s cheap and reliable in .40S&W, .45 and .380 acp. WM sells the Federal aluminum cheaper than blazer and since I don’t reload there’s no twinge of regret when I leave the cases laying in the grass.

 

[mcb]

I've found that PPU and Fiocchi brass ammo is so good, there's no reason to bother with Aluminum. Yeah, the prices are a couple bucks more a box, but you get brass you can keep forever or sell to others if you want and the accuracy with PPU and Fiocchi is much better than the Aluminum crap that Federal/CCI makes.

I have shot a lot of PPU M193 in my AR and love it but I have been very disappointed with PPU pistol ammunition I have bought. I have successfully reloaded Blazer Aluminum 45 ACP. I have yet to successfully reload PPU brass 38 S&W.

 

[somethingbenign]

I'd probably pick AL stuff over steel if the price is anywhere close. I get aluminum scrap from work and while it isn't worth much it certainly is worth more than steel. I'd just toss the cases in my scrap pile and make back a cent or two.

 

[AK103K]

Because I reload whatever cases I shoot, I won't go near the aluminum stuff, since it is non-reloadable.

Last year, I came across a bunch of Federal aluminum cases at my range. I was always under the impression they were Berdan primed, but there weren't, standard Boxer.

The cases were marked Federal 9mm with NR on either side of the primer. I assume it means "not reloadable". I was curious as to whether or not they could be reloaded, in a pinch if need be, so I loaded up 100 of them and ran a little test.

I didnt have any problems reloading them, everything went as normal. I used the same load I use with my brass cases, 124 grain FMJ's over 231.

At the range, everything shot like normal. I threw the cases in the tumbler and proceded as normal. I did find around 5 cases with splits at the necks, but that was it. Reloaded and shot them again, and again, for another four more times, for a total of 6 reloads. Each time, I lost around 5 cases to split necks.

Im not saying that its something Id do every time, but its nice to know, if they are all you have, they are certainly usable.

 

[mcb]

Last year, I came across a bunch of Federal aluminum cases at my range. I was always under the impression they were Berdan primed, but there weren't, standard Boxer.

The cases were marked Federal 9mm with NR on either side of the primer. I assume it means "not reloadable". I was curious as to whether or not they could be reloaded, in a pinch if need be, so I loaded up 100 of them and ran a little test.

I didnt have any problems reloading them, everything went as normal. I used the same load I use with my brass cases, 124 grain FMJ's over 231.

At the range, everything shot like normal. I threw the cases in the tumbler and proceded as normal. I did find around 5 cases with splits at the necks, but that was it. Reloaded and shot them again, and again, for another four more times, for a total of 6 reloads. Each time, I lost around 5 cases to split necks.

Im not saying that its something Id do every time, but its nice to know, if they are all you have, they are certainly usable.

I have a very similar experience with Blazer Aluminum 45 ACP. A buddy was shooting a lot of it at USPSA matches. So I picked up a bunch and reloaded it with my standard USPSA load at the time. Mostly on a whim because everyone said I shouldn't and like you I assumed it was Berdan primed and when I looked it was boxer. The 45 seemed to split a bit faster than you experience in 9mm by the time I had reloaded it three times I had split about 80% of the cases I started with. That said it ran fine and even when it split it was just the mouth and never caused a functional issue. Not something I do normally either but it was an interesting experiment.

 

[jeepnik]

Guess what, I haven't found an aluminum recycler that will take blaser cases yet.

 

[jski]

Guess what, I haven't found an aluminum recycler that will take blaser cases yet.

Seems boneheaded.

 

[beag_nut]

[QUOTE="AK103K, post: 10866972, member: 1358

Reloaded and shot them again, and again, for another four more times, for a total of 6 reloads. Each time, I lost around 5 cases to split necks.

Im not saying that its something Id do every time, but its nice to know, if they are all you have, they are certainly usable.[/QUOTE]
Well, that performance (splitting) is about ten times as bad as what I get from brass cases. If that much.

 

[FL-NC]

My Glocks don't seem to mind it, but they will pretty much run with anything. I have also tried it in several 1911's and it did fine.

 

[Slamfire]

By the way, George Frost, in his book "Making Ammunition" states that aluminum case ammunition is coated with a wax coating. The coating is there to break the friction between case and chamber. I would have to look it up, but if my memory is correct, without the wax coating the aluminum case would have a habit of sticking, causing a jam. Coating cases with wax is a principal that John Pedersen patented in 1930.


http://www.google.com/patents/US1780566

Patented Nov. 4, 1930 PATENT OFFICE JOHN DOUGLAS PEDERSEN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 11,0 Drawing.

This invention relates to a process for coating cartridges and more particularly the affixing of a coating of hard wax to the metal case of a cartridge; and the object of the invention is to provide a method whereby cartridges may be coated with great uniformity with an extremely thin film, and also whereby a relatively large number of cartridges may be coated in a short time and at small cost.

In the preparation of cartridges having metal cases for storage and for use, it has been found desirable to apply to said metal case a relatively thin coating of some protective substance which will preserve said metal case for comparatively long periods of time against-deterioration, such as season cracking. In the present invention, the material for said coating has been so chosen as to perform the additional function of acting as a lubricant for the case of the cartridge, both for facilitating introduction into the chamber of the gun and the extraction thereof after firing. The most suitable wax which I have found for this purpose and which I at present prefer is ceresin, a refined product of ozokerite; but I wish it to be understood that other waxes having similar qualities may exist which might serve equally well. Some of the desirable features of ceresin are that it is hard and non-tacky at ordinary temperatures having a melting point somewhere between 140 and 176 Fahrenheit. It is smooth and glassy when hard and does not gather dirt or dust. However, when the ceresin on the cartridges is melted in the chamber of a gun, it becomes a lubricant.


Other lubricating waxes have been employed for coating cartridges, and the method most generally pursued for applying said coating to the cartridge case has been to prepare a heated bath of a solution of the wax in a suitable solvent, dip the cartridges therein so that a film of the solution will adhere thereto, and finally withdraw the cartridges to permit the solvent to evaporate from the coating film. This former process is comparatively slow and has been found lacking in several important respects.

General Hatcher in his book, "Hatcher's Notebook" , said you could not tell the wax was on the 276 Pedersen cartridge if you did not previously know it was on the cartridge. I recently found that the Germans wax coated billions of 8 X 57mm steel case rounds during WW1, to break the friction between case and chamber, and ensure reliable extraction. I don't know if Pedersen knew about this, it could have been his invention was created independently.

I don't recommend reloading aluminum cases, but if you do, you might consider leaving the sizing lube on.

 

[Kp321]

I keep a few aluminum 45 and 9mm cases around to build action testing dummies. Since I don't use any aluminum case ammo, it is obvious which rounds are the dummies.

 

[Tallball]

I've shot aluminum-cased stuff occasionally over the years. It's always worked fine.