I think simply for reloading purposes (brass). I have shot 1,000's of steel in a bushmaster AR, never a problem. ( I never left one in the chamber after shooting a couple mags) so I can't speak to a round sticking.
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- Thread starter MRH
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This article clearly outlines the pros and cons of steel\brass:
http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/
http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/
Barrels shot out in 60% of the time
That luckygunner article is pretty good. Barrels shot out in 6000 rounds is enough of a reason to stay away from that stuff.
Really. The article also says this:
"The difference in price between brass and steel cased (more specifically, copper jacketed and bimetal jacketed) ammunition means that you’ll have plenty of savings with which to buy new barrels – even if you shoot so fast that you replace them every 4,000 rounds. For this chart, brass ammunition was calculated at $130 per thousand higher than steel and replacement barrels at $250 apiece."
Which goes to my point. FOR ME, if you shoot so much that you are replacing barrels at 6k instead of 10k you are only saving the cost of a $250 barrel twice every 30k rounds shot (3 barrels at 10k vs 5 at 6k). 30 Cases... even at only $100 difference... that's $3k to replace 2 barrels (which costs a total of $500).
I shoot alot... but I've never shot 30k rounds thru any one gun.
"The difference in price between brass and steel cased (more specifically, copper jacketed and bimetal jacketed) ammunition means that you’ll have plenty of savings with which to buy new barrels – even if you shoot so fast that you replace them every 4,000 rounds. For this chart, brass ammunition was calculated at $130 per thousand higher than steel and replacement barrels at $250 apiece."
Which goes to my point. FOR ME, if you shoot so much that you are replacing barrels at 6k instead of 10k you are only saving the cost of a $250 barrel twice every 30k rounds shot (3 barrels at 10k vs 5 at 6k). 30 Cases... even at only $100 difference... that's $3k to replace 2 barrels (which costs a total of $500).
I shoot alot... but I've never shot 30k rounds thru any one gun.
I used the BCG because most people that I know that won't use steel use the BCG wear excuse. The claim is the steel is harder on the BCG than the same round in brass. I don't hold to that theory, but if even if it proves true the savings is still worth it to me.
I have 3 or four extra BCG sitting around so if one happens to break I have a spare.
I have never had an issue with extractors on any AR shooting steel or brass. It's not something that is claimed as a concern by anyone I know of. Admitted I run in small circles... but others in my Mall Ninja clan are pretty vocal.
For what it's worth when AR and AR parts are so cheap you can basically build a whole new rifle from the savings of 4 or 5 cases.
Steel cases are harder than brass, I'm sure, but nowhere near the hardness of steel made gun parts. Even cheap gun parts are much harder than the soft steel used for casings.
Steel bullets may wear on a barrel faster, I can't say, but they have done nothing to my AK barrels over the years, and I've shot thousands of them. Admittedly, not all were steel bullets.
Steel bullets may wear on a barrel faster, I can't say, but they have done nothing to my AK barrels over the years, and I've shot thousands of them. Admittedly, not all were steel bullets.
This is pretty good.
Another thing to note is they shot these guns so fast they could hardly touch them. In most normal shooting situations I imagine barrels would last longer than 6k and 10k. The article also said the brass-cased shot acceptable groups at 10k, so it wasn't shot out and who knows at what level it would have been shot out.
In any event, the math certainly works out for using steel case ammo.
Just got 2 cases coming my way !!
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