Using steel cased ammo?

[rimfireguy]

never had any issues with steel case ammo my mini 14 ,ar and ak eat the stuff all day with no issues

 

[rimfireguy]

just watch out for the corrosive Steelcase surplus ammo got to clean your guns real well after each use

 

[pepsiray77]

From what I can see, steel case gets a bad rap.

The steel used is much softer than the steel used on barrels and extractors, so it's not going to wear them much more than brass. If you have a high-end AR or M-14 you might want to avoid it, but it's worth remembering that the Army issued steel-cased ammo during WW-II.

Also, steel has less lubricity than brass, so there is a little more friction on extracting the spent case from the chamber. Is it significant? That's up for debate. Again, if you have a high-end, match quality rifle then you are probably going to be better off in the long run shooting brass.

The only issue I could find that seems legit is using steel in bullet construction. Raw steel in contact with the rifling will wear it away a lot faster, which is why most steel bullets have at least a copper wash to engage the rifling.

Best answer!

 

[jpm2953]

shoot the crap out of it. Never had any issues. People that are anti-steel ammo either have too much money or have never shot it themselves.

 

[Kain8719]

Have shot a number of it over the years. Personal observations, at least dirtier, if not down right filthy, usually less accurate then other factory ammo. Hornady Steel match has proven to be very accurate out of two of my rifles. However, Steel cased ammo has also proven to generally be much weaker then comparable brass cased ammo and in some firearms this proves to be a problem in function. I've had glocks and ARs that would not reliably lock back with Wolf and Tula ammo but with brass cased I rarely had any issues.

Generally if I can get it significantly cheaper then I will buy it for range ammo. I do not stockpile steel cased ammo however.

 

[DTK Supply]

If you'll keep it clean, to include the chamber you shouldn't have any issues from a milspec rifle.

It would be good to know how to remove and clean your gas tube also, steel IS dirty.

 

[Bear44]

Thanks guys. I just needed confirmation I was being paranoid.

 

[GA-Silver]

My Hi Point carbine loves the steel stuff.....

 

[spencer60]

...steel IS dirty.

Agreed, although there are rounds like Hornady Steel Match that use good quality powder and shoot just as clean as any other round they make. In general though, if they use a steel case it's for budget reasons, so I guess 'floor sweepings' for powder shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[Deaken]

My biggest complaint with steel cased ammo is that the fired casings blend in with the gravel very well and make picking up a little more of a pain but I'll keep buying