There are many, many, threads on the topic. Bottom line is just make sure you clean her well after a shooting session. Chamber will get a little nasty since they don't expand as much.
If you plan on running 5,000 rounds in a session just swab out the chamber after a couple of thousand, lube her and keep going to the end.
In normal use "again normal being a few hundred rounds at the range" you will see no difference.
I will also run a couple of Brass shells for about every 20 steel rounds and not sure if it really benefits anything but have had no problems so I keep doing it. Read the the brass will expand and remove some of the carbon and/or lacquer.
dmkollector,
Why no steel cases at your local indoor range? Do they not want to have to sort it out for selling or recycling? Other than that I can't figure out why no steel unless they provide some guns for shooting and don't want steel in their own guns.
I have and do shoot steel cased in my Mini-30. I have had zero issues with it. You may be right Hellgate. In my opinion I think some ranges do not allow steel cased ammo because it is pretty much trash and picking it up has no monetary value where as spent brass has some value and is worth the time it takes to pick it up especially if they sell reloads.
Thanks guys, I have heard never use steel case ammo in a Mini 30 - lots of jams. After reading your posts, I am running out and buying as much as I can!
"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly." Thomas Paine
Thanks guys, I have heard never use steel case ammo in a Mini 30 - lots of jams. After reading your posts, I am running out and buying as much as I can!
"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly." Thomas Paine
I have not had any jams or heard of others having jams from steel case ammo, just misfires from the Berdan primers out of some Mini's. Some Mini's shoot them 100 %, some don't. Mine didn't, but I fitted a spare pin to have longer protrusion for Russkie ammo.
About a year ago, I went to shoot my AR-15 at Front Sight in Pahrump, Nevada during a firearms class. I had 500 rounds of Silver Bear 62 grain hollow points. The casings were definitely steel, so the magnet stuck to the bullet. I was told that I couldn't shoot those rounds, and they offered to sell me some high dollar ammo. I declined and stated I'd just sit thru the class. I inquired as to why I could not use that ammo, and was informed that the steel rounds would perforate their steel targets and the cost to replace them would be prohibitive. I had shot them at my personal steel targets and noted they did not penetrate the steel and made a much smaller indentation than my hand loads using full metal jackets, I was a bit confused to say the least. Note you can't shoot reloads, nor are you able to pick up your empty cases. To make a long story even longer, a range master checked over my ammo, and traded me some of his ammo which was what looked like discarded ammo left at the range over the previous classes (different case manufacturers etc. but all brass casings). I did ask the range master what happened to all the empty casing left at the range, and was told he was not at liberty to say. Suppose that is the reason for not allowing the Silver Bear HP's?
They sell those cases to Freedom and other reloaders, but those guys have machines that seperate steel cases I would imagine. Maybe not though and that's why it's prohibited, so it doesn't cut into their resale profit.
I read many stories about Tulammo,Silver and Brown Bear steel cased .223 being "useless,failure to fire,failure to eject and stuck in chamber junk, and so dirty you can't shoot more than 10 rounds without cleaning''.My opinion, it's just not true. I agree that you can get some sub standard and bad quality ammo occasionally, but that can happen with the pricey name brands too. I've shot about 700 rds of Tulammo steel cased .223 through my AR556 with zero problems, and the amount of dirt in the bolt and action isn't much more than Federals and PMC. I've shot hundreds of rds of steel cased ammo through my Rugers,SP101,P345,SR45, LCP and a Chinese SKS and had no problems at all, I do spend a lot of time cleaning after a range trip, and i always clean a new weapon thoroughly before shooting it. I think a lot of the problems that occur after shooting steel cased ammo is from improper care and maintenance of the firearm.I will continue to shoot the steel cased ammo, you can't beat the price!
I have shot steel case ammo in all my gun except my Kel Tec sub 2000 (that's another story). No problems at all. My favorite indoor range won't let you shoot rounds if the projectile is magnetic. Claiming it will ruin the back stop. Most of my steel case stuff gets shot in the desert. If we have period of civil disruption I don't think anybody would care if it is steel or brass just as long as you have it.
I bought a case of the Tulammo 9mm and it has the silver "bimetal" jacket on the bullet.............
I'm not gonna sweat it, I bought it to shoot through my 9mm Blackhawk, and I doubt a few or 10,000 rounds will put any excessive wear on my barrel.
If you can afford to shoot enough steel case through a $5-700 handgun to wear the barrel out you can afford to rebarrel or replace the gun.
Granted, no, if I had a high-dollar handgun like an HK USP or one of those all-steel Sigs, then I wouldn't shoot steel case through it. But, if you've got something like a range blaster Taurus PT92 or a tank like a P89 then blast away.
Glad to see the link to the Epic Torture Test posted. With everything that has been said the most important thing is to check with the firearms manufacturer as to the use of aluminum or steel cased ammo. One of my manuals say it is OK to use steel or aluminum cased ammo (Ruger SR40). Other manuals do not mention it. One says no steel but does not mention aluminum.
I have used steel cased ammo in two handguns, one a 9mm, and the other a .40, as well as in my AR 556, and have never had any problems with it in any of the guns.
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