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Throwback Thursday: Shooting Steel-Cased Ammo In Your AR-15

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Saw this article and thought it would be a good post since this subject has been discussed several times on here, me personally, I don’t use steel case ammo period, but that’s just me.

blog.cheaperthandirt.com

Throwback Thursday: Shooting Steel-Cased Ammo In Your AR-15 - The Shooter's Log

With the cost of ammo, may shooters are looking for a more cost-effective option. But is it ok to shoot steel-cased ammo in your AR-15 rifle?
blog.cheaperthandirt.com blog.cheaperthandirt.com
 
I've literally shot thousands and thousands of steel through my AR H-Bar with not one problem EVER. Shot steel through the HK 91 as well.
Is it dirtier? Yes. Does it shoot good groups? Yes. As tight as brass? No.
Out on the farm I find the advantage is steel is much easier to find and pick up in tall grass with a good magnet. Try and do that with brass.
 
When steel gets hot it expands. This is the source of most problems related to steel cased ammo. Besides the fact that it's hard on extractors. My ARs will all run it. I know because I have shot a full mag out of each one. Then again I watched my buddy run a couple hundred out of his and the next mag one got stuck in the chamber. In fact both times I have been on the range with him and his ARs he suffered show stopping malfunctions, including a broken extractor pin.

Steel isn't so much cheaper that I am even tempted to buy any. I've shot thousands of rounds of Lake City and IWI brass through all my ARs without ever having a single issue. Your mileage may vary.
 
Probably posted before, I've used it a little with 100% success. Have a full case in the ammo locker to use up some time...I get a little sense of accomplishment if I wear out a part on a firearm and need to replace it. Thus, I'm not worried about an extractor, pin or bolt. Especially not worried about it being dirtier. I have a cleaning kit for that.

However, I almost always buy brass.
 
Jfal said:
Probably posted before, I've used it a little with 100% success. Have a full case in the ammo locker to use up some time...I get a little sense of accomplishment if I wear out a part on a firearm and need to replace it. Thus, I'm not worried about an extractor, pin or bolt. Especially not worried about it being dirtier. I have a cleaning kit for that.

However, I almost always buy brass.
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All of the issues my buddy had happened after the gun was good and hot. It also happened after he got the gun good and hot and then took a short break or put a few through a different weapon and came back to the AR. If for some reason I had a case of it to use up I would probably shoot a couple hundred rounds first every range trip and then switch to brass. Or more likely I would sell to someone who liked steel cased ammo.
 
I used to run a lot of steel through AR’s back when I took high round count classes (like, 1k in a 2 day session)…the price break was a lot better then, too (I think the last time I bought steel, it was running about $175/case for 55gr, where brass was running around $300).

Never had a stuck case, but I did replace my extractor every few thousand rounds…with the money saved in ammo, it was still cheaper.
 
The problem with steel cased ammo is that it often has bi-metal bullets loaded into it. Bi-metal bullets have a soft steel jacket plated in copper. It hard to tell the difference, but a Magnet will give it away.

I saw a guy claim on the internet he had two exactly the same AR-15's, one he used steel jacketed bi-metal bullets and the other only copper jacketed bullets. He "claimed" the barrel that only copper jacketed ammunition lasted twice as long as the barrel that only bi-metal jacketed ammunition was used in. I forget the round count but it was in the expected range of an 5.56mm barrel, like 5000 rnds vs 2500 rnds...... ...of course that is the thing about the internet, anyone could claim anything at any time....

Some claim bi-metal bullets will ruin your barrel, I haven't seen anything supporting that, if by ruin your barrel they mean wear it out faster, first poor choice of words, second possibly but if it does, likely the extra cost of wear is offset by the saving in the ammunition.

I'll will purchase some cheap ammo, including the steel cased and even the bi-metal bullets to test on my firearms, just to see how finicky a particular firearm I own may be with ammo. Sometimes in quantities greater than just to test, for a less expensive afternoon shooting. I have not noticed anything unusual or extra wear, but I do not shoot often enough to wear out any of my firearms as of yet.

Pitdogg2 said:
I've literally shot thousands and thousands of steel through my AR H-Bar with not one problem EVER. Shot steel through the HK 91 as well.
Is it dirtier? Yes. Does it shoot good groups? Yes. As tight as brass? No.
Out on the farm I find the advantage is steel is much easier to find and pick up in tall grass with a good magnet. Try and do that with brass.
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The steel case doesn't expand as much as the brass under the heat and pressure, and thus does not seal as much against the walls of the chamber, so you get more blow-by of gases.

I'd agree the cost of any extra wear is likely less than what is saved by using the less expensive ammo. Especially an extractor, that any AR owner should be able to replace. If you need to take your AR to someone else to replace an extractor, you're probably taking to others to pay them to clean it....
 
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www.luckygunner.com

Brass vs. Steel Cased Ammo - An Epic Torture Test

This comprehensive 40,000 round brass vs. steel cased ammo torture test examines at key indicators of ammo performance and cost in AR-15 rifles.
www.luckygunner.com www.luckygunner.com

An actual, side by side test of two identical rifles, brass vs steel, 10k rounds.

Now—I think wear would be greatly accelerated by firing that many rounds that quickly, but yes…the bimetal jackets will wear out your barrel faster. Looks like at about 8k rounds of steel, the barrel is shot out. I know I got over 10k rounds of steel and brass through a chrome-lined Colt LE6920 barrel before it needed replacement…

HOWEVER: depending on the price break between steel and brass, you may still be ahead of the game by swapping out your barrel at 6-8k rounds…and your barrel IS a wear item. Shoot enough of any type of ammo, and you’ll need to replace it.
 
HansGruber said:
…and your barrel IS a wear item. Shoot enough of any type of ammo, and you’ll need to replace it.
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especially a 5.56mm barrel.... ....there are several reasons to chrome line a barrel... ...from my reading, there is a relationship between smaller bore and higher pressure/muzzle velocity increasing barrel erosion... ...and 5.56mm is a small bore with lots of pressure/muzzle velocity.... ....the chrome lining reduces the erosion...
 
Depends on the shooters budget.

Some can afford $50Million mansions and $1million cars. $1000 is like spending $10
Some can afford $50k homes and $5000 cars.

There is a buyer for all products, expensive and inexpensive.

I dont fault anyones choice on a product for their budget.
I also dont by inexpensive if my budget at the time allows for higher quality.
 
The tern "barrel" wear is more of a loose term. Barrel parts (not really parts), chamber (excluding throat), throat, bore and crown (if crowned). All affect accuracy/wear/function. Under a good cleaning regime time/round count is on your side. Throat is usually the 1st to go. SO, bi-metal causing the problem where? The bore is the only possible answer. The bullet doesn't make contact with any other "part". So, using lap (62gr steel tip) is going to cause excessive wear. After all it's bi-metal or are you stating lead core bullets with a copper exterior is bi-metal?
 
TEXASforLIFE said:
The tern "barrel" wear is more of a loose term. Barrel parts (not really parts), chamber (excluding throat), throat, bore and crown (if crowned). All affect accuracy/wear/function. Under a good cleaning regime time/round count is on your side. Throat is usually the 1st to go. SO, bi-metal causing the problem where? The bore is the only possible answer. The bullet doesn't make contact with any other "part". So, using lap (62gr steel tip) is going to cause excessive wear. After all it's bi-metal or are you stating lead core bullets with a copper exterior is bi-metal?
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It is literally wearing out the rifling to the point bullets keyhole.

Bi-metal refers to a lead core, mild steel jacket, with a coat of gilding metal paint (usually a copper alloy, very thin).

Read the article I posted earlier.

It is different than “lap”, aka M855/SS109/“Green Tips”, which have a tungsten-steel penetrator tip which never really contacts the bore set in a lead cored, copper-alloyed jacket.
 
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Yea, I was going to jump on the M855/SS109/Green Tips, it's a normal round except a steel dart imbedded in the lead, it doesn't touch the barrel/bore in anyway.

I had looked up friction co-efficients of metals on metals, I thought steel on steel was much higher than copper on steel. But lead was higher than steel on steel, and I suspect how soft lead is plus shedding as it travels down the bore has something to do with lead not being as bad as mild steel.

Funny thing, I have started to see brass jacketed rounds lately, I have never seen copper that took on a yellowish appearance. No one has anything to say about brass? Brass is a copper alloy, but it typically has a little more friction than copper, synchros in transmissions are made of brass.

As well, its not just friction from the round jacket that is eroding the bore, its also, often more, the heat, pressure and velocity of the flame front traveling down the bore.
 
RickAnderson said:
Yea, I was going to jump on the M855/SS109/Green Tips, it's a normal round except a steel dart imbedded in the lead, it doesn't touch the barrel/bore in anyway.

I had looked up friction co-efficients of metals on metals, I thought steel on steel was much higher than copper on steel. But lead was higher than steel on steel, and I suspect how soft lead is plus shedding as it travels down the bore has something to do with lead not being as bad as mild steel.

Funny thing, I have started to see brass jacketed rounds lately, I have never seen copper that took on a yellowish appearance. No one has anything to say about brass? Brass is a copper alloy, but it typically has a little more friction than copper, synchros in transmissions are made of brass.

As well, its not just friction from the round jacket that is eroding the bore, its also, often more, the heat, pressure and velocity of the flame front traveling down the bore.
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I’ve seen bullets that were more yellow than gold for a looooooong time…S&B was a big one that used them…no difference in the color between jacket & bullet…WWB would be the same way for some lots.

Remington’s Golden Saber has a brass jacket, and it’s been around for decades.
 
Bassbob said:
I'm just one of those guys that finds what I like and sticks to it. I like Blazer Brass or WWB for pistols, Federal shotshells and Lake City or Israeli 5.56. So that's what I buy.
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I’ve still got a case of Wolf Military Classic in the stash.

I nearly dumped it in 20-21, but didn’t…I probably could’ve quadrupled what I had in it.

Otherwise? I’m really not that picky; I’ve found when it comes to blasting ammo, there’s not a lot of difference, as long as it comes from a reliable manufacturer…

My “good stuff” ammo, at least the 5.56 stuff, though…LC, Fed, Winchester M193 and Radway Green (UK) and Lithuanian SS109 (or M855 to the US).
 
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