[JohnDaniels]

Whadd'ya say?

I'm about to get a Socom 16. I'm wondering if it's okay to shoot steel through these instead of brass - a friend warned me that I risk damaging my gun because the steel is tougher on the firing pin or something like that.

Myth? Does the cheapness of Wolf (etc) mitigate the damage? In other words, if it takes shooting 10,000 rounds before the firing pin is damaged, and I've saved .20/round by shooting wolf over Federal Eagle brass, then I've saved $2,000.00, how much does it take to replace the damaged part on the gun, probably no where near that much.

Your thoughts please!

 

[TJohn]

Good question JohnDaniels. I have a M1a Scout but I have not shot any steel cased through it yet, but don't really think I would be afraid to though either. I have been lucky enought to stumble upon brass cased ammo as cheap as I have seen steel cased ammo at times, so I have only ran brass so far. I have shot thousands of steel cased rounds through other rifles and pistols and have yet to have the need to replace any parts. My Mini 30 doesn't necessarily like Wolf (occaisional fail to fire despite good hit on the primer), my Mini 14 does not seem to have any problems with it (heard a few stories on the internet of broken firing pins, maybe due to design of firing pin, but yet to see one break in person -I have seen a few mini's that have been fed nothing but steel cased), and my AR15's and Glocks can't tell a difference between it and brass cased ammo.

 

[cobrafreak]

I don't buy the myth that steel cased ammo causes damage. I have thousands of rounds through all of my guns and they are fine. The steel cases are coated with a grey paint which prevents steel to steel contact between the round and chamber. I inspect the spent cases and the grey coating is still on without scratches. I have a USGI extractor on my M1A which is forged and I inspect it all the time for wear and it's always the same, fine. Never have had a failure to feed or extract with it as well. I do know that the green colored rounds are the ones you want to stay away from. The green coating was causing problems by baking off inside a hot chamber and leaving a paint residue in the chamber causing jams with the next round. The grey color they use now doesn't allow this.

 

[diegokid]

steel

Some of the problems with the older steel cases was due to folks not cleaning the rifles. The old laquer they used on wolf and others wold get sticky with heat and build up in the chambers till it caused problems.

I've seen the new steel cases use a po;ymer coating now. I bought 3K 7.62x39 poly coated for the mini thirty after almost 800 rounds and 0 cleaning no problems yet so there is a difference. At 1000 I;ll clean it anyway. With the old stuff I would have already had problems.

I've only shot steel 308 in my FN-FALs and not my M1As yet. I will say the FAL runs great with them. With the cost of ammo and reloading components the squad rifle will be trying the steel soon.

 

[badorderbob]

would you bang a ugly woman? Then why would you do that to your rifle?

 

[Pacific_division]

would you bang a ugly woman? Then why would you do that to your rifle?

Lower standards mean more woman!

 

[Jeff F]

The thing with steel cased ammo is that it does not expand and stretch like brass. In a rifle with good tight head space I don't think there would be a problem. In a rifle with loose head space there might be a problem, if the case stretches to much to take up the loose head space you could have a case head separation where you would not if it were brass cased. It has happened a few times with the Ishapore 2A/2A1's chambered in 7.62 NATO shooting steel cased .308.

 

[eugene]

Maybe I'm missing something but what has a steel case have to do with the primer? The primer doesn't care what the case is made of. Please explain. I can't wait.

 

[cobrafreak]

The problem is that steel cased ammo wears out the cast springfield armory extractors. It wears the sharp edges off of the extractor and it will start to not extract well. The fix is to buy a USGI M14, USGI M1 Garand, or a Baretta BM59 forged extractor. They won't wear out prematurely. Only costs under $20

 

[jerry curlin]

The problem is that steel cased ammo wears out the cast springfield armory extractors. It wears the sharp edges off of the extractor and it will start to not extract well. The fix is to buy a USGI M14, USGI M1 Garand, or a Baretta BM59 forged extractor. They won't wear out prematurely. Only costs under $20

I have fired over 3000 rounds of steel case out of my m1a scout squad. Not one single failure. Not sure when the extractor is suppoded to wear out.

 

[jerry curlin]

Maybe I'm missing something but what has a steel case have to do with the primer? The primer doesn't care what the case is made of. Please explain. I can't wait.

The m14(m1a is cilivian version) is battle rifle. They are made to fire ammo that is berdan primed(just like AKs are), as almost all NATO surplus ammo is. Steel case has nothing to do with primers except that most steel case ammo(but not all) have berdan primers. The Mini 14, however, is a sporting/civilian rifle that Ruger recomends using boxer primers. Most brass case ammo is boxer primed. I have broken a firing pin in my Mini 14 shooting ammo with berdan primers. Berdan primers are harder.

 

[badorderbob]

The m14(m1a is cilivian version) is battle rifle. They are made to fire ammo that is berdan primed(just like AKs are), as almost all NATO surplus ammo is. Steel case has nothing to do with primers except that most steel case ammo(but not all) have berdan primers. The Mini 14, however, is a sporting/civilian rifle that Ruger recomends using boxer primers. Most brass case ammo is boxer primed. I have broken a firing pin in my Mini 14 shooting ammo with berdan primers. Berdan primers are harder.

you do know were are talking about the M1a/M14, not the mini 14? do you understand the difference??

 

[jerry curlin]

you do know were are talking about the M1a/M14, not the mini 14? do you understand the difference??

Of course!! I own both. I was just pointing out the M1a's more robust firing pin-made for berdan primers.

 

[badorderbob]

Of course!! I own both. I was just pointing out the M1a's more robust firing pin-made for berdan primers.

got ya!! awesome !!!

 

[dh1633pm]

I have 22 boxes of Wolf .308 that a bought about 8 years ago. I bought it to shoot out my FAL, but then I acquired an m14. I have been afraid to shoot the stuff. Mine is a parts gun. The bottom line does it work ok in the M14? Except for extractor problems in the M1A with the factory extractor.

 

[40nascar]

Anyone have experience with Tula or copper-wash Chinese made in the M1-A?

 

[dh1633pm]

I am selling my Wolf 308. I shot two of my boxes and have twenty left. It wasn't worth the worry. So I will buy some more powder and bullets to replace the wolf. It did shoot ok.

 

[jerry curlin]

Anyone have experience with Tula or copper-wash Chinese made in the M1-A?

I shoot Wolf, Silver Bear and Tula out of mine. No problems after 4,000 rounds.

 

[bfoosh006]

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/

Excellent test between steel and brass.....I imagine the results would be the same.

 

[SGT D USMC]

I have 223 AK's that I shoot steel in

I have a saiga sporter 308 that I shoot steel in

I don't shoot steel in my AR or my M1A

I usually backup my statements with facts, but I don't have any on this, I just don't shoot steel in my nice Americian guns for fear of it damanaging them

Also brass expands and grips the chamber tighter than steel, steel might cause increased bolt volicity, how much, or how important? do you know?