Sunday, January 5, 2014

Firearm Forum Question: Brass Cased Ammo versus Other Metals

Ask A Firearms Question:
Any opinion on using 9mm aluminum cased ammo? Any concerns either short or long term? 
Thank you Tom Hoole.

Lose Brass Casings -

Answer:
Blog Administrator -
To answer your question the Aluminum cased ammo will not harm your firearms either in the short or long term use. Aluminum Cased Ammo, along with Steel and Steel Coated, and Nickel Plated Brass for Rifles and Handguns can be used, most shooters prefer Brass because they can be reloaded. Most Steel and Aluminum cannot be reloaded because they do not possess the correct qualities for reloading. Manufacturers generally use boxed primers, this renders the casing unusable for reloading. Also Aluminum which can be reloaded is not generally sold by most manufacturers except CCI. Aluminum shell casings degrade and they must be inspected thoroughly before using as a reload. Nickel coated brass, however can be reloaded. The firearm still requires a thorough cleaning after each shooting session. Brass is still the most common shell casing along with lead for bullets. Steel and Steel Coated Ammo is what is referred to in America as plinking ammo. Almost all of it is manufactured in either China, or one of the former Soviet Bloc countries.
Steel cased ammo is lighter than brass so for military use the lighter weight steel ammo allows the soldier to carry more rounds per weight, conversely steel cased ammo is more susceptible to weather conditions and contamination, this is why they are varnished. Steel is cheaper to make than brass or other ammo, i.e. Aluminum or Nickel coasted brass. NATO weapons have less weapon tolerances than the former Soviet Union or Chinese weapons, this can cause extraction and ejection problems (jamming) with American and NATO manufactured firearms as the gas propellent on steel case ammo can blow back into the chamber causing problems.
I shoot steel cased coated ammo all the time in my Cz made AK-47, but rarely in my USA made 223/556.
Shotgun Shells are either Paper or Plastic. Most ammunition companies have moved away from paper shotgun shells because plastic is better for reloading. Either one can be used without harming the shotgun. Brass is generally used at the end of the shotgun shell.

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