Aluminum ammo casings

[dontcatchmany]

A few weeks ago I ordered what I thought was CCI Brass ammo for 45 acp and 9mm. 500 rds each. I have used that ammo quite extensively for practice ammo and never had a problem.

However, I was probably looking more at the price and not the details and I received aluminum cased ammo which I had never shot.

Since getting the ammo it has performed flawlessly 4-500 rounds total of the two calibers and since I do not reload I was not concerned to not have brass casings. I have my own backyard range and the aluminum is no problem for me.

My question is are there any long term negatives of using aluminum cased ammo?

Thanks!

 

[Ricklin]

Old Revolvers

I have seen issues with aluminum cases in revolvers, esp. old worn ones.

Apparently they do not contract quite as much as brass does, and stuck cases are the result.
I traded an old Colt Police Positive Special to a friend, she fired Blazer aluminum in it. Fortunately she did not try to hammer them out and bend the crane.
I removed the cylinder and used a dowel to knock the cases out. I then polished the cylinders.
I told her initially not to shoot Aluminum in the old gun, I reminded her of that when I returned the revolver to her.

Other than that instance I have had no issues with Aluminum cases. I avoid them because I reload.

 

[dontcatchmany]

Thanks.

I will not seek out aluminum ammo, just made an error this past time ordering. Actually just ordered 1,000 rds of 45 and 9mm and 500 of 40 and all brass. Back yard shooting range is expensive but very enjoyable.

I keep thinking of reloading, but I fish (two boats and all the related gear) and have a decent sized garden as well as house and yard and try to see my 5 grandkids as much as possible....and dang it, too much time in doctor's offices and I am old...lol.

 

[44 AMP]

Aluminum cased ammo works acceptably well most of the time, but there are some combinations of caliber and gun that are a poor idea. I have a couple of those.

The advantage to Al is cost. The disadvantages are that its not brass. It has a different strength, a different coefficient of friction, and a different amount of "spring back" after firing.

Rarely matters with short pistol cases and most duty class semi autos. Can matter a lot with other guns and cartridges. Long cases like revolver rounds can give issues in some guns. Firing .44 Mag Blazer out of a Super Blackhawk didn't give me any issues. The load felt quite light for a .44 Mag.

Firing Blazer .357 from a Coonan rips rims (sometimes entire case heads) off!
I would not put any Blazer aluminum through my Desert Eagles, either.

I saw a case where (again, .357) a Marlin lever gun's extractor tore through the Blazer case rim.

I'd say its cheap stuff that goes bang (though it can be as accurate as brass cased ammo) works well enough in 9mm and .45, but might be less so in other guns.

I've never bought any, but have gotten some in trades over the years, and I did shoot it, I don't buy anything I can't reload (other than rimfire, of course), but if it lands in my lap, I'll use it, if I can.


I would not expect any undue wear or damage to your gun from firing Blazer Al. if serious issues were common, they wouldn't still be making it.

There is one thing you have to watch out for, if you order brass, and you pay for brass, and they send you aluminum, it's a mistake, but a possible one, because there is both aluminum and brass cased ammo sold under the "Blazer" name. Blazer Brass is named "Blazer Brass" but if some people in shipping don't read past "Blazer", you might get the wrong stuff.
If you order the wrong stuff, then its not the wrong stuff, its what you ordered.

Good Luck!

 

[mr bolo]

I wouldnt recommend Aluminum cased ammo if you can buy brass cased

something thats happened to me numerous times with Aluminum case, is bullet "set back"

Ive had boxes of Federal aluminum case 9mm with bullets so loose you could twist it with your fingers

sometimes the .45 aluminum cased ammo would jam and I inspected the cartridge and found the bullet pushed way back into the case, not safe to shoot because of excessive pressures.

this never happened with brass cased ammo, it's usually aluminum, probably because brass conforms better and holds the bullet more securely than aluminum.

I still buy aluminum cased ammo once in a while to save on costs, but bullet set back or loose bullets is something to look out for.

 

[FITASC]

The advantage to Al is cost.

Not a lot. Walmart sells the Federal 9mm 100 round packs in both brass and aluminum. The difference is $.50. Might as well get the brass and sell it for scrap or to reloaders and make it cost less than aluminum

 

[T. O'Heir]

The biggest disadvantage is that your firearms may not shoot it well. Same as any other factory ammo.
"...thinking of reloading, but I..." Reloading is about the quality of the ammo you use. Reloading allows you to tailor the load to each firearm so you're shooting the best possible ammo.
"...The difference is..." A lot from place to place. Bud's wants $8.98 for 115 grain 9mm. Natchez Shooters Supplies wants $12.49.
Oh and you end up with a big pile of scrap Al that isn't worth the gas to take it for recycling. Scrap Al runs less than a buck US per pound. And that'd be if they'll take scrap Al cases. You can only make so many drawer pulls too.

 

[FITASC]

Scrap aluminum where I live is running about .20/pound (gutter guy just did my house)

 

[DaleA]

I bought some aluminum cased ammo once quite a while ago to shoot at an indoor range that didn't want you to pick up your brass. I should have read their rules more carefully, they didn't allow aluminum cased ammo either. Live and learn.

 

[Old Stony]

I shoot both aluminum and brass, and have not had any problems with either. In fact I recently acquired another Beretta 92f and have fired a bunch of aluminum through it...and it shoots exceptionally well. Any differences are very minimal between the two kinds and I wouldn't worry about buying either.

 

[cjwils]

"The advantage to Al is cost."

I suspect that the cost to the producer is a lot less, but the cost to the retail buyer is only a little bit less.

 

[mr bolo]

I like to bring Aluminum cased ammo to indoor ranges, so I dont have to worry about saving my cases, just sweep it forward.

 

[USNRet93]

With my Glock 42 and 19 and my son's G43 and G17..we look for the cheapest stuff we can find that's not steel. Often aluminum but never had any issue with these 4 handguns. Cheap ammo pretty dirty tho..clean after shooting.

 

[cjwils]

"I like to bring Aluminum cased ammo to indoor ranges, so I dont have to worry about saving my cases, just sweep it forward."

My indoor range will ban you for that. They want brass only so they can recycle easily.

 

[USNRet93]

"I like to bring Aluminum cased ammo to indoor ranges, so I dont have to worry about saving my cases, just sweep it forward."

My indoor range will ban you for that. They want brass only so they can recycle easily.

Ban you? Do they monitor what you bring that poorly? They wouldn't 'mention' that they don't allow aluminum first?
My range has you show the counter guy your ammo before they give you your lanyard..looking for steel(magnet) but aluminum is just fine.

 

[doofus47]

My range has two waste buckets, one for aluminum and one for brass. I haven't used it but apparently lots of people do and keep doing so, so you're probably ok for range work.

 

[cjwils]

"Ban you? Do they monitor what you bring that poorly? They wouldn't 'mention' that they don't allow aluminum first? My range has you show the counter guy your ammo before they give you your lanyard..looking for steel(magnet)"

All true, but it would be very easy to bring in some aluminum in your pocket; just because you wanted to use it.

 

[Josh Smith]

In my experience, aluminum performs between brass and steel cases.

I've used it in pistols, but do not know that I'd do that now; especially in pistols with smaller or more fragile extractors.

That said, there was some steel cased .45acp made for a year or two by the US for use in WWII. Not sure how the 1911 took to it.

I'd treat it like steel case.

Regards,
Josh

 

[dontcatchmany]

Well, I have just finished shooting my aluminum 9mm ammo.

I have shot it in a Bersa 9mm and a Shield 40 with a 9mm barrel and a Glock 27 with a 9mm barrel and an FNX40 with a 9mm barrel.

I have shot several thousand rounds of 9mm through these guns with no problems in the past.

With all but the dedicated 9mm Bersa, I had many multiples of Failures to Extract. I put Blaser Brass or Lawman in the guns (all 125 gr) and not a problem...even without cleaning.

I will not get aluminum ammo again.....was a mistake this time.

I also have aluminum 45 acp ammo and shoot it out of a Shield 45, a FNX 45 and a Bersa 45...….not a single problem. I actually ordered the aluminum 45 acp intentionally and thankfully it works.

The good thing about the 9mm not being consistent is that I get to practice clearing failures. The bad thing is that my concentration is broken when I am emphasizing faster and accurate "combat" shooting...….and it ain't like no combat I experienced in Vietnam years ago....with a much different paradigm.

 

[44 AMP]

That said, there was some steel cased .45acp made for a year or two by the US for use in WWII. Not sure how the 1911 took to it.

The year was 1943. The same year the US made pennies out of zinc/steel to save copper for the war effort. As far as I know, there was only one, or two ammo plants that made steel .45acp (all the steel cases I have seen were EC 43), and despite the war still going on, in 1944, the penny was copper again and all our ammo was back to being brass cased.

I shot some of it through a 1911A1 in the 70s, had no issues with the one box I used. The fact that we went back to brass the very next year ought to tell you how well the idea worked.