I learned something new yesterday.

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DadsMod12

New member
I was at the range the other day and the owner was down a couple of lanes from me giving a young lady a lesson. He stopped and came over to me and asked what I was shooting. I said 9mm in a Beretta 92FS. He asked what brand of ammo and if he could see one. He took it back into the shop and came back with a magnet. The bullet attached to the magnet. He said he wondered because he saw sparks on the steel back stop. I was shooting Wolf Military Classic 115 GR. FMJ (tan box). I know they are steel cases, but I didn't realize the bullet was steel. I did go home and pull a bullet. It stuck to the magnet. I then took it into my shop and took a file to it. The copper plating on the bullet is not very heavy.

Now for my question. Will these steel bullets damage my gun?

Thanks for your help.
 
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Dobe

New member
Only if the rifling cuts below the jacket and into the steel. Most likely, not. It won't do the back stop at the range any favors.
 
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RoscoeC

New member
An indoor range where I shoot does the magnet thing to just about all ammo. If it sticks, you can't shoot it on their range.
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
The steel is mild steel--it's unlikely to cause any problems, especially not with the copper wash/plating.
 
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CWPinSC

Moderator
Many ranges do not allow steel casings or bullets. I've often wondered why make a steel round? What's the advantage?
 
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David the Gnome

New member
CWPinSC said:
I've often wondered why make a steel round? What's the advantage?
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It's not really a matter of advantage, it's a matter of available natural resources in Russia. They just don't have access to the resources necessary to cheaply manufacture brass cased lead ammunition. :)
 
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B. Lahey

New member
Mild steel jackets won't hurt your gun, but Wolf ammo might. Not as a result of the materials, but because of the horrendous quality control. US/Euro guns + Wolf = trouble.
 
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Creature

Moderator
I have seen a local news media outlet malign that ammo as "Police Killer" ammo ...because it is steel. I actually watched a police officer go on record through the camera say that Wolf ammo use steel bullets and because of that they are able to defeat their protective vests. I was astounded.

I even went so far as to email that reporter. I receive a reply from the reporter who informed me that he was simply reporting what the PA Officer had told him regarding that ammo and that he makes no claim as to the veracity of the officer's claim. This was in spite of the reporter's using verbiage which advanced that claim as fact...
 
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blume357

New member
depending on the back stop, I doubt if 9mm steel bullets would

do any appreciable damage to it... now rifle ammo might be different....

still, now you know why that commie crap was so cheap.

Georgia (U.S.A.) arms is my lower cost (and higher cost) choice.

Opinions by 'experts' on any news program are no different from those on the internet.... just an opinion. (kind of like mine)
 
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TheNev

New member
The backstop at the range I go to sparks all the time, and unless WWB, S&B and Remington UMC ammo uses a steel core, I don't know what else it could be.
 
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Beentown71

New member
My local range master tried to tell my brother that he couldn't use them because they could ignite the un-burned powder in the air;)

LMAO @ them,

Beentown
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
....he couldn't use them because they could ignite the un-burned powder in the air.
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Steel jacketed rounds do tend to spark more on impact than copper jacketed or lead rounds which could make igniting unburned powder on the floor more likely.

However, most of the unburned powder accumulates just forward of the firing line. I doubt there's any at all at the backstop in a typical range. I have no idea where he got the idea about igniting powder in the air...
The backstop at the range I go to sparks all the time, and unless WWB, S&B and Remington UMC ammo uses a steel core, I don't know what else it could be.
Click to expand...
I'm not clear on the science behind it, but I have witnessed copper jacketed rounds sparking on impact.
 
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sholling

New member
This is a good subject for discussion because when shooting outside sparks from steel jacked rounds striking rocks are a serious fire hazard. That's why many outdoor ranges in high fire hazard areas ban them. I have no clue why an indoor range would care unless they don't trust their backstops.
 
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paladin-34

New member
Four years ago I restocked my m1a ammo and everything was magnetic ammo. I wrote springfield and they said they would prefer I not use it and that it would shorten the barrel life but not enough experience had been gained to say how much. I think this stems from the old engineering adage you must use dis-similar metals against each other. The delta in hardness will defiantly help in that category, but what guaranty is there that it is mild steel if we buy cheep ammo. Like wulf

Joe
 
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Composer_1777

Moderator
The cost of buying nothing but federal ammo will be more expensive than replacing the barrel after 5,000 rnds times 5$ price difference on 308... simple math. Use cheap ammo.
 
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Fat Boy

New member
My local gun range closed down due to a fire in the back stop. When video was reviewed it was inconclusive as to what started the fire but the shooter was not using tracers. My personal guess is that a spark did in fact ignite unburned powder, which in turn started the fire in the backstop. This particualar range had a very agressive fan system that pulled the smoke, unburned powder, etc down range toward the back stop. End of story is the nicest range I have ever shot at was permanently closed. :( :( :(
 
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paladin-34

New member
5k rounds thats just broken in. it wont be a problem in my lifetime, or my son's, or his son's.

that's why they don't have enough data to tell.

Joe
 
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