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Shooting steel bullets in 45 ACP
- Thread starter the45er
- Start date
I think your ammo is steel case, not steel bullets. The bullets themselves should be lead with a copper jacket, the same as any other round. As such it will have no effect on your barrel. Some are concerned about the steel case will accelerate wear on the extractor. Personally that has not been my experience
The bullets can be bi-metal (with steel) in addition to the cases being steel.
Will this wear your barrel faster than copper jacketed lead? Lucky Gunner has a test on their website to address this question for ARs. Now keep in mind with an AR there is notably higher pressure and bullet velocity, which should wear barrels much faster than a pistol. In the test the end result, IIRC, was that while bi-metal bullets will wear barrels faster, by the time you wear out the barrel you could buy multiple replacement barrels with the money you've saved.
Now with a pistol it's a bit different than just screwing in a new barrel. You would likely need a certain degree of fitting. That said, I imagine you would still save far more than spent on a new barrel (by the time you would wear one out).
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Will this wear your barrel faster than copper jacketed lead? Lucky Gunner has a test on their website to address this question for ARs. Now keep in mind with an AR there is notably higher pressure and bullet velocity, which should wear barrels much faster than a pistol. In the test the end result, IIRC, was that while bi-metal bullets will wear barrels faster, by the time you wear out the barrel you could buy multiple replacement barrels with the money you've saved.
Now with a pistol it's a bit different than just screwing in a new barrel. You would likely need a certain degree of fitting. That said, I imagine you would still save far more than spent on a new barrel (by the time you would wear one out).
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Aguila Blanca
Staff
Yes.the45er said:Tulammo - I have some but am concerned that shooting it in my 45's might not be the best thing for my barrels. Is the concern valid?
The bullet cover is much softer steel than a gun barrel, so a few rounds of it once in awhile shouldn't do any harm. Just don't make it a regular thing.
I once bought a thousand rounds of "surplus" ammo that turned out to be a steel-covered bullet with a copper wash over the steel. I gave it to a cousin who didn't care what it was as long as it went bang.
rickmelear
New member
I’ve shot many 1000s through untold handguns with no problems, shoot away
Wally’s is (supposedly) getting out of the ammo business and they are selling their remaining inventory off cheap, i.e., Win USA Forged 9mm steelcased 150 round boxes for $11.00. So I’ve been shooting a lot of this ammo and it shoots fine in my Gen3 17 & 19. No damage or excessive wear to speak of.
Cheapshooter
New member
I keep hearing that. I keep looking for it without seeing anything but white box for what they've always sold it for.Wally’s is (supposedly) getting out of the ammo business and they are selling their remaining inventory off cheap, i.e., Win USA Forged 9mm steelcased 150 round boxes for $11.00.
"...magnet sticks to the bullets like glue!..." Still isn't a steel bullet. Only the jacket is steel and it's very mild steel at that. Steel cased is just that. The cases are mild steel.
"...bullets can be bi-metal..." That means they are lead cored with a copper wash on the mild steel jacket.
All of the above won't hurt any firearm. However, some extractors dislike steel cases. And the ammo is made to be cheap not accurate. Mild steel being much less expensive than brass and copper. None of it is very high in quality either.
"...bullets can be bi-metal..." That means they are lead cored with a copper wash on the mild steel jacket.
All of the above won't hurt any firearm. However, some extractors dislike steel cases. And the ammo is made to be cheap not accurate. Mild steel being much less expensive than brass and copper. None of it is very high in quality either.
As an aside, actually 2...I have been 'told' by one or 2 that steel is either OK or will wear out your extractor BUT the second 'aside'..the 4 local to me WW are out of ammo now. Last foray I got lots of Federal alu and brass 9mm for $5 for 50 and Winchester white box .380 for $7 per 50.YOWSER!!
BUT brass/alu so similar in $ to the forged stuff..and my ranges don't like steel cases..I'll stick with brass or aluminum..
BUT brass/alu so similar in $ to the forged stuff..and my ranges don't like steel cases..I'll stick with brass or aluminum..
bamaranger
New member
steel
Ammunition using bi-metal projectiles (bullets) and have been discussed as to wear on the barrel. I wonder though, how much a mild steel case v. a brass case wears on component parts like the breech face, extractor and ejector?
Also, Ben Dover, are we sure that US arsenals used bi-metal projectiles in WWII and Korea for the 1911 and the M1 rifle (and I assume, M1 carbine)?
I think I have seen some .45 ACP that had steel case, but I cannot say for certain. I don't know if I have seen a U.S .45 or .30 carbine or rifle round with a bi-metal projectile jacket. 'Course, I never have really put a magnet to any either.......always believed that US arsenal GI ammo was copper cased, copper jacket lead, or black tip AP....... copper jacket and hardened steel core.
Ammunition using bi-metal projectiles (bullets) and have been discussed as to wear on the barrel. I wonder though, how much a mild steel case v. a brass case wears on component parts like the breech face, extractor and ejector?
Also, Ben Dover, are we sure that US arsenals used bi-metal projectiles in WWII and Korea for the 1911 and the M1 rifle (and I assume, M1 carbine)?
I think I have seen some .45 ACP that had steel case, but I cannot say for certain. I don't know if I have seen a U.S .45 or .30 carbine or rifle round with a bi-metal projectile jacket. 'Course, I never have really put a magnet to any either.......always believed that US arsenal GI ammo was copper cased, copper jacket lead, or black tip AP....... copper jacket and hardened steel core.
bamaranger
New member
look first, post later
Well, a very cursory search seems to indicate that there was indeed bi-metal projectiles in US produced in ammo, WWII.
I had no ideal, curious as to what other can add.
Well, a very cursory search seems to indicate that there was indeed bi-metal projectiles in US produced in ammo, WWII.
I had no ideal, curious as to what other can add.
Jim Watson
New member
Steel jackets go all the way back to the .30 Army ( .30-40 Krag). Then plated with cupronickel.
Wally’s is (supposedly) getting out of the ammo business and they are selling their remaining inventory off cheap
While that is true to some extent, it is somewhat misleading. People think, "selling their inventory" means selling what they have left on hand in their stores and warehouses. That is not the case. Wal-Mart has contractual agreements with most all of their vendors, (ammunition manufacturers included), to purchase a given amount of product during the duration of said contracts.
What that basically means in a nutshell, is they will continue to purchase ammo from their vendors, and sell it until those contracts run out, not the ammo supply in their stores.
That is how Wal-Mart is able to sell it's goods for less than other stores. They agree to purchase very large volumes of product over a given time span. They have the ability to move large amounts of product, because of the size and amount of stores they have. Where as other stores do not have the nationwide, (and in some cases worldwide), sales network that Wal-Mart has. They then get these goods at much cheaper prices. It's basically nothing more than, "volume pricing" on steroids.
The bottom line is Wal-Mart could very well keep selling ammunition for the next several months. For some stores it might even be a year or more, until the purchasing contracts run out.
Remember, this was all politically motivated by Wal-Mart to appeal to the anti gun crowd. So it was an almost certainty there was going to be a fairly large amount of B.S. wrapped up in the whole proposal. This was it.
"Getting out of the ammo selling business", was basically true..... However it will be at their leisure. The dollars, ALWAYS the dollars first and foremost.