What's the deal with Steel?

[KJr]

Why is steel casings so cheap and were they introduced to hamper us reloaders?

 

[Winterhawk56]

I don't know as I have never seen a steel case for ammunition? Brass, nickel plated but never steel? Perhaps someone else can offer more information?

Interesting question though?

 

[hickstick_10]

As war material got shorter, steel cases were introduced because the copper and zinc needed to make brass cases was becoming scarce.

Also some poor countries might use steel from the get go (whats cheaper a 2 inch by 1 foot bar of steel or a 2 inch by one foot bar of brass?) obviously steel is cheaper.

Im sure theres other reasons to but those are the ones ive read so far

 

[emcon5]

From what I have seen, steel cases are typically used in military ammo, where reduced cost or lack of raw materials is the primary concern.

 

[saands]

Steel is going to be almost free compared to the cost of brass in terms of materials. I wouldn't say that it is a conspiracy against us reloaders, though ... besides, even the brass from a lot of the brass milsurp ammo is unloadable due the berdan priming system that they used ...

Saands

 

[Ruger4570]

Steel cases have been around since WW1 including bullets with mild steel jackets. In a war economy, steel has many times been substituted for brass and copper.
I don't remember what year it was they were made here, sometime in the 40's, but even in the late 50's and early 60's you would still see steel pennies as a Government effort to save the copper for war materials.

 

[saands]

Those pennies were made in 1943 ... I've seen them in circulation as recently as just a few years ago ... although the ones that are in the wild are usually in pretty poor shape due to oxidation ... they almost looked copper!

Saands

 

[Ruger4570]

Thanks Saands, I wanted to say 43, but I wasn't sure. I do remember when I was in High School in 1960 they were still pretty common. True, even then they looked pretty sad.

 

[Jbar4Ranch]

Steel cases have been around since WW1 including bullets with mild steel jackets. In a war economy, steel has many times been substituted for brass and copper.
I don't remember what year it was they were made here, sometime in the 40's, but even in the late 50's and early 60's you would still see steel pennies as a Government effort to save the copper for war materials.

And even steel was in such short supply that things like automobile license plates were made out of cardboard! (I have one from 1944)

Steel is cheaper simply because iron is the most abundant metal on the planet.