Steel or Brass case?

[kalipc]

I need to buy some ammo but I would like to know if I should favor brass or steel case ammo. Does either cause more or less wear on a barrel?

[dadduck]

KALIPC, Hello from Dadduck! SHOOT I am not afraid to load in on your question as long as you will allow me to say I can give my opinion, based on experience, and I don't claim to know it all. So here goes--- It's not the case, brass or steel, that will hurt your barrel rather it's weather the bullet is steel(which will definately damage the chrome bore of a rifle) or a good copper jacketed one. I believe steel cases, when they are fired and strike the face of the bolt upon recoil, are rough on the bolt but I shoot Wolf brand all the time and they are steel cased. I also shoot, and love, Cheetah brand ammo which is brass. I shoot with the solution, not the problem, in mind. I mean this--I have extra parts, barrel(s) bolts, ect. for use WHEN they are needed. I shoot a lot! I wear out parts. I replace them and shoot some more! Good luck Freedom or Death Dadduck

[kalipc]

Yeah, I'm not too swift. Generally the case does not travel thru the barrel. I forgot to add the part of the question where I ask what is best to shoot a lot; hollow point or full metal jacket, or something else I'm leaving out. Thanks.

[dadduck]

KALIPC, from Dadduck--There is, I have had and understand, ammo which has bullets,washed(or thinly coated) with copper and has a steel, at least partially, projectile. This ammo will hurt you rifle bore. Shoot Wolf brand ammo fmj or hp. Shoot Cheetah brand,it's brass cased and accurate and if you are going to be in the shoot for the duration of the fight then buy some EXTRA parts to keep your life-saver operating! Freedom or Death DADDUCK

[Tomac]

Hold a magnet to the tip of your Wolf ammo, you'll find it's copper-washed steel. It's copper-washed to prevent excessive wear by the steel jacket. In regards to Russian HP vs FMJ, the HP is little more than the FMJ with a hole at the tip. The steel jacket does not expand as readily as a copper jacket and the bullet itself is not constructed to promote expansion like commercial HP. My own informal water jug tests with Russian HP ammo indicates that sometimes you get violent fragmentation but most of the time it acts just like FMJ. HTH!...
Tomac

[Packrat]

The steel-jacketed ammo won't seriously affect bore life. The copper, even a copper- plate, will act as a lubricant. The lead (including the thin layer of lead in the steel-core bullets) will flow under pressure, allowing the jacket to deform to fit the bore. A lot of US Military ammo was loaded with "Tri-Clad" bullets: bullets with jackets made from a layer of steel enclosed in layers of gilding metal.

Even on accurate rifles, the damage to the bore is done by the powder gases striking the throat, the space left in the barrel for the bullet to fit. The rifling is bored out and the bore-diameter may be increased slightly in this area. When the hot gases hit this, especially if it is hot and the pressure is high, erosion occurs, reducing the accuracy of the barrel.

Of course, the worst damage is done by cleaning, especially with an aluminum or a jointed steel cleaning rod (like the military ones). If you use one of these, get some 5/16 heat-shrink insulation at an electronics store and shrink it onto the rod. It's just like a coated rod. You can even cut it so that the rod sections will unscrew.

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Packrat

[dadduck]

I know and agree the copper is a "lube" for the bore, and I had the same concern of barrel life when I bought my first one. Those concerns were laid to rest buy the purchase of a Extra barrel which can be installed and properly headspaced for not a lot. I consider having a LOT of spare parts just insurance to keep shooting for a long time after all pieces of metal rub togather and they wear. I don't see much difference at all with the ammo we have to choose from although the Wolf and Cheetah are my favs. Bang Bang til' the end Dadduck

[kalipc]

If I'll need a spare barrel for an SLR-95 in my lifetime; where can I get one?