The only items that are true is that steel-cased ammo runs dirtier (steel cases don't expand and seal out fouling as well as a brass), and you just have to clean your gun more often.
Though cheaper, steel offers a less malleable construction. As such, it creates a poorer seal — generally running dirtier across the board. This creates more opportunities for malfunctions due to carbon buildup. It also means a rifle shooting steel-cased ammo will be less reliable in the long run…
Brass-cased ammunition is also of generally higher quality than steel-cased ammo. That largely means it has been manufactured according to tight specifications which promote greater functionality in firearms that are designed to feed, fire and extract ammo which adheres to specific dimensions.
Steel Cased Ammunition and Premature Wear
It has been reported that steel cases will cause a rifle's chamber to wear out about 25% earlier than if the rifle only fired brass cased ammunition. This may not matter to the shooters who will never put a lot of rounds downrange.
We do NOT recommend using steel case ammo in your firearm unless it was designed for it (think Russian Cold War firearms like the AK-47). Remember that the higher quality the firearm is, the LESS tolerant it is of non-standard ammo.
First, cheap steel-case ammo—especially that made in Eastern Europe—tends to utilize cheap powders, dirty Berdan primers and anti-corrosion coatings applied for shipping and long-term storage. All of these components can potentially foul guns at a quicker rate, and to a grimier degree, than top-quality ammo.
With steel cased ammo the groups were all over the place at 6,000 rounds with many bullets tumbling and key holing. The other problem with steel cased ammo is that the cases don't expand the same way that brass cases do. This causes carbon build up between the case and the chamber wall.
I saw this question and do know that many Russian manufacturers have used steel cartridge cases. As a matter of fact the Makarov pistol was designed to use steel cartridges that have been lacquer coated. The pistol actually performs better with steel rather than brass ammo.
The steel cases themselves don't have any effect on the condition of the bore. The difference lies with the projectile. The soft copper jacket of the Federal ammunition simply doesn't cause the same amount of wear as the bimetal (copper and steel) jacket of the Russian ammunition.
Any ammunition that is made of metal will be vulnerable to corrosion. Most modern bullets are made with lead or lead alloys.
Brass is also a more durable metal than steel. This is because brass is more resistant to corrosion than steel. Corrosion is the process by which a metal breaks down when exposed to oxygen and water. Brass does not corrode as easily as steel, meaning it will last longer without rusting or tarnishing.
Nope. Sounds like a good argument - until you remember that the steel in your chamber is MUCH harder than the steel of the shell. The only items that are true is that steel-cased ammo runs dirtier (steel cases don't expand and seal out fouling as well as a brass), and you just have to clean your gun more often.
Brass cased ammunition generally feeds better than steel cased ammo, which is important for some of the more finicky firearms. Also, in rare cases, some manufacturers stipulate that a firearm must use brass cased ammo and that steel cased ammo will void the warranty.
However, most indoor ranges have banned the steel core bullets used by Wolf because they damage the range backstop, so it's not good for everyone. While this ammo is non-corrosive, part of the reason that some of it is at a great price is that it's essentially a one-time-use cartridge.
223/5.56-hybrid chambers occasionally have issues with stuck spent steel casings. Stick with a true 5.56mm chamber and, as mentioned, and remember to scrub the chamber every 500 to 1,000 rounds to ensure reliability. Steel-cased ammo may have gotten a bad rap, but there is really nothing wrong with it — so go for it!
Brass Case Ammo: Cons
Although there are a ton of good things to say about brass ammo, there are also some downsides. The first being price. Brass ammo is almost always more expensive than their steel counterparts, typically to the tune of about 20% more expensive for brass.
The overall disadvantage of steel casing is performance, especially feeding. Steel creates more friction between itself, the magazine, and chamber. So shooters generally believe it leads to more jams than brass ammo.
In theory, it's possible. The main problems are the Berdan primers & the very short case life. Steel cases are much more prone to splitting. Assuming you have a way to deprime the Berdan primed cases, you could reload the cases as normal, at least once.
In terms of shelf life, ammunition generally doesn't expire or go bad. Many manufacturers will list an expiration date of ten years past the manufacturer date, but that's more for legal reasons than it is for safety reasons. If it's stored correctly, then there's no real known limit to how long you can keep ammunition.
The Biden administration announced the ban in August 2021 in reaction to the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny the year before. The ban also came as intelligence agencies reported Russia amassing 100,000 troops at the Ukrainian border.
Why is Russian ammo very affordable? Russian ammo often uses cheaper materials. They will frequently use steel shells instead of brass. They will also use cheap gunpowder, which is why it is not advisable to use it in AR-style rifles with direct gas impingement, because it burns quite dirty.
Cheap Russian ammo, the same type being fired in Ukraine, is now illegal to import into the U.S. but tons of rounds are still flowing under a sanctions loophole. The ban on importing cheap Russian ammunition and a grandfather clause have split the top firearm lobbies as the war in Ukraine rages.
Steel bulletproof materials are heavy duty, yet at just a few millimeters thick, extremely effective in stopping modern firearm rounds. The steel deforms under the stresses from the bullet's energy but prevents the rounds from reaching their intended targets.
Using the wrong ammo could damage your gun and prevent it from working. If this happens, you'll need to have your handgun repaired. However, some damage is beyond repair, and you'll have to purchase a new firearm. Ammunition needs to fit the chamber for the gun to operate correctly and reduce maintenance issues.
Ammo that has been improperly stored, especially if moisture can get to it, will end up corroded. This can allow moisture into the powder charge and completely kill the round, but more often it will just leave you with a round that will hang in the magazine or on the way into the chamber.