1911 Ammo Question: Brass/Steel/Aluminum?

[teflon6string]

Dang it! I bought a bunch of cheap .45acp ammo to feed something that eats it really fast. But it turns out that I should only shoot brass through the bullet hose. So now I have about 600 rounds each of steel and aluminum cased ball ammo sitting in a safe.

With excess steel and aluminum rounds on hand, maybe this is a good year to polish my slowly decaying combat pistol skills and shoot 'em all up with a trusty Springfield Armory 1911?

Question: Will 1200 steel/aluminum cased rounds hurt a healthy 1911 if I keep it clean and replace the $15 mainspring once or twice? Is one (steel or aluminum) any better/worse than the other?

Thanks in advance for insight.

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[rick benjamin]

Tough decision
or
Maybe notsotough decision

DRRC USPSA is open to everyone, $20 match fee.
DRRC cal first Saturday every month.
Polish up those rusty skills.

 

[rick benjamin]

Steel, aluminum cases won't make a difference

 

[Velzey]

After every few hundred rounds of steel use a good solvent in the chamber and brush it out. The lacquer coating on the steel builds up after awhile.

 

[nammac]

Would there be any chamber wear issues with using steel cases ammo? Just wondering...

 

[Velzey]

Usually no, most of the time the steel cased ammo is softer than the chamber. But I have had to polish up quit a few semi auto chambers that have ran allot of steel thru them. A combo of built up clear lacquer and just small scratches from steel case mouths that still have tiny burrs.
I have a plinker 1911 that it really doesn't matter what I feed it, on nicer pistols.....steel never touches the chamber.

Yes you can run thousands of 5.56 and 7.62 thru your semi auto rifles and not have a problem...but then sometimes you do.

 

[nammac]

Usually no, most of the time the steel cased ammo is softer than the chamber. But I have had to polish up quit a few semi auto chambers that have ran allot of steel thru them. A combo of built up clear lacquer and just small scratches from steel case mouths that still have tiny burrs.
I have a plinker 1911 that it really doesn't matter what I feed it, on nicer pistols.....steel never touches the chamber.

Yes you can run thousands of 5.56 and 7.62 thru your semi auto rifles and not have a problem...but then sometimes you do.

This is great information to understand from someone who has actual fist hand knowledge. Thank you sir!

 

[Velzey]

Your welcome!

 

[teflon6string]

I appreciate the objective discussion here fellers.

I'm actually looking forward to "disposing" of my non-brass ammo in a 1911 with a really sweet Wilson Combat trigger, and get back to the blazing fast magazine swap-outs I was doing "back in the day" when I shot a lot more.

So with my brass rounds set aside for the open bolt gun, is there any remaining preference between the steel and aluminum that I'll be cycling through the 1911? Is one any better or worse than the other?

 

[Certaindeaf]

.Will 1200 steel/aluminum cased rounds hurt a healthy 1911..

no