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For handgun ammunition the price is the same so brass is the obvious choice not only for reloading if so inclined but also for cache's.

What about rifle ammunition? It's twice the price for brass cased M193 vs steel cased Russian. You could buy twice as much steel case for the same price as brass when it comes to rifle ammo. But there are two other considerations...1) M855 may not be available legally in the future and it's the same price as M193 so if you are getting brass might as well get M855 green tip. 2) Again we face the dilemma of the cache. Brass will hold up far better than steel case.

So which to get when it comes to file ammo, brass M855 for $300 a case or steel case Russian stuff for $170 a case?
 
Function and accuracy would also be of consideration. Just having a stockpile wont do much for you if your rifle doesn't care for it.
 
I have been using wolf military classic for many years in a 7.62x39 AR build and am very pleased with the accuracy and reliability. I just recently bought some wolf military classic 62 gr hp 223 ammo to try. It also seems reliable and every bit as accurate as other brass cased ammo I have been running. As long as it is kept in a decent temp and humidity level it should be long lasting as well. I guess at this point I will rely on the wolf steel ammo for 7.62x39 and keep testing it in 223 before deciding whether to integrate some into my stash. I will however still mostly rely on brass for my 5.56/223 gas guns . I am not worried about accelerated barrel wear as it has been well documented that running steel exclusively still gives decent service life for barrels: It will be at least half or more compared to running only brass. The barrels I have been running in my 7.62z39 AR builds are $80 and I have several spares. As always ymmv:cool:.
 
My general rule of thumb is to use steel cased ammo in commie guns, and buy the brass stuff for American guns. Seriously, the commie guns were designed to run on steel cased ammo. We haven't been allowed to purchased Chinese ammo for decades but back in the early 90's it was flooding the market for dirt cheap. There was Chinese 7.62 x 39 that was steel cased, with a steel jacketed steel core projectile but it was all copper washed the same color. It came in spam cans but the ammo was wrapped in a thin paper bag material with a little twine holding it together. There was rust poking out here and there. These days its kind of "collectible" I still have some East German 7.62 x 39
 
The chamber in my 7.62x39 ar barrel is cut to ak47 specs on an er shaw blank. It eats steel cased ammo with gusto and hovers right around 1moa.:D
 
Function and accuracy would also be of consideration. Just having a stockpile wont do much for you if your rifle doesn't care for it.
Spot on
I don't use steel ammo in any of my American guns. Tighter chambers seem to make for serious jams with steel cased ammo, as in get a rod and hammer to pound the stuck case out of the chamber.
I can afford brass so i will only use brass.
 
Buy and use whatever ammo your rifle works the best with...
As well as the ammo that you shoot the best with out of from your rifle.

If you are concerned about a ammo ban in the future....then stock up on that ammo now...
If it works in your rifle....a good deal is only a good deal , if you have a use for it.
Andy
 
Function in firearm aside, store it in a cool, dry place.

I recently opened a box I had neglected for about 10-15 years and the steel case ammo has surface rust on it. All brass ammo in the same box was just fine.

The rust on the case may have been safe for firing but might have impacted reliability? I don't know and won't find out because I don't feel like feeding steel to my current 308 rifles. :s0092:
 
Brass only here, for me it's all about corrosion resistance. I live on the water in the Puget Sound and I already have to oil down my blued guns weekly to keep rust at bay.
 
Spot on
I don't use steel ammo in any of my American guns. Tighter chambers seem to make for serious jams with steel cased ammo, as in get a rod and hammer to pound the stuck case out of the chamber.
I can afford brass so i will only use brass.


I've yet to see steel case ammo cause issues in even el cheapo $400 AR's that don't even have chrome lined barrels. I suspect your rifles would jam even if not cleaned. Thousands of rounds without cleaning and zero issues. Just oil.
 
I only shoot steel through the AK. Every thing else is brass. Stock up on tons of steel, for when/if SHTF. And shoot brass now. It wouldn't kill people to pick up the thousands of steel cases, in varying degrees of ugly, after they shoot it either. Disgusting going into a lovely forest spot and standing on a carpet of GD shooters garbage. :mad:
 
I practice with Wolf Gold, so I have thousands of rounds of it on hand.

I got some mk262 for serious work, but the wolf gold is Taiwanese m193 and will work fine in a pinch for close in social work. Its like .27/rd by the case online. Worth the extra $70 over steel to me amd very accurate in my guns.

If I was going to stockpile steel, it would be this, but it only saves me $20 bucks, so not worth it.


The other consideration is if you gun is perfectly tuned to cycle full power 5.56 brass, via adjustable gas block or buffers, it may not cycle steel case.

I agree with others here, if you want to stock massive piles of ammo, buy a decent AK, 10-20k steel cased russian ammo, throw it all in a big pelican case with a pound of desicant, and sleep tight at night.

But really, how much ammo you gonna go through before you get hit? I don't have a machine gun, so I won't be laying down figure 8s on an enemy position. Lol.
 
I practice with Wolf Gold, so I have thousands of rounds of it on hand.

I got some mk262 for serious work, but the wolf gold is Taiwanese m193 and will work fine in a pinch for close in social work. Its like .27/rd by the case online. Worth the extra $70 over steel to me amd very accurate in my guns.

If I was going to stockpile steel, it would be this, but it only saves me $20 bucks, so not worth it.


The other consideration is if you gun is perfectly tuned to cycle full power 5.56 brass, via adjustable gas block or buffers, it may not cycle steel case.

I agree with others here, if you want to stock massive piles of ammo, buy a decent AK, 10-20k steel cased russian ammo, throw it all in a big pelican case with a pound of desicant, and sleep tight at night.

But really, how much ammo you gonna go through before you get hit? I don't have a machine gun, so I won't be laying down figure 8s on an enemy position. Lol.

I bough a couple thousand rounds of Wolf Gold .223 and shot most of it up. It great ammo for plinking. I need to order since have a few boxes left.

1000 Round Case - 223 Rem 55 Grain FMJ Brass Case Non-magnetic WOLF GOLD AR-15 Ammunition | SGAmmo.com
 
I bough a couple thousand rounds of Wolf Gold .223 and shot most of it up. It great ammo for plinking. I need to order since have a few boxes left.

1000 Round Case - 223 Rem 55 Grain FMJ Brass Case Non-magnetic WOLF GOLD AR-15 Ammunition | SGAmmo.com

$269.50 shipped per case, currently at Target Sports USA.


$247.94 shipped, for "prime" members.

Prime membership is $95, for a year, currently. So really depends upon how much one shoots & what of interest they have to offer. For us, it's mostly various 9mm, plinking/drill 7.62x39, and this stuff.

Be mindful, Target will tack on shipping insurance, but worthwhile IMO, for any expensive shipment. Normally under $10 for multiple case order.

Mind 2: I really like SGammo, so absolutely not a knock on Sam and his family/crew. However, I need to do what best serves my family, when possible. Currently have a VY large order from SG inbound, of stuff not available at any other reliable source.
 
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As most have said if you really want to put a lot of steel cased ammo through anything, make it an AK. They love steel cased ammo.

That said, you should be able to put steel cased ammo through a well built AR without issue. Yes it's hard on the extractor but a well built BCG with a S7 or 4340 tool steel extractor and cryo treated spring with high round count tolerance should get you through the apocalypse on steel case.

Tula has recently developed some "range friendly" steel cased ammo that gets rid of the bimetal projectile in favor of lead core with brass jacket. This should be easier on your barrel.

Worst case: have an extra extractor, spring and pin on hand in the unlikely event it should fail on you.
 
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