Wolf / steel case pistol ammo vs. extractor wear

[BCI Instructor]

Hello all,

Can anyone offer their experiences, be they pro or con, regarding the _extended_ use of Wolf steel cartridge case pistol ammo and extractor wear or failure?

I have found the Wolf ammo in 9mm x 19 and 45 ACP to be reasonably accurate, perhaps slightly less accurate or roughly equal to Winchester "white box" basic target ammo or CCI Blazer brass ammo.
It's availability and cost have had me try a few cases worth, for personal target use and for student use during Concealed Firearm Permit and NRA Pistol classes.

I've been visually inspecting fired cases from my personal practice sessions and thus far have not seen any unusual signs on the cases themselves or had an extractor tear through a case. As to the firearms (primarily H & K 9mm USP, H & K 45 ACP USP, Baby Desert Eagle 45 ACP); I have not noticed that the extractors show signs of becoming "shinier" or feeling "sharper" or "rougher" by fingertip examination - but I am uncertain if this is a general trend or just testament to the rather robust designs of these specific pistols.

I am considering trying their 380 ACP offerings in a Walther PPK/s and Bersa Thunder 380, two pistols I often put into the hands of novice shooters, especialy females (have never met 1 female who didnt love the Walther's appearance and ergonomics, and being all steel helps tame the straight blowback designs' recoil).

Guess I am looking to see if I am risking any personal / professional liability as to "excessive wear" on a student's pistol if I provide their ammo. I would be particularly interested in comments as to wear on "limited use" pistols such as the Hi Point 9mm or especially the Kel-Tec P3AT or similar, as these pistols are marketed with an implied "limited lifespan". For example, some Kel-Tec offerings are stated to have a 6,000 round "lifespan".

Thank you in advance for any anecdotal or experiential information you may provide...

[XD45]

I have shot 10k+ of wolf .223 and 7.62x39 threw my ARs and AKs and never had an issue. But I have seen it just about eat a hole right threw a keltec plr extractor in under 100rounds, so it seems like it could come down to the gun.

[BCI Instructor]

Thanks XD45

The Kel-Tec perspective you offer is particuarly useful as locally their P3AT (and to a lesser degree the P32 & PF9) is very popular due to ease of concealment and price point.

I'm not necessarily faulting the pistols, as they are admittedly designed to be a "carry frequently, shoot infrequently" item. It appears that their potential for wear based upon your experience is due to a "light duty" extractor design being subjected to "less pliable than others" case.

One item I did notice but failed to mention in my original post was that I do notice that the residue on the action / slide feels a bit "gummier", I was attributing this to whatever lubricant and / or coating that Wolf uses on the steel cases. Makes you wonder if the wear is in part due to the case being "stickier" after firing and making extraction slightly more difficult.

Do you commonly use additional spray lubricant or similar when firing your AR / AK rifles during extended sessions?

Thanks again...

[squinn]

I recently shot 2000 rounds of 9mm wolf out of my glock 19 over a 4 day training course. I experienced no problems with the ammo, and my pistol was malfunction free. I cleaned the gun at the end of day 2 after half the ammo had been shot. High temp lithium grease was used for lubrication.

[BCI Instructor]

Thanks for the feedback squinn.

Did you feel that using the Wolf ammo would require more frequent intermediate cleanings to keep your Glock running, or that it was no "dirtier " or no more prone to leave build up or residue than other loads in the same price range?

Thanks again ...

[squinn]

My glock was definitely dirty after a 1000 rounds had been fired. It was still running smoothly, though. I cleaned it mostly for peace of mind. I only cleaned the gun one time during the 4 days. I wouldn't say wolf required any extra maintenance.