Aluminum vs Steel Ammo

[Saddlerocker]

People always lump steel and aluminum into the same catagory, but id like to know if there are benefits of one over the other.

As far as I know only Blazer makes aluminum ammo, and it usually cost more than steel.
Is it better than steel for any reason?
It is softer, but I have read that that can be bad as the rims can be ripped off during violent extraction.

I want to get some non brass ammo for my M&P9 to use in classes and whatnot.
Ill just buy brown bear for my AR, but not sure what to do for the 9mm.
Thoughts?

[The_War_Wagon]

My S&W 1006 was good for ripping at LEAST one case apart, per brick of Blazer, back in the early '90's.

PITA to un-jam the gun, but the gun was MUCH stronger than the cases - it never fazed it the 12 years I owned it.

My 1911's have yet to rip a Blazer up, but I'd NEVER run steel case in it, save as a LAST resort (I have some Hornady TAP for that very purpose) - and for the same reason I DON'T run it in my AR's; too hard on extractors.

[Brick]

I can think of no advantage to aluminum v. steel. Though the benefits of either to brass have more to due with expense and conservation of strategic (scarce) material.

Think about the function of the case, I believe it has two main funtions, 1. hold the components together and 2. when the cartridge is fired the case expands to form a gas seal in the chamber. Either material should be able to do this effectively given the correct alloy and heat treating. And in both instances the material would be softer than the steel of the chamber.

During WW II the U.S. did in fact manufacture steel cased ammo for the M1911 series pistols.

[knight0334]

I've fired Blazer's cheap aluminum cased ammo for over 20 years. I've yet to experience an issue. It wasn't made to compete with steel prices, it was made to compete with brass prices.

Its less likely to score a chamber than steel would be. And steel must be lacquer coated to keep it from rusting. That lacquer, or it's buildup in the chamber, sometimes causes the casing to stick to the chamber.

With newer steels I wouldn't worry about using steel casings for a short spell. Just clean the chamber out when done.

Just buy some Blazer or steel ammo and shoot it.

[762xIan]

Ill just buy brown bear for my AR, but not sure what to do for the 9mm.
Thoughts?

I wouldn't load up on a ton of anything without trying some out, I guess the best thing to do is buy a box or two and make sure they cycle reliably and give you decent accuracy. After that, search for the best deals you can get. I personally haven't had any issues with aluminum or steel case over the years.

During WW II the U.S. did in fact manufacture steel cased ammo for the M1911 series pistols.

Even longer than that...I have a 1/2 box of FA-53 (Frankford Arsenal 1953) .45 ammo that is steel cased.

[offshorebear]

I have shot about 3k rounds of wolf 9mm through my glock with no ammo related problems.

I think that if your gun can't handle wolf it needs to man up.

[Saddlerocker]

Thanks for the replies
Thats basically how it seems with ARs, if yours cant handle steel, its not very good.
But I wasnt sure about handguns.
The savings isnt as big with 9mm as it is with .223, so I might just stick with brass for that.
Blazer aluminum also is barely cheaper than brass, so I guess it would be brown bear or brass, and for $40 or so per 1,000, probably not worth it for the 9mm.

I was just considering steel or aluminum for classes where you have to leave your brass on the ground.
Even though I dont reload (yet) I save all my brass and hate to leave any on the ground.

[Asmodeus6]

Its so much lighter.

Seriously. Go load a magazine of aluminum cased 9mm then load another with brass. Its a noticeable difference!

I've shot a bunch of aluminum 9mm without issue. I'd shoot a bunch more in a heart beat.

[39flathead]

When imported 9mm brass cased ammo can be had for $10 or slightly under, I really can't see paying the same price for aluminum Blazer or imported steel ammo.

I picked up some of the Geco 9mm that is around for $9.50 a box and it is clean and shoots very well.

Even if you don't reload, and even though 9mm brass is cheap, selling it is a way to add to your shooting budget. I suppose you could recycle the aluminum or steel, but that would be a real waste of energy IMO.

[F16vipers]

Its so much lighter.

Seriously. Go load a magazine of aluminum cased 9mm then load another with brass. Its a noticeable difference!

I've shot a bunch of aluminum 9mm without issue. I'd shoot a bunch more in a heart beat.

I didn't even know they made aluminum casings until I read this thread. I'd imagine they would be lighter than brass. If you have a handgun with 10+ capacity it might make a noticable difference in the weight when fully loaded.