Steel cased .45 acp, safe or harmful to 1911 ?

mista jc · 12-02-2009, 15:40

I just acquired a LNIB SA 1911 Loaded and the only ammo I could find was steel cased, made in Russia.

There's no brand name, it just says pistol sporting cartridges. On the receipt it says, UCW steel cased ammo .45acp, non corrosive, made in Russia

I tried searching but only found information on wolf ammo, some people swear by it because it shoots a bit dirtier but some forbid it.

Can any 1911 experts shed light on the issues or possible damage this ammo can cause to my firearm, if any ? I read about steel cased ammo having a rust prevention coating on it and after a few mags, it will cause binding to the mag walls, receiver and extractor.

Would you shoot it out of your 1911? What parts are compromised by steel cased? What did I get my impatient arse into ?

Cobra64 · 12-02-2009, 16:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by mista jc

I just acquired a LNIB SA 1911 Loaded and the only ammo I could find was steel cased, made in Russia.

There's no brand name, it just says pistol sporting cartridges. On the receipt it says, UCW steel cased ammo .45acp, non corrosive, made in Russia

I tried searching but only found information on wolf ammo, some people swear by it because it shoots a bit dirtier but some forbid it.

Can any 1911 experts shed light on the issues or possible damage this ammo can cause to my firearm, if any ? I read about steel cased ammo having a rust prevention coating on it and after a few mags, it will cause binding to the mag walls, receiver and extractor.

Would you shoot it out of your 1911? What parts are compromised by steel cased? What did I get my impatient arse into ?

I have no personal experience shooting Wolf ammo, and based on others' experiences, I don't plan to.

Zombie Steve · 12-02-2009, 16:27

I wouldn't expect fantastic results, but I wouldn't worry about running it through my gun if it's a couple boxes. Shoot what you have; look for something better. When you are sitting around asking yourself what to do with all this .45acp brass... send me a PM.

To answer your question, I would think it could be harder on the extractor and ejector.

Cobra64 · 12-02-2009, 16:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zombie Steve

I wouldn't expect fantastic results, but I wouldn't worry about running it through my gun if it's a couple boxes. Shoot what you have; look for something better. When you are sitting around asking yourself what to do with all this .45acp brass... send me a PM.

Steve, I think it's Berdan primed.

bac1023 · 12-02-2009, 16:39

Frankly, I wouldn't do it.

Zombie Steve · 12-02-2009, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobra64

Steve, I think it's Berdan primed.

...I meant once he gets BRASS brass. Can't reload steel anyways.

Cobra64 · 12-02-2009, 16:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zombie Steve

...I meant once he gets BRASS brass.

Gotcha.

Rinspeed · 12-02-2009, 17:03

I've heard of lots of people that have shot thousands of rounds of Wolf ammo with no adverse effects. That said I won't shoot the crap in any of my guns.

**n2extrm** · 12-02-2009, 18:02

I have seen problems with it in AR's. Never shot or saw it shot in a .45. In the AR platform the coatings sometimes cook to the chamber and the case get riped at the web. Probabley would not happen in a 1911. But still reason enough to not try it. Just my thoughts.

GVFlyer · 12-02-2009, 18:24

Personally, I wouldn't use it in any of my 1911s. Sorry.

bac1023 · 12-02-2009, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rinspeed

I've heard of lots of people that have shot thousands of rounds of Wolf ammo with no adverse effects. That said I won't shoot the crap in any of my guns.

Exactly

ilgunguygt · 12-02-2009, 18:57

The wolf part would bother me, not the steel case. The US govt issued to steel cased ammo when brass shortages were on, and it was shot in 1911s on the battlefield. Wolf just sucks.

1006 · 12-02-2009, 19:19

My belief is that brass being softer than steel is not going to hurt steel barrels, but steel on steel might. I know the stuff has some coating on it to prevent it from gouging the chamber and ramp, I just don't trust it to be a 100%. If I was fighting a war .....

den888 · 12-02-2009, 19:24

Safe for the gun, but not-reloadable and also a bit dirty.

zdragon23c · 12-02-2009, 20:00

i wouldn't be surprised to see premature extractor wear with steel.

Neener Neener · 12-02-2009, 20:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by zdragon23c

i wouldn't be surprised to see premature extractor wear with steel.

Not only would I not be surprised, I would expect it.

bac1023 · 12-02-2009, 20:59

I'm not sure why someone would want to shoot that crap through their 1911.

FLIPPER 348 · 12-02-2009, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by mista jc

Would you shoot it out of your 1911? What parts are compromised by steel cased?

yes and none

I've shot many (many) 1000s of rounds of Wolf through my 1911s witth no adverse effects.

mista jc · 12-02-2009, 21:50

Hm, I guess it's 50/50 from experience and knowledge. Thanks, fellow members. Lots of good responses.

I guess I'll ask my reloader/dealer what he thinks about it. Or just sell it to my buddy who has a G30SF haha.

**L-2** · 12-02-2009, 22:12

deleted

Zombie Steve · 12-02-2009, 22:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by bac1023

I'm not sure why someone would want to shoot that crap through their 1911.

He's got it... and nothing else.

FWIW, when you see that line along the side of the headstamp of a fired brass case, you gotta figure that SOMEthing else is taking the pressure on a steel cased round (can't just stamp it's way through it). The .45acp, however, is a pretty low pressure round so I think it would take a huge volume of steel cases to really make a difference on the parts in your gun. Besides, if you had to replace the extractor and ejector and you wanted to go top of the line... you're looking at about $60.

Again, not my first choice, but I wouldn't worry about a couple boxes.

MD357 · 12-02-2009, 23:03

Wolf ammo used to be nearly half the price of regular ammo. I've probably shot 10K of the stuff via 9mm, .40, and .45. Now the price difference is not that great/worth it IMHO. I've shot a ton of the stuff through factory and custom 1911s with no problems. Yeah the really old stuff would be a PITA to clean after a good number of rounds but who cares? Doesn't hurt your 1911.

sns3guppy · 12-03-2009, 00:39

Quote:

In the AR platform the coatings sometimes cook to the chamber and the case get riped at the web.

This used to be the case, years ago, but is myth today and not reality.

The lacquer that used to coat cases and primers is gone, and gumming chambers isn't an issue.

When was the last time this became a problem in the AK-47? (never).

Extractor wear is an issue, but chamber fouling isn't.

***okie*** · 12-03-2009, 02:25

I used to have a Springfield Parkerized 1911 and I ran a butt load of Wolf through it with no worries, also did the same with the Kimber Warrior I used to own, with no worries

LLDJR · 12-03-2009, 03:24

Same thing here, I could only find Steel Case Blazer recently, some people like Blazer and some don't.