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.223 ammo question

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  • Stanley13

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    You would have to give me Brass ammo for me to shoot it!! Safety second!!!
     

    Snow Bird

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    I use both and the steel I bought was .60 a round. Bought during the panic. I really don't do mag dumps just to watch the dirt fly even tho it is alot of fun....I am new to ARs but I have found like alot of others have said that the brass will shoot tighter groups in MY AR.
     

    Crazydoc68

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    I don't think I saw anyone saying it was great ammo or it should be used for duty ammo. Choose something appropriate to what you're doing; it's not that difficult a concept.

    First off, this is my opinion. I did not say it was the end all of this debate.

    Secondly, I'm just saying why would you add to more things that could go wrong at the wrong time. We all know that steel cases are made of a stronger metal than brass cases, so in turn it makes more wear and tear on parts.

    I'm not saying only shoot brass or only shoot steel. Just my experiences first hand....that's all!

    V/r
    Rich
     

    FrankT

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    I get your point Doc. In the x39 the difference is alot more than the .05-.07 a rd in the 223. At least from what I have found it is double the .21 of tula to go brass at least from what I have found so far. So I can understand you 223 guys sticking w brass.
     

    donr101395

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    First off, this is my opinion. I did not say it was the end all of this debate.

    Secondly, I'm just saying why would you add to more things that could go wrong at the wrong time. We all know that steel cases are made of a stronger metal than brass cases, so in turn it makes more wear and tear on parts.

    I'm not saying only shoot brass or only shoot steel. Just my experiences first hand....that's all!

    V/r
    Rich

    That's cool, I'm just pointing out that my first hand experience is the opposite of yours.
    I do agree on avoiding laquer, but poly and zinc don't pose a problem.

    Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
     

    Little Jack

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    If your rifle shoots it... go ahead and shoot it.

    If not, get another rifle that does, or just shoot brass

    If you're looking for cheap, x39 is the cheapest rifle round going right now. 5.45 and 5.56 in steel case are pretty close in price. 5.45 surplus is cheap, not as much as it used to be, but it'll be corrosive.

    I wouldn't trust it for any sort of "duty" ammo though. For range ammo it's fine. It's up to you to determine if the cost savings are worth the increased wear, decreased accuracy etc.

    If you shoot steel case in your AR, don't tell Tackleberry.
     

    ilintner

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    I think that Nate posted this article a while back, it is definitely worth a read:

    http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/

    This has more than enough info for you to make an informed decision on what you want to put through your rifle.

    It appears that the biggest issue with brass vs steel doesn't lie in the casing, as much as it does the bi-metal bullets and how they wear the rifling vs the copper bullets.

    It is also interesting the way the federal eroded the gas port more than the steel cased ammo though...

    At one time there was a huge spread between steel and brass ammo, this was back when you could get 1k rounds of wolf shipped for less than 20 cents per round.

    Lately I have been seeing the steel ammo hovering around 25 cents per round, and I have purchased brass .223 for as little as 28-29C shipped, and it seems to be hovering right around 30-31 cents.

    Since the price gap has been reduced by a fair margin, I buy the brass stuff, but years back I would buy cases of Academy's Monarch steel ammo and never had issues with it.
     

    SAWMAN

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    AND ............. the US military doesn't use steel cased,laquer coated ammo in the M4's,CAR's,M-16's,and SAW's because ........................... ?

    Seems kinda baffeling to me why some of the people here that can afford the most expensive guns around,will intentionally shop around for the absolute cheapest ammo,both in cost and in quality. --- SAWMAN
     
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    Little Jack

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    AND ............. the US military doesn't use steel cased,laquer coated ammo in the M4's,CAR's,M-16's,and SAW's because ........................... ?

    Seems kinda baffeling to me why some of the people here that can afford the most expensive guns around,will intentionally shop around for the absolute cheapest ammo,both in cost and in quality. --- SAWMAN

    I understand your sentiment about the mil and not using steel ammo. But... doing just what the military does isn't going to be the best option all the time.

    Why the 1/7 twist? Why carbine length gas?

    I'd argue there are better options out there.

    If your going to be a clay pit commando, who cares if a couple of rounds in 1k don't go off?

    Ian brings up the excellent point of the price differential. It used to be more significant. At a few cents a round more, you're getting better quality ammo (for the most part) and a brass case to trade/reload. Some guys reload the steel but a brass case is going to get you more.
     
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    If your rifle shoots it... go ahead and shoot it.

    If not, get another rifle that does, or just shoot brass

    If you're looking for cheap, x39 is the cheapest rifle round going right now. 5.45 and 5.56 in steel case are pretty close in price. 5.45 surplus is cheap, not as much as it used to be, but it'll be corrosive.

    I wouldn't trust it for any sort of "duty" ammo though. For range ammo it's fine. It's up to you to determine if the cost savings are worth the increased wear, decreased accuracy etc.

    If you shoot steel case in your AR, don't tell Tackleberry.


    That is okay. To each his own. I just do not want to hear any crying later when a steel casing gets lodged in the chamber and will not come out.
     
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    AND ............. the US military doesn't use steel cased,laquer coated ammo in the M4's,CAR's,M-16's,and SAW's because ........................... ?

    Seems kinda baffeling to me why some of the people here that can afford the most expensive guns around,will intentionally shop around for the absolute cheapest ammo,both in cost and in quality. --- SAWMAN


    I am with you Bill.
     

    Little Jack

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    That is okay. To each his own. I just do not want to hear any crying later when a steel casing gets lodged in the chamber and will not come out.

    That's happened before. It's one of the reasons I've got a rod in my range bag.

    It's also happened with brass cased ammo.
     

    ilintner

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    Ian and Nate hit the home-run, there just is not enough price difference at this time to run steel over brass 223 ammo.

    Another point is that the article that I posted was published at a time when the differential was much greater than it is now.

    I believe the bottom line is, different strokes for different folks, just educate yourself on what you're running through the weapon and make your choice. There are pros and cons in both directions.

    Like the glock vs 1911 debate this could go on forever.
     

    FrankT

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    Look AR barrels are cheap, if you don't have a high dollar Wylde or similar barrel on your 223-556 who cares, if you shoot it out for 90-125 replace it. Guns are tools, use them or let them sit in the safe and look pretty, they are nothing more than a painting on your wall when not used.
     

    Little Jack

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    Another point is that the article that I posted was published at a time when the differential was much greater than it is now.

    I believe the bottom line is, different strokes for different folks, just educate yourself on what you're running through the weapon and make your choice. There are pros and cons in both directions.

    Like the glock vs 1911 debate this could go on forever.

    NO!! There is only one right answer... all the time.... for everything
     

    Dan1612

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    ...
    Like the glock vs 1911 debate this could go on forever.
    It has!

    I haven't bought bulk in a while. When I did, it was .40c for 1k at Academy. Store bought single boxes are about .50c, and steel is .25c. Sounds like I need to shop around.

    The beauty of it is that we can all do whatever the duck we want.
    Whether we have nothing more important to do than to worry about what strangers put in their stuff is a different issue. ;)
     

    ilintner

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    Strangers putting stuff in their stuff? Enter Fupa or Hugh in 5....4.....3....2....
     
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