Herter's steel case ammo

[Aragorn243]

I almost bought a box of 308 Herter's steel cased ammo for my FR-8 but was wondering if the steel cases can harm the chamber. I'm assuming chances are slim or they wouldn't sell the stuff but I'd rather not take the chance. Any opinions on the subject?

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[jonnyc]

Very widely discussed subject all over the internet for years. A little searching will give you more than you ever want to read on the issue.
Bottom line...........no, shoot happily.

[kenwest516]

I've been useing Wolf 7.62x39 for a long time. I have used Herters 7.62x39 .223 and .45 a little so far no problems and I don't ever expect any. The only thing I ever heard about was the varnish on the wolf will get hot and sticky and cause feed or extraction problems but I never experienced it. I gotta wonder if it may be a build up from not properly cleaning the chamber. Just a thought may not even be the case.
I just started shooting at a local club in IDPA matches and I bought herters steel case so I don't loose any brass.Just over a hundred rounds in a day and I don't see any problems from it.

[Skip]

Why would any decent ammo producer provde ammo that would damage a firearm and expect to remain in business. Shoot it and enjoy.

[Bruce McAskill]

Why? Because they know that so many shooters will buy the cheapest ammo they can find. All of the steel cased ammo for sale here commercially is made in Russia. Their quality control leaves a lot to be desired to say the least. Something happens to your firearm? They don't care as try to get something out of them,good luck with that. They are in Russia half a world away and if you want satisfaction you would have to go there and try to get the Russian courts to go along with you. 7.62x39 is for AK's and the SKS. They were designed from the start for steel case. No USGI firearm was designed for steel cased ammo. Can it be used in those firearms? Sure it can but you have to remember that in the vast majority of firearms it's real dirty ammo.Steel does not seal the chamber well at all like brass cased ammo does. It's not in general as accurate as normal brass case ammo and you get what you pay for. In a military bolt rifle the use of steel will not be too bad as the extractor is large and strong but don't expect to get the best out of your rifle using it.

[Aragorn243]

Why would any decent ammo producer provde ammo that would damage a firearm and expect to remain in business. Shoot it and enjoy.

That question can be answered easily enough, a quick buck. In that the ammo is from Russia and not China, it is a little more reputable to me but not by much. Thus the question I asked.

---------- Post added at 03:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:20 PM ----------

Bruce,

That's pretty much what I figured. Had I been buying ammo for an SKS I wouldn't be as concerned but with my FR-8 being like new, the last thing I want to do is screw it up to save a couple of buck.

[TDH]

Herters is the same as Tula or Wolf just a different box.

[jmoore]

. No USGI firearm was designed for steel cased ammo. Can it be used in those firearms? Sure it can but you have to remember that in the vast majority of firearms it's real dirty ammo.Steel does not seal the chamber well at all like brass cased ammo does.

I suspect Mosin Nagants weren't designed for the steel cased 7,62x54r ammo. But both they and SVTs seem to work fine with either. The inherent problem with steel cases is that they are harder on tooling and require more powerful presses to form. Also not as corrosion resistant. In the specific examples of 5,56 and 7,62x51 cartridges there may be the added problem of less springback in the fired cases, which have less taper than usual in the body. So extraction forces can be higher in semi- and full auto weapons.

There's no particular reason steel cased ammo can't be as clean and as accurate as brass cased ammo. Powder selection, priming compounds, quality of the projectiles and care in building up the ammo are more important factors. Which are well down the priority list when making rounds as cheaply as possible!

[Bruce McAskill]

The Mosin Nagant rifles are bolt actions that were designed form the start for abuse. The SVT was designed from the start for steel cased ammo. Steel case ammo is fine in a weapon designed for it from the start but not so good in one designed for brass cased ammo.

[jmoore]

Gew98/K98k? M1911a1?