Was in a Wal-Mart the other day and saw that they had Federal Aluminum 9mm for $9.97 a box. Federal Brass 9mm was $14.97 a box. How well does the aluminum case work as opposed to the brass case for just plinking and target shooting? Anyone been using it? The $5 less per box would be great on the wallet!
Buy a box & try it. Results vary with diff guns but I have had mixed reviews shooting it. If it works for you & you never plan to reload, go for the alum.
I will run Aluminum Ammo in all my handguns if there is any doubts about recovering my brass...usually have a couple hundred rounds on-hand for such occasions...not had one single problem with Federal Aluminum--should be GTG
On the flip side of that coin, I will publicly mock, ridicule and haze any idiot I see shooting TULAmmo in any handgun but a Hi-Point...doubly so now that I see the Fed. Aluminum is on par pricewise
I use Blazer aluminium cased ammo pretty regularly. Never had an issue except in revolvers, and those were big bores...the aluminum expands and it can be difficult to eject the empties. Not impossible, just harder. 0 issues with my auto-shuckers.
I agree with R3dbull4dd1kt about Tul and any other steel cased Warsaw-pact commblok trashy ammo...it has no place in any of my weapons. I would consider it for revolver feed, but I never see it in revolver calibers...
Use it! I have fired hundreds and never had an issue. I started reloading so I stopped buying aluminum. I've noticed it seems to be a little bit dirtier and I get the occasional fire ball out of my gun. But for range fodder it's great.
Like the others have said, if you don't reload, start off by buying a box or two of each make and test them out in your gun(s).
It's really just like any other ammo - some guns will be just fine with it, others will be a little iffy, others are a no-go. And remember, this is unique-gun based: not my XDm, not your brother-in-law's XDm, not your instructor's XDm...your experience will be limited to only the unique XDm that's in your hands.
One interesting item to-note is that some guns have a problem shooting brass case after shooting steel/aluminum. Again, unique-gun based. Not a pistol, but my DDM4V5LW was jumping back-and-forth between steel TulAmmo .223 and Federal XM885 this past weekend, hundreds of rounds of latter with the former interspersed, with absolutely no issues. My buddy's DDM4V1 locks up, tight, if the same is tried.
First, if you reload, you're SOL with aluminum. Second, some guns don't like the lightweight cases. My Steyr 9's eat anything but constantly FTE on aluminum cases. They handle brass and nickel well.
Agree with others on steel ammo, it's junk and won't be used in my guns. The bullet, not just the case, is steel with a copper coating and will degrade your barrel. Lots of ranges won't let you shoot it because it tears up the range too.
Since you seem to know, these federal aluminum don't have bimetal jackets, correct? But tula steel crap and other steel cased pistol ammo do have bimetal jackets?
I have been shooting it with no problems out of my CM9. I still plink with tula out of my .45 though for all the haters . Have had a couple hard primers and that is it. People saying that it'll tear your barrel up, might be true, but when I'm saving 4-6 dollars a box, i can justify a new barrel in the future. It might even out, who knows but i'm betting you'd save money just buying a new barrel!
I don't run steel case ammo because I reload, but I am another one that doesn't buy into all the steel case ammo will kill your gun stuff. I had a long conversation with a Ruger rep and he said the older steel case ammo had some kind of paint to retard rust and when you ran a lot at one time and really heated the gun up that the paint could gum up the works. He said that was the bigger problem, not the steel case. Tula no longer uses that coating. I don't think Wolf does either but I am not 100% sure on that. With that said, I wouldn't use something that I believed was damaging my barrel. Not even if it was free. JMO
Very informative. I would also wonder if the steel core bullets are not always remaining a tight tolerance diameter? Who knows. The guys working in the russian ammunition factories may have just got to work after having too much vodka and oooops lol
I picked up some .45 Federal Aluminum at Wal-Mart at last weeken. I don't recall the price but I know it was much cheaper than Federal brass was. I have yet to shoot it though, but reading online at various websites people say they love it. The more I find, the more I'll buy!
I shoot it out of my AR but not to much from my pistol. I reload for for my xd so I usually pick up the brass ammo and then stockpile the brass for future reloads. The stuff that was shot out of my pistol went bang and was cheap..but I have yet to find any ammo my XD wont eat. I even have a real light load with Berry's bullets that cycles fine..the bullets actually bounced off a 2x4 with a light aluminum sheet across it..but the load will kick a can across the foeld pretty well..and cheap.
Tests have been run, steel case & certainly coated steel bullets wear the bbl & gun more, how much is really the debate. I won't run steel, then again I reload too. To each his own. I try not to buy Russian or Chinese made products too, but that is another thread.
If they're gold colored, they're brass.
A bright silver or chrome finish is nickel.
Dull silver and heavy is probably steel.
Dull silver and much .lighter than any other round is aluminum..
Thanks for all the replies! I think I'll pick up a few boxes and give them a go. No steel for me though.
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