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showing my complete lack of knowledge. I'd like to ask for some info here. What is the difference between brass and stainless steel ammo (yes, apart from one is brass and one is stainless steel!!). What are the ballistic differences? what is the effect on the barrel? In general it seems to me that steel ammo is cheaper than brass, but are the savings worth it? I know I can rely on you guys for help.
I have never seen stainless used in ammo... aluminium yes, steel yes, nickel plated yes, but never stainless. Who makes it?

I would think there is no difference, if you don't plan to reload it. Steel ammo is probably harder on the firearm, but I have never used it, so it would be difficult for me to judge.
It's not stainless, its just steel coated with copper or nickel to make it chamber easier. Most home/personal defense ammo is nickel plated brass for this reason as well, it will go in the chamber more reliably.

In terms of ballistics there is no difference imparted by or taken away by the steel case. As Believeln308 said, its harder on the chamber potentially if there is an over size , gouge/scratch on the outside that might abrade the chamber.

Steel and aluminum share the trait that they can expand and contract, only once, so reloading is a big no-no. A lot of steel has berdan primers which would make them hard to reload anyway.

So the only difference really is cost and of course, if you have a magnet, its easier to clean up ...
See what I mean?. I meant steel not stainless. That's why I need you guys to set me straight. Thanks for the info.
What are you looking to shoot it in? I have shot quite a few in aks and a sks and it worked just fine. I have also shot the 308 in a bolt action and it worked better than some brass. So for the price it's hard to beat if you don't plan on reloading.
I'm not looking to shoot it in anything particular. I mostly shoot an FNS9 and have been shooting the RDA ammunition without any problems. On a whim I bought Tulammo at Walmart unaware that it was steel casing, which made me wonder what the deal is.
Ah okay, it's just the cheap Russian stuff. I haven't shot it out of a hand gun. But the rifle varients I have been happy with
(06-27-2015, 06:29 AM)British Gunner Wrote: [ -> ]I'm not looking to shoot it in anything particular. I mostly shoot an FNS9 and have been shooting the RDA ammunition without any problems. On a whim I bought Tulammo at Walmart unaware that it was steel casing, which made me wonder what the deal is.

some of that cheap stuff can be very corrosive.
I don't believe the Tulammo is corrosive stuff. Just not the cleanest stuff. And as Lynn noted steel ammo can be hard on the firearm.
I didn't think the Tulammo was corrosive either, at least not the stuff you get at Wal-Mart
The only corrosive stuff I have ever seen us the mil surplus. Seemed like a good idea to but a ton if it at the time. But after coming home and doing a complete gun cleaning every time shooting it, it lost it's luster pretty quick.
The newer combloc stuff (Tula, Wolf, WPA, Brown Bear, Silver Bear, Golden Bear, Russian Standard, etc.) is no longer corrosive. If you're using old combloc mil-spec surplus that stuff can be very corrosive. If you're shooting that keep a couple of room temperature water bottles handy to pour down the barrel every 100 rounds or so. Windex with ammonia is also good to use.
Thanks for the info. For the most part I fire the RDA ammo, and never had a problem with that. Also seems to be very reasonably priced. I'm sure at some point I will get into reloading my own, but for now I appreciate all the input.
I do shoot the Russian 7.62x54R surplus. I usually do about 50 rounds when I take the Mosin out. I run some Windex through it before I leave the range. And when I get home I clean it normally. I have noted that the surplus stuff shoots really well. I also note that there seems to be a lot of copper build up too, so I run copper solvent through it every 4th trip now. I have taken the Mosin out 7 times since I got her. The Russian surplus seems way cleaner than the old satellite states stuff. But for $98 for 440 rds you really cannot go wrong with spam can ammo.
Yeah, as long as you're diligent that's good cheap ammo. If you get careless about cleaning the gunk left behind then you have trouble. Corrosive ammo uses salts in the primer that if they're not removed can cause rust in the barrel and around the muzzle. It can also cause issues with the bolt, slide, or firing pin depending on the type of weapon you're using it in. You're main concern when at the range is going to be maintaining the barrel though. The interior of the action can wait until you get home to give a good cleaning.