# Tula and low cost steel case ammo?



## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

Recently I bought some ammo, but opted for brass cased ammo that is reloadable. I may be in a spot where brass recovery just is not feasible so reloading may not be a good option for me. Is thr incredibly cheap 223 Tula ammo at .22-24 cents a round good enough for practice at least or can it hurt barrels and firearms?

http://www.sgammo.com/product/brown...-ammo-brown-bear-barnaul-lacquered-steel-case


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## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

I shoot it in my range guns. Hasn't hurt them at all, may be hard on your ejector. No big deal to me.


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## 7515 (Aug 31, 2014)

It jams in my Bushmaster. I have shot it in my DPMS. 
After the nasty jam it put on my rifle I have not purchased any more, I will occasionally shoot steel case in my pistols.


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

I only shoot Tula in my SKS and AK and it shoots fine somewhat dirty! I do keep some in my emergency stash
including 5.56/.223 I too picked some up way cheap quite awhile back.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

The only steel case I use is Comblock 7.62x39 and German 7.92x57 mm.

I have a ton of chinko copper washed steel and Polytech brown lacquered.

I have another ton of East German green lacquered 7.62x39.

The stuff is made to work in the guns I shoot it in, and there has not ever been a problem in the 25 plus years I have been using it.

I have a few cases of 5.56x45 east block, it is Alamo ammo only, IMHO.

I have had a few AR's in here with chamber fowling.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Sig Sauer M4's, Colt LE6920's, SW MP15's and Century Arms C15A1's all eat low cost steel cased ammo like a fat man at a Golden Corral. (From what I hear...)


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Some guns can be finicky. I have encountered no issues with 9mm, 45 auto or 7.62x39. It is very dirty. Glocks eat anything and so do AKs and SKSs. It has also functioned well in other hand guns. Like any ammo, try a small box before taking the plunge to stock pyle and be comfortable knowing the cartridges will feed, fire and eject without issue. I have a .32 pistol that will only fire ammo with soft primers. Hard primers end up with FTF issues with this particular arm.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

In a SHTF state, I doubt anyone who got ammo from someone who knew someone who knew someplace to get some, would really care. As long as it went out the barrel. jmho. Don't plan on bartering ammo, but someone posted about bartering past best used by date food. All's fair love and war.jmo I buy what I can when I can, the price is never to go down, If I don't use it, someone will. Hopefully not against me.


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

I run it through an Olympia and Wyndham with no problems. I've heard good, Ive heard bad. But I don't try to redline my rifles, either. I do keep good brass, but if I'm going out to burn a hundred, it's usually Tula.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

I haven't had any problems with Tula .22LR , it's a great buy .


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

Lucky Gunner had a great video on you tube and the consensus was that Steel cases and Bi metal bullets do result in shorter life to the AR barrel and other components.....But, you save so much over the course of time by buying the cheaper ammo that you could replace those parts many times over. Go for it. On a range gun anyway.


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## Notold63 (Sep 18, 2016)

I use them in my SKS and Mosin-Nagent only.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The myth of steel ammo has been a round awhile it is that a myth . Many myths have some truth to them. here is some things to think about.

Steel ammo has corrosives power and or primes long after most brass no longer did. Not the case any more.
Steel ammo came from manufactures that had low standards , light loads did not always function like they should. that is why we had the Wolf spring for AR's shooting steel.
Coating on Steel ammo gums up the weapon, shown not to be an issue
Steel case wearing out the weapon faster, sounds reasonable, but again shown not to be an issue.
I have a good stash of steel ammo. It is that a stash when I need it I will use it.


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

stowlin said:


> Recently I bought some ammo, but opted for brass cased ammo that is reloadable. I may be in a spot where brass recovery just is not feasible so reloading may not be a good option for me. Is thr incredibly cheap 223 Tula ammo at .22-24 cents a round good enough for practice at least or can it hurt barrels and firearms?
> 
> 500 round case - 223 Rem 55 grain FMJ Ammo - Brown Bear by Barnaul with Lacquered Steel Case | SGAmmo.com


Used some in my AR 180 several years ago and one case stuck so tight in the barrel that we had to use a hammer handle to get the expended shell casing out. Never again


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## Oddcaliber (Feb 17, 2014)

I'm at about 75% steel and 25% brass for rifles and the opposite on pistol ammo. If your weapons can function with steel case ammo than your good. If not find what works and stick with that.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

I only shoot steel ammo in my AK's never in my ARs. Its not that my AR's wont shoot steel ammo. Its because some of the steel ammo bullets have steel cores. If the brass around the steel bullet is thin and the rifle grooves **** into steel this causes wear and decrease barrel life. Also i can reload brass lower then 24 cents a round.


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## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

I believe I heard a guy at the range talking about his gun being smoking Hot from doing mag dumps then letting a round sit in the chamber and cool would cause it to stick in the chamber. 

The lacquer coating would melt from the hot chamber then when it was left to cool it may cause the round to stick in the chamber. When that round is fired or attempt to eject the round/case would fail. 

Never had it happen. Could be all false.


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

Lacquer was/is bad about sticking. Tula and Wolf are using a polymer coating. I burn so little through my AR s that it will take a long time to burn them out.
But there will always be two sides.
Next debate:
9vs45
Internal vs External extractor 
Polymer vs Steel
Maryanne vs Ginger


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## Gunn (Jan 1, 2016)

A friend and I just went in on some Fiocchi 223 for a great deal (4000 rounds). It is reloadable brass. I don't shoot the steel cased stuff in anything I own, JMHO


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Plenty of steel case 7.62X39 and 7.62X54R for my COMBLOC rifles. They were made for it.
Wolf brand .223, .308, and 30 Carbine in reserve for the End Of Days. I have shot some of it in my rifles to make sure it will function, then I put it away. I will not fire it on a regular basis.
I have never bought, or shot, steel case handgun ammo. 
Although the US government did make some steel case 45 ACP during WW2. So it would probably work in government grade 1911A1's.


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## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

rice paddy daddy said:


> Plenty of steel case 7.62X39 and 7.62X54R for my COMBLOC rifles. They were made for it.
> Wolf brand .223, .308, and 30 Carbine in reserve for the End Of Days. I have shot some of it in my rifles to make sure it will function, then I put it away. I will not fire it on a regular basis.
> I have never bought, or shot, steel case handgun ammo.
> Although the US government did make some steel case 45 ACP during WW2. So it would probably work in government grade 1911A1's.


How do you like the steel cased .308 ? What do you fire it in ? How accurate is it ?


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Operator6 said:


> How do you like the steel cased .308 ? What do you fire it in ? How accurate is it ?


Wolf is the only brand I have tried in .308.
I have a Springfield Armory M1A, Standard Model, made over 20 years ago with a majority of USGI parts.
This ammo produces a lot of carbon fouling in the gas system.
I am not a group shooter, so will make no claims as to accuracy. It is accurate enough for combat.

This is my emergency ammo. 
For GOOD stuff I have a few boxes of Lake City Match, and also some South African NATO hardball. That is not plinking ammo. All the South African is gone from the market.


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## Fish (Jun 27, 2016)

I have been buying the following Wolf ammo for my .223 AR's.

https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/pro...223709.do?sortby=priceAscend&refType=&from=fn

First of all I am new to the AR rifles so I am still learning a lot about them. A friend told me in order to find out what cycles best is rapidly shoot 5 magazines (150 rounds) and then start trying different rounds. I bought various brands from CTD and loaded in different magazines. I never had anything jam nor had any cycling problems so I settled on the above. Cheap and easy to order. My UPS guy told me the other day "damn, I know where I am coming if anything goes bad." I told him you might get shot hahahahaha One of those kidding, not kidding laughs.

Now I also have a S&W M&P .22 on the AR frame that will not shoot cheap ammo at all. None of it cycles properly and it jam every 3 or 4 rounds.


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