If you do not reload, then ammunition with an aluminum casing makes for a relatively cheap ammo source. Both of these factors help keep production costs relatively low. Aluminum cases are not designed to be reloaded, and Berdan primers are significantly cheaper to produce than Boxer primers. Add to that, the fact that aluminum ammunition cases tend to crack or split when the case mouth is reformed or crimped. A Berdan primer uses two or three flash holes and requires a specialized tool in order to remove the spent primer. A Boxer primer contains a single flash hole so that the spent primer can be removed by a single decaping pin, and the brass case can be reloaded. On the other hand steel cased ammo is what is known as Berdan primed. Most domestically manufactured brass and aluminum cased ammunition is Boxer primed. This difference in cost can be debatable if you reload your fired cases. Ultimately, aluminum cased ammunition will always cost less than brass. Sometimes, the sheer volume of used cartridge brass keeps market forces in check, but a new firearm cartridge or resurgence of interest in an older one can make for crazy mini spikes in brass ammo. Brass prices fluctuate along with other precious metals whereas aluminum remains stable. If you were to compare aluminum ammo with a similar type of brass-cased ammo, there would be a two-to-six-dollar difference.The reason for a less expensive cost is the relatively cheap and consistent supply of aluminum. Probably the only type of ammunition cheaper than an aluminum casing is imported steel cased ammo with a lacquer coating. If there is an advantage to be had about aluminum cased ammunition, it is the cost. However, it all depends in the purpose you have for your ammunition. Due to being a softer metal and having a lower melting point, aluminum-cased ammunition is said to be of lower quality. If you are purchasing from a top-quality ammunition manufacturer, then you are going to get what you paid for. In the actual ammunition manufacturing process, both aluminum and brass cased ammo are equal. Aluminum on the other hand came about much later in the history of the cartridge case by a little over 100 years later in the 1960s. This is not to say aluminum is weak as a material, just that the properties tend to be different when compared to brass.īrass has been used as a cartridge case since the invention of fixed ammunition in the 1850s. This has to do with the strength and malleability inherent to brass cased ammo as opposed to aluminum. ![]() Aluminum vs Brass Ammo: The DifferencesĪluminum-cased ammunition is mostly used for handgun cartridges. There are differences between the two and each offers its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Most steel-cased ammo is of foreign manufacture, so we will look at the two types offered domestically: aluminum ammo and brass ammo. You CAN shoot it here we recycle the steel as well as the brass, but use good judgement about the capability of your firearm to safely cycle that ammo.When it comes to ammunition, there are at least three different types based on the cartridge casing: aluminum case, steel case, and brass case. Hammering steel shells out of your steel firearm is not good for it. We’ve had to do it with large hammers and steel rods on steel-case jams (usually a plastic mallet with a brass rod will get stuck brass out). We have to clear jammed guns before they leave the range. Unless you are sure your loose-tolerance gun (ironically the less expensive and lower-quality guns) can safely cycle it (even when the firearm gets hot), we do not recommend it. Sellers may not clearly tell you that it’s steel case, so you need to check. There are new start-up ammo manufacturers selling (expensive) steel-case ammo. We have recently had more issues with jammed steel-cased shells stuck in quality firearms than any other malfunction on the range. Steel has different thermal expansion properties and different hardness than brass. ![]() That higher quality is due to tighter tolerances and more precise machining and assembly. Remember that the higher quality the firearm is, the LESS tolerant it is of non-standard ammo. We do NOT recommend using steel case ammo in your firearm unless it was designed for it (think Russian Cold War firearms like the AK-47).
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