Noveske Steel Case Ammo OK?

[treillw]

Noveske says no steel case ammo through their guns. What does it hurt?

Any types of steel case ammo that are OK?

Thanks!

 

[FALex]

I agree with @mcameron . The steel case does beat up some of the hardware in the rifle when compared to brass, but it seems to be relatively negligible...components that are effected most include the throat and the extractor. TBH - the majority of people shooting AR's are not running them to the point where using steel cased ammunition "deficits" are going to even be noticeable.

The parts that steel cased can wear on the most are also relatively, easily replaceable.

I haven't checked prices on 556/223 in a while. Is steel cased still significantly cheaper than brass? I figured with the Russian import ban, steel cased was going to be close to brass at this point. However, if it is still much cheaper, I'd run it.

If Noveske doesn't want steel cased ammo through their guns, I guess that is a "risk" you'd have to entertain. Personally, I think it wouldn't be too cool of them to deny you customer service because of that, but I'm sure it could happen.

Unless the rifle has some insane manufacturing flaw, there is not likely too much that they could do that you, or an AR-enthusiast buddy/smith could not not successfully accomplish. The rifles are very serviceable, even by those who are new to them. Youtube can be a damn good buddy, or, in my case, a mortal enemy

 

[ssc45]

I don't shoot steel case ammo in any of my AR's. Many years ago I did and it was problematic. It is hard on the extractor, but the real problem is stuck cases. Brass and steel have different properties regarding expansion. Brass seals the chamber better than steel, hence less crud is blown back into the chamber. Even starting out with clean chambers, I was getting stuck cases in my colts, LMT's and BCMs. It really is no fun to have to mortar your weapon to get the BCG locked back and then use a rod from the muzzle to knock out the stuck case.

Further, most steel case ammo is junk, dirty and underpowered. It is also the reason so many manufacturers run larger gas ports. When I am running drills or just having the kids and grandkids shoot, I have better things to do than remove stuck cases.

With all that said, I do have one noveske upper. It is my recce build and I have never used steel case ammo in it. I am not familiar with the barrel you have nor the gas port size. If noveske has it properly gassed for full power ammo then steel ammo may cause malfunctions and fail to lock back due to the lack of gas and/or improper gas drive. Just some thoughts, but if you want to actually get the answer, why not call noveske and ask them.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Personal preference..
If I had a pure bread Noveske I would use only the best grade of ammo I could afford.
If all I could afford was the cheapest ammo on the market then I'd build a cheap grade weapon to plink around with.
If I could afford a $100k Ford diesel truck then I'd run the best diesel available.

 

[021411]

I have a 2009 factory N4 and have fed it steel. No issues to date.

 

[hlee]

Monarch brass is running $1 more expensive per 20 than Monarch steel at the local academy sports. That’s a $500 savings over 10,000. But, steel does seem to cause more malfunctions. How many more? And, are they worth the savings?

Factor in that brass can be reloaded or recycled, while steel isn’t worth the effort of bending over to pick up.

 

[RUTGERS95]

steel case is fine...

you may experience elevated levels of wear....however, the amount you are saving by shooting steel usually greatly exceeds the cost of a new barrel.

Brass vs. Steel Cased Ammo - An Epic Torture Test

This comprehensive 40,000 round brass vs. steel cased ammo torture test examines at key indicators of ammo performance and cost in AR-15 rifles.

www.luckygunner.com

lucky gunner did some pretty good testing on this a while ago.

keep in mind, they were doing massive amounts of mag dumps...so their wear was likely greatly elevated compared to "normal" shooting, but it does a great job of comparing the effects of brass to steel under equal conditions.

this test has been debunked so many times I cannot believe anyone still references it

1.it's the powders used and pressure curve that matters. Western powders have a longer curve further from the throat, Tula is literally right at the throat
2.full auto will have increased wear due to above but on semi, you will not notice any wear that is material to the function
3.the only issue is the seal resulting in more carbon but not really a big deal
4.the steel used is far softer than anything it touches in the rifle
5.most malfunctions are from mixing brass and steel where the brass will expand more and due to carbon buildup, will cause stuck cases.

Have had multiple days of 1k rounds of just steel cased ammo and never once had an issue. The only issue is when you switch to brass after extended steel usage during same trips etc.

buy it, shoot it, enjoy the savings and remember, AR parts are consumable parts so don't fret it, ARs are meant to be used

 

[RUTGERS95]

Personal preference..
If I had a pure bread Noveske I would use only the best grade of ammo I could afford.
If all I could afford was the cheapest ammo on the market then I'd build a cheap grade weapon to plink around with.
If I could afford a $100k Ford diesel truck then I'd run the best diesel available.

I get that but then why buy the premium rifle to sit in the safe as the costs of the premium ammo for thousands of rounds over the cost of cannon fodder would pay for another rifle after 10k rounds. Unless you don't shoot much. 'YOU' being universal and not directed at you

premium ammo is about $150 more per case.

 

[RUTGERS95]

I don't shoot steel case ammo in any of my AR's. Many years ago I did and it was problematic. It is hard on the extractor, but the real problem is stuck cases. Brass and steel have different properties regarding expansion. Brass seals the chamber better than steel, hence less crud is blown back into the chamber. Even starting out with clean chambers, I was getting stuck cases in my colts, LMT's and BCMs. It really is no fun to have to mortar your weapon to get the BCG locked back and then use a rod from the muzzle to knock out the stuck case.

Further, most steel case ammo is junk, dirty and underpowered. It is also the reason so many manufacturers run larger gas ports. When I am running drills or just having the kids and grandkids shoot, I have better things to do than remove stuck cases.

With all that said, I do have one noveske upper. It is my recce build and I have never used steel case ammo in it. I am not familiar with the barrel you have nor the gas port size. If noveske has it properly gassed for full power ammo then steel ammo may cause malfunctions and fail to lock back due to the lack of gas and/or improper gas drive. Just some thoughts, but if you want to actually get the answer, why not call noveske and ask them.

Cheers, Steve

my experience has been the opposite. I can see the frustration but my LMTs, Colts, Noveske, Kac, and home builds etc etc, eat it up like it's a whore earning lunch money on the corner. I personally won't keep a rig that won't eat everything reliably.

 

[RUTGERS95]

the "wear mechanism" is largely irrelevant...unless anyone is making steel cased ammo with western powders...


yup, i mentioned as much

i said its good for comparing the 2 ammo types under equal conditions.....but the wear is going to be greatly exagerated.


that is true....but it is still harder than the brass.

for some reason, people seem to assume that a softer material CANNOT wear or cut a harder material.....it absolutely can. hell, just look at pocket knives, i can cut nothing by rope, and my knife will wear and lose its edge.

the harder the materials you cut, even if they are softer than your blade steel, the faster your edge will wear.


i whole heartedly agree....i run about 70/30 Steel/ brass......ive shot thousands upon thousands of rounds of steel case ammo.....never actually had an issue with it.

is it harder on my gun, yeah, i think it is......is it a real issue, no, i dont think so.

like i said, the cost savings over shooting steel to the tiny amount of wear im getting over brass is enough for me to buy a new barrel....fuck, a new gun even.

so i wholly recommend running Steel.

'wear' only in as much as the throat sees excessive due to burn curve being so close to the throat but all in all, complete agreement. True steel is harder but the difference is immaterial. Also agree, people do assume the softer material is cannot damage etc but hell yeah it can.

I like x39 ARs and if you have a relief cut on the extractor, you find the extractors break at a 'normalized' schedule akin to 5.56. I love steel, it's cheap, accurate enough and great for ranger fodder. I do not use Tula except in x39 but Wolf is good to go in my book.