Steel Cased Ammo vs. Aluminum Cased Ammo: A Comparison

Steel Cased Ammo vs. Aluminum Cased Ammo: A Comparison

Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to compare steel and aluminum cased ammunition today. As ammunition prices fluctuate and availability concerns persist, many shooters turn to these alternative case materials as more affordable options compared to traditional brass. While both steel and aluminum casings offer cost advantages, they present different characteristics that affect performance, reliability, and overall shooting experience. Today we will examine how these budget-friendly options compare across material properties, manufacturing approaches, available loadings, major producers, potential concerns, and practical applications. Without further ado, let's explore the differences between steel and aluminum cased ammunition.

Material Properties and Construction

Steel and aluminum casings present fundamentally different material characteristics that influence their performance and applications: Steel cases utilize low-carbon steel sheet metal formed into case shapes through drawing processes similar to brass case manufacturing. Steel's inherent properties include high tensile strength, resistance to deformation, and significantly less elasticity than brass. These characteristics make steel cases more rigid during firing and extraction, which affects how they interact with chamber walls. Steel's hardness also makes it potentially more abrasive against chamber surfaces and extractors compared to softer metals. Aluminum cases are typically manufactured from aircraft-grade aluminum alloys, most commonly 7075-T6. Aluminum offers approximately one-third the weight of steel and significantly less tensile strength. Its thermal conductivity far exceeds steel, allowing faster heat dissipation during firing. Aluminum's relatively soft nature makes it less abrasive to chamber surfaces but more susceptible to deformation during extraction, particularly in high-pressure cartridges or firearms with aggressive extraction systems. The elastic properties of these materials differ significantly from traditional brass. Brass expands under pressure to create a gas seal against chamber walls, then contracts during pressure drop to facilitate extraction. Neither steel nor aluminum offers comparable elasticity, requiring alternative approaches to ensure reliable case extraction and prevent gas leakage. Purchase Ammo

Coatings and Surface Treatments

To address their inherent material limitations, steel and aluminum cases typically receive different surface treatments: Steel cases almost universally require protective coatings to prevent corrosion and improve extraction reliability. These coatings fall into several categories:

• Polymer lacquer coatings (typically translucent or green) provide corrosion resistance and improve feeding and extraction by reducing friction. Common on Russian, Eastern European, and some Chinese ammunition.
• Polymer paint coatings (often appearing flat black) serve similar functions to lacquer but with different aesthetic properties. Popular on Wolf Performance and Tula Ammunition products.
• Zinc phosphate treatments, sometimes called "gray steel," provide minimal corrosion protection without the heat sensitivity of polymer coatings. This treatment appears on some military surplus ammunition.
• Copper or brass plating (known as "bimetal" cases) appears on higher-end steel-cased offerings, providing improved corrosion resistance and extraction properties. These cases sometimes confuse users who mistake them for brass.

Aluminum cases typically require no additional protective coatings due to aluminum's inherent corrosion resistance through natural oxidation. Most aluminum cases receive anodizing treatments that create a hard, protective oxide layer. This anodized surface appears as a matte finish and provides adequate friction characteristics for reliable feeding and extraction without additional lubricity coatings. Unlike steel cases, the surface treatment for aluminum is integral to the material rather than applied afterward. Some aluminum-cased ammunition receives additional dry lubricant treatments to enhance feeding reliability, but these treatments differ fundamentally from the protective coatings necessary for steel cases.

Available Loadings and Calibers

Steel and aluminum cases appear across different segments of the ammunition market: Steel cases dominate in certain calibers, particularly those with military origins:

• 7.62x39, the AK-47 cartridge, sees perhaps the highest volume of steel-cased production globally
• 5.56/.223 offerings have expanded significantly as manufacturers target the AR-15 market
• 9mm production has increased substantially to serve budget-conscious handgun shooters
• 7.62x54R continues to appear primarily in steel-cased configurations for surplus rifles
• .308 Win/7.62 NATO offerings provide economical options for battle rifle and precision rifle practice
• .45 ACP and other popular handgun calibers appear in more limited production runs

Steel-cased ammunition primarily comes in full metal jacket (FMJ) configurations for practice and training, with limited hollow point or specialty loadings. The focus remains on economy rather than specialized performance characteristics. Aluminum cases appear more selectively across popular calibers:

• 9mm represents the most common aluminum-cased offering, available from several major manufacturers
• .38 Special and .357 Magnum appear in aluminum cases from certain producers
• .45 ACP aluminum-cased options provide economical practice ammunition
• .40 S&W and .380 ACP occasionally appear in aluminum configurations
• Rifle calibers like .223 Remington and .308 Winchester appear infrequently in aluminum, with limited manufacturer support

Aluminum cases typically come in basic FMJ configurations for handgun calibers, with options occasionally including hollow points in practice-grade designs. The focus remains on light-recoiling, economical practice ammunition rather than premium performance loads.

Major Manufacturers and Product Lines

The production landscape for steel and aluminum cases differs significantly, with distinct manufacturer concentrations: Steel case manufacturers include both Eastern European factories with long-standing production histories and newer entrants focusing on budget markets:

• Magtech has recently introduced range-safe 9mm ammunition with steel cases in 115 and 124 grain varieties.
• Wolf offers polymer-coated and bimetal options.
• Red Army Standard provides military-style loadings.
• Maxxtech currently offers a range-safe steel cased 7.62x39 offering in the form of their NFR (Not From Russia) offering.
• Military surplus ammunition from former Warsaw Pact nations continues to appear on the market, particularly in rifle calibers.

Many of these steel case sources reflect military production tooling repurposed for commercial markets, leveraging existing manufacturing capabilities to produce economical civilian ammunition. In the modern era, steel loadings are quite prevalent. Aluminum case producers include primarily established American ammunition companies:

• CCI produces their Blazer Aluminum line across popular handgun calibers.
• Federal offers their American Eagle Aluminum series for economical practice.

Unlike steel production, which often comes from specialized factories, aluminum case production typically occurs alongside traditional brass manufacturing in established ammunition factories. Notably, there are far fewer providers of aluminum loadings than there are for steel.

Corrosive Primers and Surplus Considerations

An important distinction exists regarding primer formulations in some steel-cased ammunition: Military surplus steel-cased ammunition often contains corrosive primers, particularly in older production from former Soviet bloc countries. These primers utilize potassium chlorate or similar compounds that leave hygroscopic salt residues after firing. These salts attract moisture and accelerate corrosion if not promptly cleaned from firearms. This corrosive nature relates to the primer formulation rather than the steel case itself, but the association between military surplus ammunition and steel cases has created some confusion among shooters. Modern commercial steel-cased ammunition from reputable manufacturers uniformly uses non-corrosive primer formulations equivalent to those in brass-cased commercial ammunition. Brands like Wolf, Tula, and Barnaul produce exclusively non-corrosive ammunition for the commercial market, regardless of case material. Aluminum-cased ammunition has never been associated with corrosive primers, as its production began long after the ammunition industry transitioned away from corrosive formulations. All commercial aluminum-cased ammunition uses modern, non-corrosive boxer primers similar to those in brass-cased offerings. Shooters purchasing military surplus steel-cased ammunition should verify its primer composition, as corrosive primers require prompt and thorough cleaning with water or water-based solvents to neutralize salt deposits before conventional lubrication. Purchase Ammo

Reloading Challenges and Limitations

Neither steel nor aluminum cases lend themselves to reloading, though for different reasons: Steel cases present multiple obstacles to successful reloading:

• Significantly higher hardness compared to brass makes resizing difficult and increases wear on reloading dies.
• Lesser elasticity means cases may not resize properly or may split during the process.
• Berdan primers used in many imported steel-cased rounds lack readily available replacements and require specialized depriming methods.
• Steel's susceptibility to corrosion and rust makes long-term storage of fired cases problematic.
• The polymer coatings used on many steel cases burn off or degrade during firing, eliminating their extraction benefits for subsequent reloading.

Aluminum cases present their own prohibitive limitations:

• Aluminum work-hardens quickly, making it unsuitable for multiple loading cycles.
• The material's lower tensile strength creates risk of case rupture when subjected to multiple firing pressures.
• Aluminum's limited malleability makes proper resizing difficult without creating microscopic cracks.
• The metal's relatively low melting point creates safety concerns during resizing, as friction can generate sufficient heat to compromise case integrity.
• Aluminum's chemical properties make it incompatible with many standard case lubrication compounds.

While determined reloaders have occasionally successfully reloaded both materials as experimental projects, the process remains economically impractical and potentially unsafe compared to reloading brass. The cost savings from purchasing either steel or aluminum cases largely disappears when attempting to process them for reuse, and the safety risks outweigh potential benefits.

Practical Applications and Considerations

Each case material serves different practical shooting applications: Steel-cased ammunition excels in:

• High-volume recreational shooting where maximum economy is the priority.
• Training scenarios that don't require brass collection.
• Firearms known to function reliably with steel cases, particularly those with Eastern European design heritage.
• Situations where slightly increased extraction force isn't problematic.
• Environments where the weight of ammunition during transport is not a primary concern.

Aluminum-cased ammunition performs best in:

• Practice sessions with recoil-sensitive shooters, as reduced case weight can slightly reduce felt recoil.
• Firearms with tighter chamber tolerances that might struggle with the dimensional variations sometimes found in steel cases.
• Situations where weight reduction provides meaningful benefits during transportation.
• Shooting scenarios where brass collection isn't required but polymer coating residue from steel cases would be problematic.
• Indoor ranges that specifically prohibit bimetal jacketed ammunition often associated with steel cases.

Both materials present considerations regarding extraction reliability in some firearms, particularly those with tighter chamber specifications or less robust extraction systems. Firearms designed with military specifications or those with Eastern European design heritage typically handle steel cases more reliably than highly tuned competition firearms with minimal extraction clearances.

Conclusion

Steel and aluminum cased ammunition represent viable alternatives to traditional brass for shooters prioritizing economy over reusability. Steel cases offer maximum cost savings and wider caliber availability, particularly in rifle cartridges, but may present extraction challenges in some firearms and leave polymer residue in chambers. Aluminum cases provide moderate cost savings with excellent corrosion resistance and clean-burning characteristics, but with more limited caliber options predominantly focused on handgun cartridges. Neither material supports practical reloading, positioning both as single-use options for budget-conscious shooters. Their primary appeal remains their reduced cost compared to brass-cased offerings, allowing more trigger time for the same ammunition budget. For high-volume recreational shooting, training, and practice applications where brass recovery isn't required, both steel and aluminum cases provide functional alternatives that help extend shooting sessions without compromising the bank account. We here at True Shot Ammo carry both steel and aluminum cased ammunition in addition to our range of ammo for sale. Our inventory of ammunition for sale covers popular calibers like 9mm, 5.56, 12 gauge, and .22 LR. Put plainly, we carry a wide range of pistol, rifle, rimfire, and shotgun ammunition optimal for shooters of all types. Whether you want to buy steel-cased ammunition, aluminum-cased ammunition, or purchase bulk ammo, we have you covered. As always, happy shooting.