Self Defense Rounds: Brass vs Steel

Toby_H

Toby_H

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I've watched a bunch of performance test videos.
I've read a bunch of comparison articles.
I've read a bunch of articles criticizing those articles.

I've watched the brass vs steel (case) debate for years.


But I still have 2 main questions:

1) What's the best brass cased Self Defense round options on the market?

2) Why are the best Self Defense rounds in steel cases?
 
I like Speer Gold Dot. Sufficiently hot round in 9mm and 45. Also has a fairly low muzzle flash when dark so you don’t blind yourself. Nickel plated brass I believe.
 
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I dont know of any steel case pistol ammo but maybe from over the pond. I wouldnt shoot steel cased ammo any gun I cared about unless it was the zombie apocalypse. Steel scratches steel. Brass and nickel are soft and dont scratch. A scratched chamber is eventually going to not let a case extract. Aluminum cased ammo will can swell and not extract. Many many good SD pistol ammos out there. Speer and Federal have always worked well for me. If you have the means buy some different hollow points and test for accuracy in your gun.
 
Toby_H said:
yup..........
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Yeah took me a minute to realize I haven’t seen steel cased self defense ammo.

Still unsure why most is nickel plated. I know Hornady switched to brass for a while due to a nickel shortage.
 
fieldgrade said:
It’s slick, physically speaking
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Yep, manufactures claim it will feed and extract better. And it’s more corrosion resistant than brass, which was a big deal when officers had leather holsters and ammo carriers.
 
I see no issue shooting steel cased ammo out of guns designed with that in mind, like SKS, AK or Mosin and I generally don't use it in anything else. But I agree I have yet to see any SD oriented steel cased ammo.
 
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Apropos of nothing really, back in the 30’s, chrome plating was considered expensive, and a cheaper means of plating things that people wanted plated was nickel plating. It will tarnish like silver on musical instruments but is still done today on some high end banjos because that’s how they did it on those highly sought after pre-war Gibsons.
 
barf said:
Yeah took me a minute to realize I haven’t seen steel cased self defense ammo.

Still unsure why most is nickel plated. I know Hornady switched to brass for a while due to a nickel shortage.
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Went searching for an answer for something else, and the article included this info:

Benefits of Nickel-Plated Casings​

If you’re in the market for more ammo, you might be considering nickel-plated brass cases, or you might want to add nickel-plating to existing brass ammo cases. There are a few benefits of choosing nickel-plated casings:

  • Corrosion resistance: A common complaint people have about brass cases is that over time, the metal starts to corrode, producing green spots called verdigris. Applying a nickel coating to the brass stops corrosion, as the nickel barrier completely envelops the brass.
  • Easy loading: Both nickel or brass cases make for easy reloading, but nickel-plated brass has a lower coefficient of friction than just brass. This means the cartridges with nickel-plated casing slide into a gun better. The low coefficient of friction also allows for smoother and easier extraction of nickel-plated cases. Nickel-plated cases are less likely to jam or get stuck in the weapon.
  • Easy to see: The color of nickel-plated casings can make them easier to see, both when firing a gun and when inspecting the chamber of a gun to see if it is loaded or not.
  • Improved strength: Adding a layer of nickel to a brass case can strengthen the case’s material, making it last longer.

Although there are many benefits to choosing nickel-plated casings, there are some potential drawbacks to consider. Nickel-plated brass cases have a higher per-case price than brass cases or cases made from steel or aluminum. Depending on the plating quality, there is also a potential for the nickel to flake off the casing. Choosing a process, such as electroless nickel plating on brass, that produces a smooth and durable coating will ensure the quality of nickel-plated brass cases.
 
BigWaylon said:
Went searching for an answer for something else, and the article included this info:

Benefits of Nickel-Plated Casings​

If you’re in the market for more ammo, you might be considering nickel-plated brass cases, or you might want to add nickel-plating to existing brass ammo cases. There are a few benefits of choosing nickel-plated casings:

  • Corrosion resistance: A common complaint people have about brass cases is that over time, the metal starts to corrode, producing green spots called verdigris. Applying a nickel coating to the brass stops corrosion, as the nickel barrier completely envelops the brass.
  • Easy loading: Both nickel or brass cases make for easy reloading, but nickel-plated brass has a lower coefficient of friction than just brass. This means the cartridges with nickel-plated casing slide into a gun better. The low coefficient of friction also allows for smoother and easier extraction of nickel-plated cases. Nickel-plated cases are less likely to jam or get stuck in the weapon.
  • Easy to see: The color of nickel-plated casings can make them easier to see, both when firing a gun and when inspecting the chamber of a gun to see if it is loaded or not.
  • Improved strength: Adding a layer of nickel to a brass case can strengthen the case’s material, making it last longer.

Although there are many benefits to choosing nickel-plated casings, there are some potential drawbacks to consider. Nickel-plated brass cases have a higher per-case price than brass cases or cases made from steel or aluminum. Depending on the plating quality, there is also a potential for the nickel to flake off the casing. Choosing a process, such as electroless nickel plating on brass, that produces a smooth and durable coating will ensure the quality of nickel-plated brass cases.
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Makes sense why the Hornady HP stuff is so expensive since it’s all nickel plated.
 
jimmyjames8 said:
Steel scratches steel. Brass and nickel are soft and dont scratch. A scratched chamber is eventually going to not let a case extract.
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@Jayne has something like 35k through a G34 and most of it was steel if I recall correctly. It's still on the original barrel and runs fine.
 
barf said:
Makes sense why the Hornady HP stuff is so expensive since it’s all nickel plated.
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They were happy to charge the same (or more) and switch to brass in their critical defense because of 'supply shortages' a while back. Same SKU and everything, just different rounds in the box. Sneaky bastards.
 
Jayne said:
They were happy to charge the same (or more) and switch to brass in their critical defense because of 'supply shortages' a while back. Same SKU and everything, just different rounds in the box. Sneaky bastards.
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Yeah I bought some of that. Very sneaky.
 
Frack N Cylons said:
@Jayne has something like 35k through a G34 and most of it was steel if I recall correctly. It's still on the original barrel and runs fine.
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Checks the spreadsheet... 41299. I'm going to say that conservatively 40k of that is steel (wolf, tula, novobroski, silver bear, brown bear, probably some others). At a rifle/pistol class last weekend I found 2 factory looking brass 9mm rounds on the ground and stuck them in a mag when reloading.... so the G34 has tasted brass recently.

Went back to glock for that sheared optic plate screw issue at just over 40k and they rebuilt it using the same barrel; presumably if it was damaged they would have replaced it or at least said something?

edit:

forgot to mention Sterling, this stuff: Sterling steel 9mm

It's what I've been running the matches lately, its really nice. Lower power, but reliable and feeds well and doesn't seem to scratch the crap out of the mag liners like wolf.
 
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Toby_H said:
1) What's the best brass cased Self Defense round options on the market?
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I search Lucky gunner labs for my self defense ammunition. I try to only buy nickel plated brass ammo due to corrosion issues. Anything under $1.25 a shot for self defense ammo in 50 round "law enforcement" boxes are a solid deal. If you see it under $1/ round buy it immediately those are pre covid prices for speer gold dot.

I cannot remember what I carry in my 380 but 9 is 124 +p speer gold dot or federal hydra Shok. I'm pretty sure they are the same exact round or pretty dang close.

Whatever you decide to buy test it in your firearm and verify zero. Do not forget to rotate your ammo out. Do not trust a rifle round that has been chambered more than one or two times in an AR platform. My current handguns are solid for a dozen or so chamberings but the Ruger Sr 1911 I had was awful and after one or two chambers the OAL of the round would change and could cause issues. If you have the money or a relatively new gun I'd recommend just taking it to the range and test it as carried for the first mag. Then put your crap ammo in it. My current handguns have been well vetted so my top two rounds when I feel like they have been chambered and unchambered too many times go in a box and fresh rounds are swapped in. That box of old ammo is kept and I'll load it in random mags of range ammo to mess with my recoil impulse when training or load a complete mag to make sure the pistol is still in working order.

Quite a few people hate steel cased ammo but honestly I have not owned a gun in a long time that would not eat steel cased ammo. Even the 1911 didn't care. The amount of money saved in ammo vs reduced life in a normal barrel is well worth buying tul or wolf. High end expensive barrels ymmv. Pretty sure at this rate @Jayne could buy another glawk with how much he's saved running trash Russian / ukraine ammo.
 
Squanchy said:
I search Lucky gunner labs for my self defense ammunition. I try to only buy nickel plated brass ammo due to corrosion issues. Anything under $1.25 a shot for self defense ammo in 50 round "law enforcement" boxes are a solid deal. If you see it under $1/ round buy it immediately those are pre covid prices for speer gold dot.
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So, I did well buying a couple cases at 37.9 cpr, with tax and delivery? 🤓
 
Early into the covid chaos, some well known online ammo dealer had Speer Gold Dot 124 grain by the case of 50 rd boxes for $.40 per. I usually buy SD ammo just a couple boxes at a time but split a case with a buddy here.
 
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Squanchy said:
Quite a few people hate steel cased ammo but honestly I have not owned a gun in a long time that would not eat steel cased ammo.
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Wheelguns.... I tried some of the 357 mag steel stuff and it sucked. It would not extract from either wheelgun I tried it in, was so bad I had to tap the cases out with a cleaning rod one at a time. Horrible. I ended up pulling the bullets and loading them in brass and tossing the steel cases, they were just unusable.

Squanchy said:
Pretty sure at this rate @Jayne could buy another glawk with how much he's saved running trash Russian / ukraine ammo.
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Back in the bad tweet days brass was 18 cents, steel 13 cents so you figure I paid for the G34 after the first 14k rounds give or take. Wait a sec, that means I'm less than 1k rounds away from saving my 3rd G34 worth of money!
 
Jayne said:
Wheelguns.... I tried some of the 357 mag steel stuff and it sucked. It would not extract from either wheelgun I tried it in, was so bad I had to tap the cases out with a cleaning rod one at a time. Horrible. I ended up pulling the bullets and loading them in brass and tossing the steel cases, they were just unusable.
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Before buying one, I asked to shoot my CHP instructor’s 642. Not knowing any better, I loaded it with some steel 38s I’d brought. They all expanded and jammed in the cylinder. I learned the lesson at his expense.
 
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