{"id":12159,"date":"2023-03-29T13:55:06","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T13:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/?p=12159"},"modified":"2023-03-29T14:23:26","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T14:23:26","slug":"steel-vs-brass-ammo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/steel-vs-brass-ammo\/","title":{"rendered":"Steel VS Brass Ammo"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a lifelong firearms enthusiast and avid shooter, I have learned a lot about the gun community over the years. One undeniable thing is that gun owners love to debate just about anything. When it comes to steel vs. brass ammo, the debate never ends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Want proof? Post a comment promoting a specific gun, cartridge caliber, or optic on any firearms forum and wait a few minutes. Within the hour, you will likely see dozens of comments on your post, some of which support your position and an equal number arguing against it.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few of the most well-known debates in the gun world include 9mm vs. 45 ACP, 1911 vs. Glock, and of course, .223 vs. whatever the trendy new AR caliber is that year (I\u2019m looking at you, .300 blackout<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

While I\u2019d like to say that we\u2019ll put another great gun debate to bed in this article, it will probably only add more fuel to the fire.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Sparked The Steel VS Brass Ammo Debate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"a

Steel VS Brass: Both options have their place, assuming that quantity vs quality plays into your shooting routine.<\/p><\/div>\n

Before we get into the root cause of the steel vs. brass ammo debate, let\u2019s clarify before I start getting fact-checked. When I say \u201csteel vs. brass ammo,\u201d I\u2019m referring to steel-cased vs. brass-cased cartridges. While you probably already knew that, there is always at least one commenter that likes to point out the obvious, and it never hurts to beat them to it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When ammo prices were low, most shooters wouldn\u2019t dream of putting steel-cased cartridges in their favorite firearms. However, those days are long gone, and everyone is tightening their wallets. Instead of shooting less (an idea I\u2019d never support), many shooters save a few bucks by buying steel-cased ammo instead of traditional brass-cased ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Steel VS Brass: Settling The Cartridge Debate<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"a

A variety of 7.62×39 ammo, from left to right: Brass Cased, Steel Cased, and Lacquered Steel Cased.<\/p><\/div>\n

If you want the TLDR version (that\u2019s \u201ctoo long, didn\u2019t read\u201d) of the steel vs. brass debate, brass is better all the way around. Brass-cased ammo outpaces steel in every metric, except for cost.\u00a0<\/span> However, many other factors impact the quality and performance of ammo. A few other factors include:<\/span><\/p>\n