If you’re ammo shopping, it’s pretty common to see both steel cased and brass cased options. Let’s explore the differences each casing offers you as a shooter and if you should have a preference in the steel vs brass cased ammo debate.
As you shop for ammunition, you’ll inevitably run into a box of cartridges labeled “steel case.” Most of the time, the box has a low price tag, often significantly lower than other products found on the shelf.
Should you buy it?
There are, essentially, two primary materials used for case manufacturing: brass and steel. (Aluminum is also used, but far less common.) Steel ammunition is certainly a viable option for numerous gun owners, but you may find that brass is the best choice for you. With the right information, you can make the appropriate choice for hunting, target shooting, and self-defense.
Short Answer: Steel vs Brass Ammo
Steel is cheaper to buy but more rigid inside the chamber of your firearm. It’s not easily reloadable, so you can’t collect your casings and use them again. Brass is more expensive but more malleable inside firearm chambers. Brass cases are reloadable, although their longevity eventually wears out.
Many shooters believe steel casings wear out a gun faster than brass. But cheaper ammo has its perks. If you’re going to shoot targets with a cheap, replaceable firearm, the ammo cost difference over the course of training is often enough to buy a new pistol or rifle.
The difference, however, goes far beyond pricing, so we need to go over the details to fully understand the different case types.
Steel vs Brass: The Basics
| Brass Cases | Steel Cases | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Higher | Lower |
| Hardness | Softer | Harder |
| Flexibility | Higher | Less |
| Chamber seal | More | Less |
| Cycling and performance | More reliable, fewer jams | Less reliable, more prone to jamming. |
| Damage to firearm | Less | More |
| Accuracy | Considered less accurate | Considered more accurate |
| Reloadable | Yes | No |
| Common use | Target shooting and plinking | All viable firearms uses |
About Brass Ammo Casings
The Case for Brass Cases
As the standard material for ammunition cases, brass has a lot of advantages that make it a superior option over steel. Of course, it is far more prevalent, especially among American manufacturers. Steel cases are still somewhat of a niche item, while brass is used in the vast majority of ammunition products.
But just because it’s used more does not automatically mean it’s better.
Brass Casings Are Malleable
Brass has been the case material of choice for decades, largely due to its “malleability.” Basically, it’s relatively easy to form and machine into a variety of shapes and sizes, and it tends to maintain a strong structure after machining. Because it’s easy to form, manufacturers can create cases with brass easier than with many other metals. Easy manufacturing is generally low-cost manufacturing, so this means the final product is more affordable to the consumer. But of course, not as cheap as steel!
Because brass is malleable, it’s also ideal for the specific requirements of shooting. When the propellant inside the case explodes, controlled and even expansion from the case is required. Brass casings expand evenly to completely fill the chamber of a firearm. This creates a more reliable forward pressure. That consistent pressure creates consistent energy, speed, and trajectories.
Consistent expansion is the main reason that brass has become the dominant material for ammunition cases. But there are other benefits.
Brass tends to be naturally smoother, creating less friction in the chamber. With little to no coating (for most ammunition, no coating), brass provides smooth feeding from the magazine to the chamber and out the ejection port. Even in single-shot firearms or revolvers, brass generally allows for the easier extraction of a spent case.
Compared to steel, brass is also corrosion resistant. That’s not to say brass can’t corrode and break down, nor is it to say that it won’t leave corrosion in your firearm. Brass simply resists corrosion better than steel, and it does so by its very nature, so special cost is generally not required.
In summary, brass casings deliver:
- Easy manufacturing, resulting in an affordable price
- Consistent expansion in the chamber
- Smooth feeding and case extraction
- Corrosion resistance
Steel Casings
The Case for Steel-Cased Ammo
Brass may be the dominant material, but there are plenty of shooters in America and across the globe that prefer steel. As a raw material, steel is much more affordable than brass, which means manufacturers can purchase the material at a lower cost, then offer the final products at a price that attracts many shooters away from brass cases.
Pricing is the main reason most shooters select steel casing. Steel tends to be a more affordable material, so you can often find products priced well below the typical cost for a brass-cased cartridge.
How Much Cheaper?
We see the pricing advantage play out on a few different cartridges. For example, as of writing this article the most affordable .308 Winchester round was Wolf’s steel-cased 150-grain ammo. In fact, it was only $0.39 per round and $0.30 lower than the second-most-affordable product. (Price used for example only. For current pricing, see website.) When we published this article, steel-cased ammo had the lowest per-round pricing for 6.5 Grendel, .30 Carbine, and 9×18 Makarov, and more.
But overall pricing depends on many different factors. The products that were priced at the bottom of their cartridge list were from companies that focus on providing low-cost, high-volume ammunition. (Specifically, Wolf Performance Ammo and Tula Cartridge Works.) So it’s reasonable to say that steel casing is not the only reason these cartridges were priced so low. But it would be dishonest to claim it’s not a factor.
There is also a theory that steel ammo may perform better in certain firearms, especially AK-47 and similar products that extract with slightly more force than other ammunition. Whether this theory is true has not really been tested thoroughly, but some believe that steel cartridges, because of their greater strength, are more reliable than brass in high-powered semiautomatic weapons.
In summary, steel casing delivers:
• Cheaper price (usually)
• Potential for better performance in high-force firearms
Steel-Cased Ammo: What’s the Risk?
The overall disadvantage of steel casing is performance, especially feeding. Steel creates more friction between itself, the magazine, and the chamber. So shooters generally believe it leads to more jams than brass ammo. This can, however, be overcome with coating, but now we have another problem: many worry that this coating could build up in your firearm and create long-term issues. Of course, certain firearms can really eat up steel-cased ammo too. Like most things related to shooting, it’s important that you are familiar with your firearms and know what they can handle.
Steel is also harder to reload. This may not be a concern for most shooters and gun owners, but because steel is harder, it can be more difficult to manipulate; amateur reloaders may have difficulty working with steel cases and may want to stick with brass. Also, it seems reasonable to assume that the coating on steel casing would wear down, so even if you could reload steel, you would eventually have high-friction cases.
Manufacturers typically coat steel with a special lacquer to reduce internal friction and delay corrosion. This can create issues in firearms, as the rounds leave that lacquer in your chamber. If you shoot thousands of rounds, the chamber will get hot and the lacquer is more likely to come off in the weapon. This is a concern for many shooters who don’t want to harm their high-priced rifles and firearms.
When to Select Steel vs Brass Ammo?
Generally speaking, most people will only choose steel for high-volume shooting or low-importance situations.
By “low-importance,” we basically mean target shooting. At the range, a jam or reduced accuracy is a mere inconvenience. But in hunting, it can mean losing your trophy or wounding an animal, leading to prolonged suffering. In personal defense, the consequences are even more significant.
This is why many gun owners only use steel casing at the range, and only use steel-cased ammo in target firearms. In other words, they don’t pump steel cases through their self-defense pistol.
Ultimately, the decision is yours, but if you want cheaper ammo and don’t mind sacrificing performance or reliability, steel casing is a fine choice. However, if you want reliable ammo for defense or hunting, or ammo that can still be used for target shooting, we recommend the classic brass case.
Available Steel-Case Ammo on Ammo To Go:
With a full inventory of ammunition for a wide variety of cartridges, Ammo To Go has a handful of steel-case rounds in 9mm Luger, 7.62x39mm, 6.5 Grendel, and more. Here are a few of the steel-case products found on our site:
- .300 AAC Blackout: 145-grain FMJ (Wolf)
- 9mm Luger: 115-grain FMJ USA Forged (Winchester)
- 9mm Luger: 115-grain FMJ (Magtech)
- 9mm Luger: 115-grain FMJ (Sterling)
- 7.62x39mm 123-grain FMJ NFR (MaxxTech)
- 7.62x39mm 124-grain FMJ (Tela Ammo)
- 7.62x39mm 123-grain FMJ (Kaiser)
- .223 Remington 55-grain FMJ (Tula Ammo)
- 6.5 Grendel 100-grain FMJ (Wolf)
(As ammo availability changes, some of these may be temporarily or permanently out of stock.)
Regardless of your choice, you’ll find the ammo you need at a fair price right here. Visit our site, place your order, and get the best ammo for all your needs!