Ammo truth

[Kaiser]

What’s the real story with steel case and lacquered cases? They are dirt cheap but I hear you should not use them. DPMS has a warning in the book stating the same.

 

[Aszerigan]

There are two different kinds of lubricant that steel case manufactures have used on steel case ammo.

First is lacquer. It tends to get sticky when it gets hot, and funks up the inside of delicate AR rifles. *addendum to this statement* It doesn't stay in the chamber, but the heat will cause following cases to stick. AK's don't care.

Second is polymer coating. It's far less heat sensitive, and doesn't gum up when it gets hot. This is the current standard for steel case ammo.

The easiest way to tell is by looking at the outside of the brass case. If it has a greenish hue and feels very smooth to the touch, it's probably lacquer coated. If it's modern production and looks like a gray steel case, it's probably polymer coated, and you're good to go.

 

[gunman41mag]

I use the russian ammo, only thing I notice is that the powder is dirty

 

[SmileDocHill]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5ZB3UfG960

I think this video will help you with some very pervasive myths about lacquer coatings and steel cased ammo.

 

[Kaiser]

Thanks for the info great video I guess I should add the rifle is a DPMS 16" flat top carbine. Other than extractor problems anything else to know

 

[Aszerigan]

This is a great video - and he's correct on many points.

But... I've SEEN the lacquer coating gum up ARs fired on full auto. It's not that the lacquer stays in the chamber so much, it's that when you put a lacquer casing into a very hot chamber, it sticks. Switching to polymer coated ammo cured this problem.

 

[indykid]

Please don't tell my SAR-3 or Norinco 84S-1 that polymer coated ammo cured the sticking problem. After running a few rounds through either rifle, I usually wind up with a polymer coated shell stuck in the chamber. I now keep a 20" AK cleaning rod in my range bag and once I run out of the case of polymer coated .223 junk I have I will never buy another round.

Never had problems with lacquer coated ammo except the flakes of paint left in the receivers which cleaned out easily.

Now I can't say what would happen with a full auto AR15/M16.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

It's all my AK gets fed.

 

[spencer rifle]

It's all my AK gets fed.

^^This. Get an AK. Problem solved!

 

[pocketpistolpete]

steel cases can scratch up the walls on your upper...these minature and basically unharming scratches, however, can void warranties on certian manufacturer's platforms....just a heads-up