Ammo conservation and the preppers budget.

[WhiskeyJack]

Hey guys.
So like most folks here i like to search for good deals on ammo and other items.
I have been looking at the prices of steel cased ammo-v- Brass cased.
Now steel is cheaper than brass for obvious reasons.
But steel isn't reloadable.
So my question is.
In a WROL, SHTF situation. Would YOU, consider it a good idea to use Brass cased ammo in your perimeter defence, and steel cased ammo in patrol or outside your lines operations?
 
Now Ive been thinking about this a little and this is what Ive come up with.
While brass is more expensive it is reloadable so using it near your AO would allow you to retrieve it and reload for later use.
While the cheaper steel cased un-reloadable ammo could be used out side your AO and you wont feel bad about leaving the spent casings on the ground.

I'm just wanted to put this idea out there and see what people thought. This isn't by any means some deep revelation to prepping or survival. Just kind of a waste not want not kind of idea.
So lets hear what you all think. Thnx for reading.

[NOLA556]

damn.. that's a badass idea that I never thought of. my only complaint (being an AR guy) is that the steel cased stuff gums up my chamber with that laquer on the outside of the cases. i suppose it doesn't matter, but you really gotta scrub the chamber good to get all that crap out so if you have to unexpectedly switch to brass rounds, you may end up with stuck cases.

other than that, great idea!

[RONSERESURPLUS]

Hello all, RON L here

No, I see it as the Cheaper cost of Steel cased ammo and the Problems in AR and so many Platforms make it only usebale in Comblock and other looser actions where it does not cause issues? I see it as easier to Prep by buying more in that calibers that work in cheaper ammo and use of that weapn VS Steel cased in some guns that seem to Puke when one tries to use it, as in many cases AR design,s but I've had a few BHP clones as well as a Real Israli refirbished made MK4 HI Power in 9MM that would not use Wolf Steel cased 9MM, dittio a Colt MK 4 70 Series Gov Model that would jam like made on wolf and many other 45 loads using steel case like WW2 amo I was given by a friend? I see it as a case of try and see if it works for you, to ma, it didn't? Just my opinion but one formed over 35 years of doing this?

[WhiskeyJack]

Very good point guys. Perhaps this is a question for the AK guys out there. I have to agree the tight tolerances in most AR systems would exclude the use of steel cased, lacquer coated ammo. After all one must consider the system they are using. Excellent responses guys. ty

[EJR914]

Another great idea that I have never thought of before.  It certainly makes sense.

I guess it all depends on what you're going to be doing.

If you're planning on staying on your AO until death, not ever bugging out, then brass should be your main goal and reloading, however if you plan to leave your AO or do missions outside of your AO, then steel would definitely be a good thing to mix into your ammo storage. 

I've got a little bit of steel, but most of mine is brass.

Also, talk to GAP, I believe he said he found a way to reload steel, I'm not sure, though.

[thatGuy]

I love it WhiskeyJack,

It sounds like an idea that would warrent a fair amount of testing to see if your firearm would reliably eat steel. IF is does then scrubbing the lacquer back out of the bore isn't to much of a chore in comparison to the benefits of not worrying about losing your cases and the ability to stack ammo on the cheap.

I've always wondered if you could reload steel cases by annealing them first. GA Patriot, you got any thoughts on that?

[NOLA556]

I've always wondered if you could reload steel cases by annealing them first.

it can be done, no doubt. (of course i've never actually done it but there's plenty videos out there)

i think the question is whether it's worth it. it seems very slow and labor intensive.

that being said, my rifle has been extensively tested for steel cased ammo (without even realizing I was conducting a test, lol) Ive posted about it before.
if I shoot nothing but steel cased ammo I have no problems, but when I switch to brass without cleaning the chamber first, the brass gets stuck.

I could foresee a situation in WROL where I simply don't have time to clean my rifle. if I expend all my steel stuff and am forced to switch to brass quickly.

hypothetical situation: I am dangerously low on food/supplies and I'm forced to venture out to find the things I need. I only take steel cased ammo so I don't feel bad about leaving the shells behind. I run into trouble and end up having to burn through a bunch of ammo. I manage to slip away from my attackers and beat feet back to my AO. when I get back I quickly re-up with fresh mags packed with brass and within my first few shots I got a case stuck so bad that it needs a cleaning rod to tap it out.

probably a really poorly written story, lol. but hopefully you all see my point. a field cleaning takes me a good few minutes at least. who wants to be sitting there cleaning a chamber when you NEED your rifle NOW?

I'm certainly not dumping on the idea of the OP. it's a badass idea. but like you said TG, you gotta test your rifle so you know exactly whats gonna happen while switching back and forth between steel and brass. you don't want to get caught with your pants down in a volatile environment.

[NOLA556]

also, just an idea to add to the thread for you reloaders. if you don't do it already, you should pick up other people's brass at the range! (obviously not if they're still there, but if the brass is abandoned by someone who left already)

THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of shells all over the place. even if you don't have the other components to reload 30K shells, you can still stock brass just like any other prep. anyone who runs an AR and is restricted to brass cased ammo should strongly consider this.

[crudos]

I'm certainly not dumping on the idea of the OP. it's a badass idea. but like you said TG, you gotta test your rifle so you know exactly whats gonna happen while switching back and forth between steel and brass. you don't want to get caught with your pants down in a volatile environment.

Which is why you have the concept of a backup.

[WhiskeyJack]

Adendum to Nolas responce.

Brass by it self fluctuates between $1.50 to $3.20 a lb at scrap yards. Its in the semi precious list of metal.
Policing up any brass can add dollars to your prepping pocket. And concider this the average 5 gal bucket can hold around 30 lb of spent brass casings. So even if your not gonna reload it, or stockpile it. You can scrap it for cash.
And if you clean it you can sell it for even more money. So IMHO, good idea Nola. 

[gapatriot]

Wolf .223 is boxer primed reloads just like any other case, you wont get the life out of steel that you do brass. The berdan primed steel I have been playing with isnt to bad to do. The most time consuming part is converting it to boxer primer.

[tominphx]

Steel cased ammo is generally not full power, for example there is no 5.56 steel cased ammo available in the US, only .223, which is much lower velocity, and 5.56 bullets rely on velocity to tumble and fragment to produce their primary wounding effect. Also, the bullets used in wolf and such, are built to be cheap, and even with the proper velocities will not tumble and fragment as easily as M193 or M855.

Not that wolf .223 won't kill someone, but the cost of steel cased ammo has gone up fairly significantly in the past few months, to the point it's once again approaching pre election prices, where as brass 5.56 is still around 30 cents a round, or even a little less if you shop around.

[papabear]

I have a dedicated upper that's being used as a testing platform on this very subject, it's being used without cleaning just to see how far it can go.
The upper has used both brass and steel with the steel not having any major effects on general use, however when used before brass or after I always have one stick. The 
The steel rounds when used on a steel target did allot better than expected and have forced me to the conclusion that if used in a wrol situation it's a great round for the job however steel when used in large round dumps can cause a case to stick but only if it's left in the chamber during cooling, so always let the rifle cool with the bolt back on an open and empty chamber.

[special-k]

Silver Bear makes zinc-plated steel cased ammo without the enamel coating.  Costs a tiny bit more than the enameled stuff.