The "No Steel Ammo" Rule at Indoor Ranges...

poopgiggle · Feb 9, 2011

OrangeOkie said:
I always thought the real reason was was a financial consideration. The range operators use the spent brass to reload and re-sell the ammo. If you allow cheaper steel cases you lose alot of money on free brass. I always retrieve my own brass, but it sometimes gets mixed with other brass on the floor.

They're talking about ammunition with steel-jacketed projectiles, not steel cases (though I've never seen steel-cased ammo that wasn't also steel-jacketed).

I've shot CCI Blazer, which is aluminum-cased, at Tulsa Firearms many times and they just tell you to throw the cases in the trash when you're done.

caspian40sw · Feb 9, 2011

The rules are there for you safety and the other persons at the range. I have been hit hard enough to draw blood from a ricochet at the range from non- steel core ammo. Save your steel for the outdoor range.

GhostlyKarliion · Feb 9, 2011

poopgiggle said:
They're talking about ammunition with steel-jacketed projectiles, not steel cases (though I've never seen steel-cased ammo that wasn't also steel-jacketed).

OR steel cored ammo, I honestly have never had the guts to fire any steel-jacketed ammo through any of my guns, without chrome-lining (and maybe even with) wouldn't it destroy the lands of your rifling?

poopgiggle · Feb 9, 2011

GhostlyKarliion said:
OR steel cored ammo,

I've never seen steel-cored ammo that wasn't steel jacketed.

I honestly have never had the guts to fire any steel-jacketed ammo through any of my guns, without chrome-lining (and maybe even with) wouldn't it destroy the lands of your rifling?

Generally the jackets are mild steel which is way softer than gun barrels. I THINK that steel cored ammo also has a layer of lead around the core to allow for some compression but I could be wrong.

Lots of steel jacketed bullets are copper washed but I don't know if that's functional or cosmetic.

Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow · Feb 9, 2011

I know for a fact that his bullets (humming at 2200+ ft/s) are causing more damage to the backstop than my Mak would ever do, even with mine having just a bit of steel in them.

Yes, well, although I'd bet that you're exactly right about that, I would still give the benefit of the doubt to the range on their stated reason on the pistol ammo, which is "it ricochets more than non-steel and has nothing to do with damage to the backstop". So if you take that at face value, then for the pistol ammo (only), the rule is for your OWN safety, not their costs. That 5.7 ammo won't be ricocheting nearly as badly, in nearly as large of remaining pieces, as the steel 9x19, I don't think.

Now, they're certainly telling the truth about rifle ammo when they tell you flat out "it destroys the backstop / increases our costs", and so there's no reason for me to disbelieve them when they turn around and say that although it's for a different *reason*, the same rule applies to handgun ammo.

No, there's no rifle/pistol range dichotomy at *most* places, in terms of actual difference, I don't think. You can shoot rifles on the "pistol" range and vice versa.

By the way, anyone know WHY Wolf and others use steel-jacket/lead-core ammo (with thin copper plating), instead of steel-core, lead-jacket ammo (with thin copper plating)? Maybe its' because of lead fouling.

With respect to cases, while it may be true in many states / parts of the country that one or more of the real reasons, whether stated or not, why you cannot shoot steel-component ammo at certain ranges is because they lose money on re-selling the brass, this doesn't happen anywhere I've been so far in Okla., because this only matters if the range also has a "you cannot pick up brass" rule - and since we Okie shooters just don't take too kindly to such a rule -we like our brass- there's no ranges I know of that can get away with having such a rule, because no one would go there. We're too cheap/savvy about the value of brass, and there's too many reloaders.

mr ed · Feb 9, 2011

GhostlyKarliion said:
OR steel cored ammo, I honestly have never had the guts to fire any steel-jacketed ammo through any of my guns, without chrome-lining (and maybe even with) wouldn't it destroy the lands of your rifling?

Steel core ammo -example- 30-06 or 7.62 x 39 is an approx. 25 cal steel or tungsten penetrator surrounded by a layer of lead about .010-.015" thick incased in a soft copper,cupro-nickle or steel jacket aprox. .010-.015 thick.
the lead and outer jacket compress into the grooves of the rifling so there is no damage to the rifling.

coolcntry · Feb 13, 2011

Indoor ranges have to limit their liabilities.

Nightops · Feb 13, 2011

You need the lead, or something else compressible, to let the bullet compress or swage into the barrel, that makes it seal against the rifling and not let all your gasses blow past. Lead just happens to work well, because it is cheap, and dense. Steel cores have a thin steel penetrator in the center, and are then surrounded by lead. If the entire core was steel, you would end up with a much lighter projectile than a lead one of the same dimensions. The jacket is there to prevent the lead from fouling up the barrel. Un-jacketed lead bullets would gum up a high velocity barrel really quick. Copper makes a good jacket as it has natural lubricity (a.k.a. self lubricating). If copper is too expensive at the time, or in too short of a supply, manufacturers will use a mild soft steel jacket and plate it in a thin layer of copper to get a mostly acceptable result. Thus the copper washed steel jackets, and cupro-nickel jackets.

The "No Steel Ammo" Rule at Indoor Ranges...

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