Brass vs. Steel Cased AMMO – Which Ammo Is More Reliable?

From cars to firearms, enthusiasts find themselves faced with an abundance of choices to be made when partaking in the activity they enjoy. Whether it’s the type, model or variation, or the modifications and upgrades you can choose, the firearm and ammo industry is overwhelming. We’re here to help arm you with a bit of knowledge, to help make those decisions a bit easier, and ammunition is the topic we are experts in. 

One common question that firearm enthusiasts often ask regarding ammunition types is what to choose when it comes to brass vs. steel ammo. This can be a loaded question because there are several factors that come into play when making that decision.

It’s best to approach the pros and cons of each and narrow down the specifics of your intended use for the ammunition. In your own research, you will find that the debate is heated, and each type has a loyal following. One of the most important pieces to this debate and choice of yours is whether or not you plan on reloading your own rounds. 

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each ammo casing type. Hopefully, that will help lead you to your own answer on which is better and more reliable for your needs.

Brass Ammo Properties

Brass is commonly mistaken for a type of naturally occurring metal like copper or gold, but brass is, in fact, an alloy of copper and zinc of different ratios. The ratio of copper to zinc ultimately will determine the physical properties of the metal and what it will be used for. 

When looking at the physical makeup of a brass bullets casing, the copper content typically ranges from 72-80% and the rest is zinc, for the most part. There are a few other elements that are added to achieve certain characteristics, but copper and zinc are the big components. 

Zinc alone has relatively low strength and is fairly brittle compared to other metals, but when it is alloyed with copper, the strength and hardness are increased. Brass has been an extremely popular and reliable casing metal since its first introduction in 1846 by French gunsmith Benjamin Houllier.

Pros of Brass Bullets

Runs Cleaner

When it comes to putting large quantities of rounds downrange, choosing ammunition that runs cleaner is important to consider for long-lasting performance. The reason that brass bullets run cleaner is that it is a soft enough metal to expand and create a tighter seal in the chamber. This means that there is less blowback of gas and unburned powder into your gun after each firing. 

Firm Enough

While brass is relatively soft, the casings are firm enough not to split and cause damage in the event of overpressure or deformation. This balance of firmness and softness increases the reliability and prevents potential damage done to the gun by allowing the shooter to stop and correct the problem.

Does Not Scratch Gun Parts

Unlike other hard metals, brass is far less likely to scratch any gun parts. Steel and other metals are much harder and less malleable than brass and continued use can lead to scratches in the chamber and barrel. 

Does Not Spark With Other Metals

This primarily relates to fire safety at ranges where casings are everywhere. Due to the physical properties of brass, sparks do not occur when struck by or with other metals, so inherently the fire risk is reduced. Steel-core ammunition is the real concern for fire danger for backstop sparks. 

Reloading

Perhaps the biggest difference between brass and steel casings is the fact that brass can be reloaded over and over. This is important for those enthusiasts who shoot high volume because reloading bullets can save quite a bit of money. Brass is easily reshaped back to its original dimensions due to its malleable characteristics. 

Very Reliable

In a very credible testing experiment that utilized four identical AR-15’s and each one fired 10,000 rounds of specified ammo; either steel or brass. Keeping the maintenance, cleaning routine, and other variables constant, the results were very impressive. 

While there are several metrics that were tracked over the course of the experiment, the most important metric was the number of stoppages that occurred over the test. While 10,000 rounds is at the far end of the spectrum and most individuals will never fire that many through their firearm, but with 0 stoppages, brass was the winner. 

Results:

• Brass (Federal American Eagle .223 Rem. 55-gr FMJ – brass case, copper jacket)
  • 0 stoppages in 10,000 rounds
• Steel (Wolf WPA MC 55-gr .223 FMJ) 
  • 15 stoppages, 667 MRBS (average number of rounds between stoppages)
• Steel (Brown Bear .223 55-gr FMJ)
  • 9 stoppages, 1,111 MRBS

Cons of Brass Bullets

Tarnish

One small downside to brass casings is their ability to become tarnished if handled excessively, exposed to harsh conditions, or kept in leather holsters. Other than poor aesthetics, there is no real impact on the performance of tarnished casings. Cleaning and polishing the casings proved to be successful in restoring their natural shine. 

Price

Brass is more expensive compared to other metal casings. However, you may not notice too much of a difference between a small box of self-defense rounds, but when buying in large quantities, the price difference adds up. 

This factor is why many high-volume shooters practice reloading their own rounds to save money. You’ll pay more for brass, but it gives you the opportunity to reuse the casings. If you’re not interested in reloading your own ammo, then the price is an important factor when choosing. 

Wear and Tear

Over time, brass casings can become subject to wear and tear from firing and reloading over and over again. If you are switching suppliers, it’s always a good idea to inspect the rounds prior to loading them for any manufacturer defects. 

Steel Ammo Casings

Like brass, steel is another alloy of iron and carbon (and sometimes other elements) but is a very versatile metal that has endless uses due to its cost and strength. When it comes to steel case ammo, there are several myths and bad press that have contributed to the debate over which metal is best for bullet casings. Despite what you may have heard or read on forums, steel is a very practical and reliable casing for its intended purposes. 

Pros of Steel Bullets

Cheap

The cost to produce steel is much cheaper than brass, so those cost savings are passed down to the manufacturer. As mentioned above, the real cost savings can be seen in bulk prices vs. small ammo packs. For high-volume shooters who aren’t going to be reloading their own ammo, steel jacket ammo makes more financial sense.  

Resilient

Due to the nature of steel, the casings are prone to rust and corrosion if left untreated. Instead, ammo manufacturers coat the casings in lacquer or polymer to keep them from corroding.

Easy Clean Up

If you are in the habit of cleaning up your casings to either sell back or reload (not recommended for steel), clean up at the range is very simple. Steel is magnetic; brass is not. To keep your casings separate, all you need to do is use a magnet to pick them up. 

Cons of Steel Bullets

Not Always Safe to Reload

Perhaps the biggest downside to steel ammo is the fact that they cannot be reloaded safely (after one or two firings at most). Because steel is not as malleable as brass, it is unable to be reshaped as easily back to its original specifications. Reloading can be done, but it requires a few extra steps and precautions to ensure safety. 

Shooting Ranges

Most shooting ranges will collect the empty brass casings in order to sell them back to manufacturers or reload them themselves. While it can be very easy to separate brass from steel, some ranges do not allow steel casings. 

Malfunctions Do Occur

Referring to the 10,000 round experiment that was described above, the two steel cased rounds did cause some stoppages. While not many, the stoppages can lead to other issues with the firearm, and it does bring the thought of when they will occur. Trusting your firearm and ammunition in the crucial times that you depend on it is a very important aspect of being a gun owner. 

Runs Dirtier

The flip side to how brass casings help run cleaner, steel casings do not expand to fill the chamber. This results in excess blowback of gas and unburned powder that is left over as residual in the gun. It’s commonly asked, “does steel damage your gun?” The answer is that it can, since it is a harder metal, but only at extremely high volumes of fired rounds.

Less Strict QC

Because steel is a cheaper metal to produce bullet casings with, the quality control may be less strict compared to brass casings. The target market that is purchasing bulk steel casings may be okay with the occasional defect in production rather than paying for a more expensive product like brass and expecting flawless production. 

Extraction and Scratches

One of the possible reasons why steel cases can sometimes cause malfunctions is extraction issues. When the bullets are fired, the cases expand from the pressure of the explosion inside the casing to the diameter inside the chamber. 

Steel casings expand but remain that size. For the extraction mechanism to work, the casing must contract slightly in order to be removed.

There have been various tests and experiments conducted to try and determine which metal was superior overall between steel vs brass ammo and to call a clear winner would be somewhat misleading. 

There are clear advantages of brass over steel and vice versa, but the one you decide on ultimately will come down to a few factors — reloadability, cost, and quality. Speaking on just a reliability standpoint, while the experiment cited above displayed a slight advantage to brass, most of the information available suggests that there is really no statistical difference between the two in reliability. 

Rather than asking which type will fail me less, you need to look at the other pros and cons involved. Regardless of which you go with, you can find the exact ammo that you need and want. Whether deciding between steel ammo vs brass or are unsure about another decision, we’re always happy to help and share our knowledge of products and industry overall, so feel free to contact us if you have any questions!