Why no Steel Case ammo thru my 1927A1?

[Scrub]

New user here:
I've looked through FAQ and searched for the answer (unsuccessfully) as to why AO / Kahr says if I were to shoot steel case ammo it voids the warranty for my new Tommy Gun.

- Why would Kahr ban steel case ammo in my 1927A1?
- I've shot lots of Wolf steel ammo through my 9mm and AR with no issues.

Has anyone else used steel case ammo in their 1927A1 and had issues, or not?
- Presumably after their 1-year warranty expired, or not?

Is it just that steel case ammo is typically from foreign mfgrs, and we want to "buy American"? (Which I support, but can't always afford when it comes to care and feeding of firearms).

- Or is there something wrong with steel cases,e.g. wearing out the chamber metal-on-metal? (seems like I'd shoot a lifetime before this would be an issue)

Just looking for feedback from others who either know the answer, or who have chosen to use steel case anyway and can report their findings. Thanks.

[Longitude Zero]

I have never used and will never use steel cased ammo. The reason being much of it is lacquer coated to prevent rusting. When fired the lacquer vaporizes and deposits itself all over everything. Weapons with tight tolerances can then fail to function once those tolerance are lessened. also once it is on there that vaporized lacquer is virtually impossible to remove.

[mr surveyor]

I believe the reason that steel cased ammo, in general, tends to be "dirtier" and has more tendency to stick a case, is due to the fact that steel has a much different elasticity than brass. When a brass case is fired, the brass expands and seals the chamber, then slightly rebounds which makes extraction easy. The proper chamber seal assures that all the gas, and residue particulates in the expelled gas, exits the chamber through the barrel. Steel, on the other hand, does not expand/contract at the same rate as brass. Steel will expand, somewhat, but often not enough to make a proper chamber seal. After several rounds are fired, with enough blowback of residue filled gas, the steel will have a tendency to stick. Since steel doesn't rebound quite like brass, the sticky chamber and damage to extractors can be a real issue.

Most (quality) American made firearms are built to much tighter tolerances than the firearms designed to shoot a steady diet of the "commie ammo". Those tighter tolerances just don't play nice with the steel sometimes.


just what I've heard.;)

JD

[b4uqzme]

I shoot steel cased .223 in my Mini14 and CZ527...no issues (yet). :) but not the lacquer covered stuff.

I see no issue with following the manufacturer's recommendation...at least through the warranty period. What Mr Surv says makes sense and you gotta think that the factory knows what it's talking about....even if it's CYA. They are covering your a$$ too if you think about it.

[b4uqzme]

Oh, and welcome and congrats on a real neat firearm.

[DeaconKC]

Scrub, welcome to the place! I shoot steel cased ammo in almost all my guns, but i have stuck with brass for my Tommy. So far no problems at all. All steel cased ammo will have some type of rust protectant on it, whether lacquer or whatever. the Tommy's are built to extremely tight tolerances, so I will stick with brass for mine.

[CJB]

Some clarification -

1. The coating isn't lacquer. Lacquer is highly flammable, and would flash off easily. It would also get removed easily, as it doesn't take much to dissolve it. Lacquer is basically dissolved nitrocellulose. The coating is a plastic - possibly formvar - which is not unlike the coating on magnet wire.

2. Not so much that it voids the warranty, but more like "don't piss and moan to us if it doesn't work". They're not going to claim that the firearm will function with steel case ammo. Tommy's in .45 have a good repuation for reliability in feeding, they're not overly sensitive.

[berettabone]

If you have any respect for ANY of your firearms, spend a few bucks more, and shoot brass. The rest causes unnecessary wear, and can cause other issues. Personally, I don't shoot any of that steel crap.