Saw this very interesting test of 10,000 rounds each of Federal FMJ, Brown Bear, Wolf and Tula in four identical Bushmasters. Well executed test, quite detailed, a real torture test. Thought I'd make a post here for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. Well worth the read. http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-vs-steel-cased-ammo/
It is a good read. I've seen it posted in several places. I sold ALL my Tula after reading it. (luckily, just recently, and at a tidy profit) But I did shoot some Tula and Wolf through my DPMS without issue. Granted it wasn't a lot.
No way two of four factory rifles should have such serious assembly issues. This is inexcusable and embarrassing for Bushmaster. I have to admit the rifles performed well after they were assembled properly. You'd think assemblers at Ilion would be trained better.
5lb torque on the barrel nut? Surprised it didn't just wiggle loose off the rifle as it was fired, or worse. I think from now on I will just build my own. DAMN!
That would be interesting but I wonder if it would have done any better than chrome lined. What was fortunate is that the BM/Tula problem got a CHF barrel in the test. And interesting that CHF didn't improve barrel life. I'll continue firing steel case since I have a lot but there is a hidden expense especially if you love to do repeated mag dumps.
I am sure BILLT is going to say "I told ya'll so". I still think steel is acceptable if you are not competing. A lot of AR's will fire them without a hiccup.
True, true! And on a rifle that harder to rebarrel the extra barrel wear is something to consider when buying ammo. The AR's ease of replacement makes the decision easier. ETA: I.E. Using steel case in a Mini-14 - or even in an AK-74 (5.45x39).
I'll continue to shoot Tula, but I think my stash will slowly be replaced by Federal American Eagle. Thanks for the post.
There can be no question that brass case ammo is higher quality. That's a given But what are you testing for??? If you're looking for ammo to issue to troops of LE, you get the brass and never look back. OTOH, if you're looking for ammo to burn up plinking or for informal range practice, the steel case is more than acceptable. Just MNSHO!
Great article Quinton a lot of info to digest . I'm going home and checking my barrel nuts for correct poundage I'm curious to how handloads wear out a barrel compared to the federals that they used
The funny thing about the Russian junk, is that it'll often perform best for many of the "AR snobs" who own higher end setups with M16 BCGs...and they're the ones (due no doubt to their investment) who are often most opposed to using it. To some degree, I am one of those snobs. My guns will handle it really well, and when there's a deal on it I'll jump all over the Silver Bear 62gr JHPs or JSPs. That's the only Russian make I like in my ARs. I've found them to be really accurate rounds that I feel could be implemented successfully in a variety of applications. They're decent for target shooting, plinking, and could be equally effective as hunting or defensive choices. But I very rarely shoot them. I just add to the stockpile when I happen to find them at the right price. I keep an AR rifle bag put together with my two go-to rifles and about 10 loaded mags...some 55gr FMJ, 62gr pen, 69&75gr BTHPs...and yes, a mag or two loaded with the Silver Bears...because I believe its a really versatile option. Kinda like a Glock. I'm not convinced they're great for anything, but they are good enough at everything to keep 'em around in my opinion.
