Brass 223/ 556 vs Steel 223 for training.
I'm sure this question has been asked before, but I'm currently going through a bit of this dilemma myself.
I'd like to discuss the pros/ cons between using steel or brass cased ammunition in AR's.
For the purpose of this post, I am using a Troy 16" Carbine.
From my understanding, Steel ammo is considerably cheaper, however it wears down the barrel quicker, is much dirtier in the gun, and has more malfunctions. (Though more malfunctions means more opportunities for training...hmm)
I've never had a single problem with brass, but brass is considerably more expensive. I am saving quite a good amount of money with every 1,000 rounds of steel ammo I purchase.
Apart from wearing down the barrel faster, what other parts does steel tend to cause increased wear on? The money I'm saving on ammunition with steel ammo after a few thousand rounds ends up equating to the cost of a new barrel.
A new barrel purchased every few thousand rounds from the money saved really doesn't sound all that bad.
Are there any other issues I should consider with steel ammunition? I'm not the richest man in the world, and I do like to shoot as much as I can.
I am planning on getting a BCM, DD, LWRC, custom or some sort of "higher end" rifle in the near future, will I be having any issues apart from barrel wear running steel in higher end rifles?
Thank you
(Lets keep this civilized, I'm not trying to say one is better than the other)
(I don't use steel cased ammo in anything my life may depend on, my AR is one of my Home defense guns, I have American Eagle M193 for it)