Steel-cased 5.56mm ammo

[Slater]

http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/AD869282

Above is an old (1970) study detailing tests of a steel-cased 5.56mm round. Seems that the ammo performance was satisfactory overall, but corrosion was a problem. The cartridge case used a baked-on phenolic varnish, OD in color.

Does the Com Bloc steel-caed ammo (7.62x39, 5.45x39) have a superior coating? I never hear much about corrosion with that stuff.

[ffhounddog]

Thanks for the info.

[TOrrock]

I've not seen steel cased ammo with the laquer coatings to ever corrode....but I've also not seen it sit around long enough to have some good test data.

I have seen Wolf "polymer coated" steel cased stuff corrode, as well as Chinese copper-washed steel 7.62x39mm from the 60's, 70's, 80's.

[Shihan]

I've not seen steel cased ammo with the laquer coatings to ever corrode....but I've also not seen it sit around long enough to have some good test data.

I have seen Wolf "polymer coated" steel cased stuff corrode, as well as Chinese copper-washed steel 7.62x39mm from the 60's, 70's, 80's.

The new Wolfie polymer stuff is corrosive?

[Heavy Metal]

He is saying the ammo itself rusts, not that it is corrosive.

[TOrrock]

He is saying the ammo itself rusts, not that it is corrosive.

Exactly, the steel cases themselves corroding, not that it's corrosively primed.