Tried Some federal Premium Aluminum 9mm today

Joined
Dec 26, 2015
Messages
806
Likes
285
Location
Dedham
Feedback: 4 / 0 / 0
They had some at the Walpole Wal-Mart on Saturday so I grabbed a couple of boxes to test it with my shield and my FS M&P .40 (with Storm lake Conversion barrel and 9mm mags which has been perfect for over 400 rounds so far).
I brought the Fed Aluminum and a box for Aquila 9, both 115 gr to compare.
I found the Aquila to have a few "light" loads that took off (the flyers here)
the Fed seemed to be loaded quite a bit hotter and they seemed to stay on target better.
My shield loved them I shot pretty well with them, MY FS also had no issues.
I'm going to shoot the other box on Thursday, hopefully I'll have zero issues.
I think I may have to stock up on these. the Fed for the most part stayed inside the 9 circle
and inner circle pretty well. The Aquila rounds went a little more their own way. [laugh]
Zero jams with either gun.
32 feet outdoors at Massaqoag today.
7-4-2016%20Federal%20Premium%20Aluminum%20test_zps503sauzd.jpg
 
$9.69 for 50 they had 4 boxes left on the shelf (6 I took 2 to try)
looks like a pretty good deal. I hope they have more out back (or wherever they hide it)
this stuff shot great.
 
If your gun loves it... you should too.
 
I like the Fed Aluminum too, when I can find it. Walpole is hit or miss with ammo, so I'm happy to hear you found some.
 
Haven't had any issues with Fed aluminum in 9, .40, or .45. No need to worry about picking up the brass either. [laugh]
 
one of my buds shoots the .40 (though his M&P FS .40) all the time , his
endorsement of it is what got me to try it.
 
i like aluminum ammo because it's lighter. lugging around 300 rds of 45acp to the range it's actually noticeably lighter. and if planning to pack a box of FMJ for camping/hiking trip the aluminum is the way to go.
 
I've shot a lot of this stuff in my M&Ps (FS, Shield, Compact) and other 9mm guns. Shoots well, never a problem. Picked up 500 rds at WM in Amherst, NH a few weeks ago.
 
$9.69 for 50 they had 4 boxes left on the shelf (6 I took 2 to try)
looks like a pretty good deal. I hope they have more out back (or wherever they hide it)
this stuff shot great.

I also picked some up over the weekend at the Walmart in Hadley. I was also pleased as well.
 
I have read that H&Ks do not play well with aluminum. It can cause significant chamber damage. Just a heads up to my fellow H&Kers.
 
Do you guys ever notice the bullets moving into the aluminum case after loading/bouncing around in the mag for a few shots?
I've seen that on the Fed'l Alum 45ACP's
 
I have read that H&Ks do not play well with aluminum. It can cause significant chamber damage. Just a heads up to my fellow H&Kers.

Never heard this before, do you have a cite from someplace?

It runs fine in my H&K VP9.

Aluminum is soft, even softer than brass, so I can't imagine it causing any harm.

Steel cased ammo on the other hand does not run in my handguns, period.
 
I read it in an H&K forum, but I don't remember which one. Guy messed up his barrel and had to send it to H&K.... They claimed it was aluminum ammo that caused it, and that it's not recommended for their pistols. Something about how aluminum expands differently. Another guy chimed in about it happening to him too. I figured that was enough warning to not use it in my H&K.
 
My H&K VP9 has gone through at least 300 rounds of aluminum cased 9mm and it is great. I switch back and forth between aluminum and brass purely by which box I grab when leaving for the range, I have never noticed anything unusual
 
I read it in an H&K forum, but I don't remember which one. Guy messed up his barrel and had to send it to H&K.... They claimed it was aluminum ammo that caused it, and that it's not recommended for their pistols. Something about how aluminum expands differently. Another guy chimed in about it happening to him too. I figured that was enough warning to not use it in my H&K.

claims that aluminum or steel cased ammo ruined a pistol are typically made by idiots who are omitting other critical details of the story. it is true that aluminum and steel cases behave different from brass, but so what. any decent modern pistol should be able to cycle steel and aluminum no problem.

i've personally put thousands of rounds of steel tulammo and wolff through an HK USP 9 and a P2000 9mm. also at least 2k rounds of steel wolf through a Sig P220 w external extractor. never an issue. all runs perfectly. i prefer the steel because i can clean up w a magnet and takes a fraction of the time picking up brass.

there are caveats to the steel ammo where I wouldn't run it. for example internal extractor 1911's or older less robust pistols. older magazines made of softer steel, etc. but anything modern production should eat steel all day long.

for example, the only 1911 I will run steel through is my Sig 1911 which has an external extractor. again at least 800 rds wolff steel and not a single problem. the Sig 1911 design incorporates an external extractor which allows the extractor to flex while engaging new round in magazine, feeding into chamber, extraction and ejection. an internal extractor design is much more rigid so a steel case may put more pressure on the internals.

the argument against steel or alum ammo is particularly retarded in something like a glock where a new extractor is like $15. so after a few hundred rounds of steel one has already saved enough $$ for a new extractor.

if i can shoot 500 rds of steel for the same price as 300 rds of brass, then yes I am shooting steel 8 days a week.
 
Last edited:
claims that aluminum or steel cased ammo ruined a pistol are typically made by idiots who are omitting other critical details of the story. it is true that aluminum and steel cases behave different from brass, but so what. any decent modern pistol should be able to cycle steel and aluminum no problem.

i've personally put thousands of rounds of steel tulammo and wolff through an HK USP 9 and a P2000 9mm. also at least 2k rounds of steel wolf through a Sig P220 w external extractor. never an issue. all runs perfectly. i prefer the steel because i can clean up w a magnet and takes a fraction of the time picking up brass.

if i can shoot 500 rds of steel for the same price as 300 rds of brass, then yes I am shooting steel 8 days a week.


https://www.reddit.com/r/HecklerKoch/comments/3kmo3u/whats_going_on_with_my_chamber/

Op claims H&K blamed the damage on the aluminum ammo.....but it is the Internet. I've never had a problem either.
 
They had some at the Walpole Wal-Mart on Saturday so I grabbed a couple of boxes to test it with my shield and my FS M&P .40 (with Storm lake Conversion barrel and 9mm mags which has been perfect for over 400 rounds so far).
I brought the Fed Aluminum and a box for Aquila 9, both 115 gr to compare.
I found the Aquila to have a few "light" loads that took off (the flyers here)
the Fed seemed to be loaded quite a bit hotter and they seemed to stay on target better.
My shield loved them I shot pretty well with them, MY FS also had no issues.
I'm going to shoot the other box on Thursday, hopefully I'll have zero issues.
I think I may have to stock up on these. the Fed for the most part stayed inside the 9 circle
and inner circle pretty well. The Aquila rounds went a little more their own way. [laugh]
Zero jams with either gun.
32 feet outdoors at Massaqoag today.
7-4-2016%20Federal%20Premium%20Aluminum%20test_zps503sauzd.jpg
Nice shooting.
 
Tried this in my new shield and couldn't get any kind of grouping. At 20 ft, it was all over the target. Shield ran fine with perfecta and my MP9c shot both fine, but definitely better with the perfecta. Also, the shield was throwing the brass 10-15 away but dropping the aluminum at my feet. Will have to try some brown bear and blazer aluminum next time.
 
Back
Top Bottom