Why do Indoor Ranges BAN Steel-Cased Ammo ?

personally i like steel cased ammo cuz it's cheap and can be cleaned up w a magnet.

some prohibit steel core rifle ammo depending on how their backstop is setup (e.g. Manchester Firing Line). but as for steel cases i can't see why a range would care unless it's because they either want to profit from selling their brass ammo or as Lip has pointed out, they don't want to sort our steel cases.

but if it were all about collecting brass, then the range should prohibit aluminum cased ammo too....OP do they allow alum cased?
 
Sweeney said:
They are talking about the the projectile not the cartridge case.
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that's what i would have thought too, but their website says different. they basically prohibit steel in all forms. seems dumb. i'm glad i don't shoot there.


  1. ONLY full metal jacket or copper-plated or copper-washed ammunition allowed. Tracer, armor piercing, incendiary and all other ammunition containing steel (including core, tip, plating, jacket and casing such as Tula, Wolf and similar) is NOT ALLOWED.
 
Fattman said:
Specifically says tula and Wolf so it's as OP suggested in my opinion

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I have shot there, and no one was inspecting ammo or fallen cases that I noticed.

Some on the internet believe Steel Casings are more prone to feed errors than Brass Casings, so I'm buying only Brass now. But I sure would like to use the Russian stuff up plinking.
 
Well, I'm going to interpret the rule as applying to the projectile only, and shoot some Russian steel casing ammo there.

What's the worst that could happen ?

(famous last words)
 
CaseHardened said:
Well, I'm going to interpret the rule as applying to the projectile only, and shoot some Russian steel casing ammo there.

What's the worst that could happen ?

(famous last words)
Click to expand...

It also could be that they want an easy way to check if you shoot steel core ammo by using a magnet. which they cant do if the case is steel.
 
I asked at GSIR. Supposedly it is because bi metal jacketed stuff could spark if it hits something and ignite any unburnt powder residue. Something to that effect
 
I think this is simply a case of misinterpretation of the word "casing". Some here are taking it to mean cartridge "casing", when I believe the intent was to mean bullet casing, as in a steel "encased" projectile.
 
I've been Googling, and the Steel Casing prohibition for Indoor (sometimes even Outdoor) seems to be common.

I also took a magnet to my Russian Ammo, and the Magnet certainly seems to be attracted to the Projectile. The magnet does not deflect to grab the casing as it would if the bullet was non-ferrous.

I also took a magnet to Fiocchi Brass Ammo, and the Magnet was not interested at all.

I am concluding the bullet in my Russian Ammo DOES have a steel covering. I don't want to F UP any Ranges' Targets, so on second thought I've leaving the Steel Cased Ammo home.

Maybe I'll use it up at an NES Event sometime.
 
There are two reasons:

First, some places re-sell the brass. Second, some steel cased ammo can be "steel core", as in a mild steel core. Think along the lines of surplus 7.62x54r or 7.62x25. CommBloc surplus ammo has a reputation for chewing up backstops, or so I've been told by a range owner.
 
CaseHardened said:
I've been Googling, and the Steel Casing prohibition for Indoor (sometimes even Outdoor) seems to be common.

I also took a magnet to my Russian Ammo, and the Magnet certainly seems to be attracted to the Projectile. The magnet does not deflect to grab the casing as it would if the bullet was non-ferrous.

I also took a magnet to Fiocchi Brass Ammo, and the Magnet was not interested at all.

I am concluding the bullet in my Russian Ammo DOES have a steel covering. I don't want to F UP any Ranges' Targets, so on second thought I've leaving the Steel Cased Ammo home.

Maybe I'll use it up at an NES Event sometime.
Click to expand...


Just about all the russian ammo Ive seem uses bi metal jacketing. I had a box of Wolf .45ACP for over a year because I generally shoot indoors.
 
I've heard the spark/fire potential previously from employees at GSIR. Consistent enough that they're all towing the party line or it's the truth according to GSIR.

And seeing how some of the new shooters bounce rounds off the carriers and the structure beams in the end bays, I don't doubt it could be a serious issue.
 
noxin said:
I've heard the spark/fire potential previously from employees at GSIR. Consistent enough that they're all towing the party line or it's the truth according to GSIR.

And seeing how some of the new shooters bounce rounds off the carriers and the structure beams in the end bays, I don't doubt it could be a serious issue.
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Steel cases hold the heat and flash unburnt powder and the paper flakes from targets causing small fires that nobody wants to have in an indoor environment. Brass and aluminum cases tend to dissipate heat faster and cause less issues.

Steel cores beat up the back stops but that a different issue.

None of it is about brands specifically, just materials used - I've asked and seen the evidence of steel case causing issues.

So unless you shut down an indoor range 4X per day to sweep and clean, keep the steel for outdoor use. Metal buyers take into account the amount of "non-brass" materials into the price when buying.

If there were an easy way to separate the nickle coated cases from the rest of the pile, the reload boys would have found it by now...

Mogadishu via iPad -sorry for the triple tap
 
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firestorm said:
It also could be that they want an easy way to check if you shoot steel core ammo by using a magnet. which they cant do if the case is steel.
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This. If the case is aluminum or brass, only a steel projectile will attract a magnet. If the case is steel, no easy way to check the projectile.
 
One of the indoor ranges I shoot at has this rule. No alumininum or steel CASED ammo. I asked the RSO why, and he told me quite simply that it's because they sell the brass that isn't picked up by their customers to a re-cycler and the re-cycler cuts the payment in half if any non-brass is found in a "brass-only" load.
 
allen-1 said:
One of the indoor ranges I shoot at has this rule. No alumininum or steel CASED ammo. I asked the RSO why, and he told me quite simply that it's because they sell the brass that isn't picked up by their customers to a re-cycler and the re-cycler cuts the payment in half if any non-brass is found in a "brass-only" load.
Click to expand...

At least they're honest :D
 
When I bought my first Mosin a while back I used to take it to MFL al the time. Great fun hearing "WTF was THAT??!!?" when I shot it. And the sparks off the backdrop left no doubt that I was shooting milsurp ammo.
 
CaseHardened said:
For instance - Rule 10 at Granite State Range: http://www.granitestaterange.com/range/range-rules
Click to expand...
The new URL is Range Rules and that site now reads:
  • Full metal jacket, copper-plated & copper-washed ammunition are allowed.
  • Tracer, armor piercing, incendiary and all other ammunition containing steel is not allowed. If you violate these rules, you will be prohibited from returning to the range.
So still not clear on the status of Wolf or TulAmmo where the projectile does not contain any steel.
 

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