[M1AexpertNMC]

Can you reload steel?

 

[Douglas Haig]

I wouldnt try it. Steel isn't as malleable as brass, Think of bending a brass rod and a steel one. The steel isnt going to set like brass. Im also guessing you would have issues getting them in and out of the die.

 

[mercman]

I believe the primers are different diameters than standard brass cased ammo.

 

[mercman]

Hmm, I guess it can be done. I've reloaded berdan primed cases and used water or mineral oil for the pressurized removal. Messy and time consuming.

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[fkienast]

Yes.
You can.
You need Berdan primers and the tools to install them though.
You may not be able to find those items.

 

[Earthquake]

The US Navy made some steel cased .50 BMG ammo and I have seen them reloaded before. Why the Navy would load ammo in a case that would rust is beyond me though.

eQ

 

[Chingon]

The US Navy made some steel cased .50 BMG ammo and I have seen them reloaded before. Why the Navy would load ammo in a case that would rust is beyond me though.

eQ

So sailors can paint them.

 

[RAMMAC]

Yes.
You can.
You need Berdan primers and the tools to install them though.
You may not be able to find those items.

Yes, you can reload steel cases but it's Not true that they are all berdan primed.
Depending on who makes the ammo, it can be berdan or boxer primed. American steel cases are typically boxer primed.

Steel cases are not my preference because you have to be more careful about lubrication while resizing and they don't last as long as brass cases. They can also be finicky about your powder charge, steel cases don't expand and contract inside the rifle's chamber like brass does so you might have to experiment with the load to keep the steel cases from having extraction problems.

 

[highlandfarmer]

Can you reload steel?

Don't bother - it will just ruin your dies. Plenty of brass around.

 

[WaM14gunner]

So sailors can paint them.

"if it moves, salute it, if it doesn't, paint it!"

 

[M1AexpertNMC]

Just curious. I have more than enough brass. I am too ole to worry about steel cases.
But I thank you all for the input.

 

[nicholst55]

I have reloaded a few steel .45 ACP cases over the years, just because. They worked out okay, and did no discernable damage to my carbide sizer. I would relegate boxer-primed steel cases to the category of SHTF use only though, as long as brass cases are available.

 

[M1A's r BEST]

"if it moves, salute it, if it doesn't, paint it!"

The US Army used that phrase differently.

If it moves, shoot it. If it doesn't move, pick it up. If you can't pick it up, paint it.

Steel cases? Never reloaded them for rifle.

I have a bunch of them reloaded in .45 acp. Been reloading them for years for the .45's. Zero issues up to now. No split case mouths, no nothing except functioning like the brass cases - meaning you won't know it's brass till you pick it up off the ground.

In the AR world many say that shooting steel cased ammo (not reloading it, just shooting the factory stuff) results in having to clean the chamber better and more often to prevent extraction problems. Due to the previously mentioned difference in case mouth/shoulder expansion/sealiing vs. brass cases. The dirt/crud from the burning powder moves further into the chamber down the outside of the steel case.

I have questioned increased die wear while reloading the .45 acp brass. If I'm using case lube then the metal of the case being resized should never touch the steel of the resizing die. There should be a barrier of resizing lube between the case and the die. Not necessarily the case mouth expander and the case (though I to put some lube on the inside of a case mouth every so often) as many of the case mouth expander balls are carbide or very hard steel, depending on the brand and cost of the die set.

One thing just hit me. If (and I do believe it) the steel cases don't expand/seal like the brass cases then the steel cases shouldn't stretch much or fail due to case stretch like a brass case.

I do believe trimming the steel cases (on a bottle necked rifle case) would be tough on your case trimmers though. No lube used for that step. And a much smaller contact surface between the steel and the cutter head.

 

[bigbang]

Collecting spent brass with a magnet must be fun.

 

[delta6]

I have reloaded steel 9MM, 45ACP, .223, 30M1, 7.62x39 and .308. None are loaded on a regular basis, but most were purely done on an experimental basis to find out if you could do it. All were boxer, some foreign, some GI. Never had a problem with any of them. Pretty much load them like you would brass. All were boxer primed. Care should be taken with powder charges, but I have not experienced any difference or problems.