One thing I can say about experienced preppers and survivalists is that we all have our preferences. There are lots of ongoing arguments about the best firearm for survival, the most reliable assault rifle, and the most reliable handgun. I have seen ongoing debates about the best all-around deer rifle, and the most functional shotgun for survival. Another common debate is whether we should use brass ammo or steel ammo. Both of these materials are very common, so we have to break down the pros and cons.
As a prepper, I like to analyze my different gear and supply options on a regular basis. It is important that I constantly reevaluate my preferences as I learn more about survival. As I become a more knowledgeable prepper, I like to look for long-term solutions. In this article, we will break down the advantages and disadvantages of brass ammo and steel ammo for survival purposes.
What is the Argument?
So let’s go ahead and line out the general arguments for brass ammunition and steel ammunition. Steel is the less expensive option of the two, and the cost is a huge argument for preppers. Many of us will stock up on thousands of rounds, and this adds up quickly. However, the seal on steel ammo is not as strong as brass. This will cause a firearm to collect dirt in some very hard-to-reach places. You either need to clean your firearm more frequently to account for this debris, or you need to plan on some malfunctions. A dirtier gun is a less reliable gun, and it could jam when you need it the most.
On the other side of the argument, we have brass ammunition. Brass gives you a better seal between your round and your chamber, so less dirt is blown back into the chamber and receiver. Brass is a much softer metal than steel, so it will bend and morph with pressure. When you fire a brass round, it expands and gives you a better seal than you get with a steel round that stays the same. That seal means a cleaner gun and a more reliable gun. It also means less maintenance. The only obvious downside is the cost. Let’s look at the sides in more detail.
Jams from Steel Rounds
As mentioned previously, debris from a weak seal on a steel round will cause more jams. However, this is not the only reason why steel rounds jam more frequently. You really need to look at the nature of both metals. Brass is a much more malleable metal. You can literally scratch brass rounds with your thumbnail. This means that it will adapt to forces applied to it more so than a rigid metal like steel. If it starts to make contact that could cause a jam, it will give just enough to keep everything moving. Also, when steel expands or contracts it tends to stay that way longer than a softer metal. This means an expanding steel round would freeze up before a brass round would.
Ripped Brass During Extraction
The type of firearm that you use can drastically affect which round you should use. Most of the firearms we use in the United States apply very little force to eject rounds. These firearms do quite well with either brass or steel rounds. There are also lots of FAL’s and AK’s that have been rebuilt to use straight-walled cartridges. These foreign weapons kick out rounds with lots of pressure, and the brass does not always respond well. The softer metal will sometimes rip when this happens and cause a jam.
Generally, these foreign guns with forceful actions are prone to have more issues than firearms with a more gentle cycle time. For example, a delayed blowback-operation firearm like a FAMAS will get ripped brass casings more often than our American counterparts. Of course, this is still not a common occurrence. Brass rounds may fire perfectly through several thousands of rounds before you ever see a problem. However, you don’t want that one occasional issue to happen when you are protecting your family.
It has actually be argued that foreign firearms were specifically built to work better with steel rounds because those rounds are much more common in those parts of the world. Steel rounds may be cheaper here, but they may be the only option in certain countries. However, with the advantages and disadvantages of each option you really need to consider both in this part of the world.
Cost Per Round
Comparing costs is not a complicated process. In the United States, steel rounds are typically cheaper than brass. The reason is simple. It is less about the cost of the specific metal and more about the manufacturing process. Steel rounds can function with less harsh specifications for production, so they cost less to produce. At first glance cost may seem simple, but think about how reliability affects cost. How much does it cost you if you are being robbed of supplies or carjacked and your gun jams? Does it cost $500, $10,000, or does it cost someone’s life?
Accuracy
It can absolutely be argued that steel rounds are not manufactured to the same tight specifications that brass rounds are. Many people claim that this makes the rounds less accurate. While there are lots of steel rounds that are lower quality and priced accordingly, this is not true of all steel rounds. When you do some research, you will find that a huge chunk of the steel rounds produced are very high quality and have a price point to match.
You cannot necessarily say that a round will be of lower quality because it is made of steel. You also cannot say that it would be less accurate. While there is proof that steel rounds are less reliable overall, they are every bit as accurate when you find comparable brass rounds. You just need to compare apples to apples.
Casing Reload Capability
When you look at the priorities of preppers, saving money by doing things themselves is high on the list. Preppers love to reuse resources that would otherwise be thrown away. Ammunition is a great example of this. Many preppers save their casings and buy the supplies to reload the casings. Once you buy the initial equipment needed, it can save you thousands of dollars a year to reload your own ammo.
Because brass is a more malleable metal, you can safely and easily reload a brass casing. It is as simple as filling it, putting it in the press, and pulling a lever. If you are good you can reload several rounds a minute. Steel rounds are more rigid and cannot safely be reloaded as bends, dings, and other defects from the initial firing would ruin the seal on the reloaded round. When you add up the money you spend on ammo for hunting, target practice, and self-defense you can see why preppers would want to save a few bucks.
Check the Numbers
When talking about reliability, we sometimes need to get specific to show exactly how often a firearm would fail. There was a recent test conducted to compare a standard steel round to a comparable brass round. They were each fired exactly 10,000 times to provide a large enough sample size to get an accurate figure. The AR-15 and the AK-47 are generally considered to be the two most reliable assault weapons on the market. An AR-15 with brass rounds fired perfectly 10,000 times out of 10,000 times. An AK-47 firing steel rounds had a 99.85% success rate meaning it jammed or misfired 15 times out of 10,000 attempts.
Let’s put this in perspective. For the average clip size, you would need to fire roughly 20 clips before you would typically see a jam or misfire. That would be one heck of a gunfight. Now those 20 clips do not need to be all at once. They could be spread out over six months of hunting, target practice, and self-defense. What you must decide for yourself is if this is an acceptable risk. If you are protecting your family, do you want to worry about that one round? If you have a monster buck in your sights, do you want to wonder if the round will fire? Only you can decide.
And the Verdict?
Unfortunately, I’m not going to give you an answer. You will find that with most things in survival and prepping, you must evaluate it for yourself. If you know you need to reload your ammunition, that makes things easy. You will want to go with brass. If you don’t plan to reload, then it just comes down to cost versus reliability. If cost is a bigger concern, then steel is cheaper. Don’t forget to consider the weapon you are using and which round it was designed for.
Don’t think that the decision you make upfront is one you are stuck with for good. Maybe the best option is just to buy a few boxes of each and see which you like better. Consider all of the different variables that come from a specific round. Look at reliability and accuracy, but also recoil, smoothness of ejection, condition of casing, jams, misfires, and even firing volume. Once you consider these other factors, it may make the decision easier for you.