[Holdover]

In the P Series Operator Manual page 17

CAUTION: HK firearms are designedto function with quality, manufactured brass cased ammunition. Use of steel or aluminum-cased cartridges is not recommended and could adversely affect safe and reliable functioning. Use of cast lead bullets is also not recommended.

I can understand the use of cast lead bullets and even the steel cased cheap stuff. I have some Rem Gold Sabre .40 and some Hornady TAP .40 neither of which are brass cased. What is the specific issue this is pertaining to. Should I ONLY use Brass in my HK's

 

[azimuth]

If the manual says so, I'd do it. 'course I reload my ammo so when I buy new, it's always brass.

 

[mew]

I have some Rem Gold Sabre .40 and some Hornady TAP .40 neither of which are brass cased. What is the specific issue this is pertaining to. Should I ONLY use Brass in my HK's[/QUOTE]

both of those are nickle plated brass, the best of both worlds IMO. that's why they plate the brass........ but in the end plinking I shoot anything in mine.
defense only the best, plenty to pick from. my favorites are the Golden Sabre and Win. Ranger T.

 

[Vdub5818]

Nickel plated brass is the way to go, for defense that is

 

[TGS]

This has been discussed a few times. A basic search using the HKPRO forum search bar in the top right produced the following results:

steel case ammo - Google Search

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I have some Rem Gold Sabre .40 and some Hornady TAP .40 neither of which are brass cased. What is the specific issue this is pertaining to. Should I ONLY use Brass in my HK's

both of those are nickle plated brass, the best of both worlds IMO. that's why they plate the brass........ but in the end plinking I shoot anything in mine.
defense only the best, plenty to pick from. my favorites are the Golden Sabre and Win. Ranger T

My $0.02
True, to my knowledge at this time in history no US ammo manufacturer uses steel cases. Some WW2 .45 ACP ammo was, I believe.. and it was also corrosive

 

[TGS]

My $0.02
True, to my knowledge at this time in history no US ammo manufacturer uses steel cases. Some WW2 .45 ACP ammo was, I believe.. and it was also corrosive

Hornady makes steel cased TAP ammo marketed towards training, and Herter's is an American brand/company related to Cabelas that markets Russian steel case ammo under their name. Definitely not a wide spread American product, though.

 

[chuck s]

Quality pistols like HK are not ammunition fussy. You should be able to shoot a pallet of good ole steel cased and jacketed Wolf ammo without harming the pistol. But as noted, nickle plated brass cases are best for duty/carry purposes.

-- Chuck

 

[DaZe831]

Quality pistols like HK are not ammunition fussy. You should be able to shoot a pallet of good ole steel cased and jacketed Wolf ammo without harming the pistol. But as noted, nickle plated brass cases are best for duty/carry purposes.

-- Chuck

Agreed! I haven't fired any steel cased ammo or aluminum, but i have a buddy that has fired all sorts of cheap ammo through his HK pistol. No issues.

 

[Goomba]

I have heard of plenty stories in which HK's have jammed on steel cased stuff. I personally have never fired it. I only run "decent" ammo.
However, the only malfunction I ever had in my USP compact was when I shot shot shells for ****s and giggles. I think it was aluminum cased though.

 

[brutetc]

I've been reading a lot about how this is bad in the AR guns, mainly because the steel cases can't expand under pressure like the brass ones do. In a pistol this isn't as much of a problem as the action is much more simple.

However, given the typical low quality of steel-cased ammo I won't shoot it in any of my guns.

 

[twpayne75]

I have shot MANY thousands of rounds of Wolf and other low end ammunition. I have never encountered a problem. I hear some people saying it's hard on your extractor in an AR. If I replaced every extractor from every AR I own every time I shot them, I would still save money.

I have fired about 500 rounds of cheap .40 through my P2000 without a hiccup. If a gun will not work reliably with any ammo I don't want it. Worst I see is it's a little dirty. But I clean mine after every shoot anyway.

I see people pointing out the owners manual, but what is the actual reason? Does anyone know or is it just because they said so?

 

[texasgun]

steel case ammo is a big No, No.... IMHO the savings for cheapo steel case ammo "made in russia" (TULA) versus cheapo quality brass ammo (WWB, "made in usa") is in fact so small (literally only $2-$4 for 100rds) ... that it's not worth it.
at least not in a $800+ handgun. steel ammo will make your extractor wear out faster and at around $80 for a new extractor any potential savings of the cheaper ammo are gone anyway....

aluminum case ammo should be fine. I know for a fact that Glock USA shoots them for the test fire/ballistic casing you get with a new gun purchase in the little envelope (some states require those casings). I highly doubt that Glock would shoot ammo which would damage the guns. And an HK is as tough as a Glock. Aluminum is also a lot softer than the steel extractor...

 

[mew]

steel case ammo isn't for everyone, but its not really different wear wise on the extractor. its a mild ie; cheap steel, softer if you will so its easily formed etc.
its mostly a matter of its not soft enough to expand like brass making a seal in the chamber and for some coated stuff burning off in the chamber and producing
extraction issues. aluminum produces the opposite effect of over expansion sometimes creating too much seal and doing the same sticking in a dirty chamber.
as someone stated its less problem in a pistol than a rifle. bottom line is if you don't like it don't shoot it, but it won't harm you pistol per se. are there 1 in a
million kabooms that happen sure, but in the big scheme it will with brass too.

 

[Contrails42]

[/FONT]

I see people pointing out the owners manual, but what is the actual reason? Does anyone know or is it just because they said so?

+1 From Texasgun

steel ammo will make your extractor wear out faster and at around $80 for a new extractor any potential savings of the cheaper ammo are gone anyway....

Twpayne75, I don't know the actual reason but I would guess that Brass or Nickel Plated Brass is preferred over Steel or Aluminum due to the characteristics of each type of metal concerning hardness of the different metal casings.
Steel is heaviest in weight and a harder metal than Aluminum.
Aluminum is softer than Steel but harder than Brass.
Brass is the softest metal of the three, and is ideal all around due to its soft/flexible properties, which also allows for reusing the cases in ammo reloading.


Using a Brass Case round instead of an Aluminum or Steel Cased Round, would promote smoother pistol operation, and less wear on parts such as the extractor, slide, follower,etc... to support a longer pistol service life.

The Nickel Plated Brass is one step better by adding a smooth finish which aids in smoother operation of the ammo as it cycles through the pistol. This makes the Nickel Plated Brass ideal for Carry/Duty Purposes. The smoother Nickel Plated Brass may also help to prevent stove pipes or other malfunctions, but other factors such as magazines play a role in malfunctions.

The softer metals would allow for longer service life of the pistol parts without damaging components or compromising future reliability.

I don't think shooting steel or aluminum ammo through your HK would be a problem, but I don't think its ideal. I have never used Aluminum or Steel in my HK's because I don't see the benefit in saving a few dollars. HK does extensive testing on their firearms, and if the manufacturer recommends brass, I would roll with it.

 

[twpayne75]

[/FONT]

+1 From Texasgun



Twpayne75, I don't know the actual reason but I would guess that Brass or Nickel Plated Brass is preferred over Steel or Aluminum due to the characteristics of each type of metal concerning hardness of the different metal casings.
Steel is heaviest in weight and a harder metal than Aluminum.
Aluminum is softer than Steel but harder than Brass.
Brass is the softest metal of the three, and is ideal all around due to its soft/flexible properties, which also allows for reusing the cases in ammo reloading.


Using a Brass Case round instead of an Aluminum or Steel Cased Round, would promote smoother pistol operation, and less wear on parts such as the extractor, slide, follower,etc... to support a longer pistol service life.

The Nickel Plated Brass is one step better by adding a smooth finish which aids in smoother operation of the ammo as it cycles through the pistol. This makes the Nickel Plated Brass ideal for Carry/Duty Purposes. The smoother Nickel Plated Brass may also help to prevent stove pipes or other malfunctions, but other factors such as magazines play a role in malfunctions.

The softer metals would allow for longer service life of the pistol parts without damaging components or compromising future reliability.

I don't think shooting steel or aluminum ammo through your HK would be a problem, but I don't think its ideal. I have never used Aluminum or Steel in my HK's because I don't see the benefit in saving a few dollars. HK does extensive testing on their firearms, and if the manufacturer recommends brass, I would roll with it.

Very good reply. I really had not thought about the cost of an HK extractor. I am used to gun forums where the AR15 extractor is in usually in question. I usually order several thousand rounds of wolf .223 at a time. And I promise you the savings over brass is worth it. But then again I don't run near as many rounds through pistols as I do rifles. I have been buying a bit of ammo lately through GA Arms. So I guess I have been shooting brass for the most part anyway.

 

[skullbox]

The only negative thing I have noticed about steel is the dents on my AR from the harder metal hitting as the shells are extracted. I will have to get a picture of this, but otherwise no problems. I have shot 10,000+ rounds of steel through all my guns, Glocks, HKs, ARs and never had a problem. An occasional feeding error, but only a handful of times. The only time I do shoot brass is when I use a range that doesn't allow steel.

I actually like shooting wolf because it's a little more quiet and a tad less recoil. And of course a good deal cheaper. SHOOT THE STEEL AND DON'T LOOK BACK!

Remember, Morlock is shooting steel in all our HK guns before they leave the factory. I know it's just 1 or 2 rounds but still something to think about...

 

[ctdw]

I have shot numerous rounds of Blazer Aluminum rounds in my HK's and Glocks with out any issues.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Hornady makes steel cased TAP ammo marketed towards training, and Herter's is an American brand/company related to Cabelas that markets Russian steel case ammo under their name. Definitely not a wide spread American product, though.

Heard of the TAP but not that it was steel cased.. marketed Russian ammo is not manufactured here, though. The Hornady site says the pistol ammo has nickel silver brass and I would assume that means plated brass

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Ammunition :: Handgun :: Choose by Product Line :: TAP® FPD™

If you look at the graphic of their TAP rifle case on this link it is clearly plated brass

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Ammunition :: Rifle :: Choose by Product Line :: TAP® FPD™

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I have heard of plenty stories in which HK's have jammed on steel cased stuff. I personally have never fired it. I only run "decent" ammo.
However, the only malfunction I ever had in my USP compact was when I shot shot shells for ****s and giggles. I think it was aluminum cased though.

For training an occasional jam is a good thing IMO