No Go: Wolf A1 with Steel Case Ammo

e292644 · Tue May 09, 2017 7:29 am

Try out russian steel case ammo on my Wolf A1 upper end up spent case stuck in the chamber. only way to get it out is to use cleaning rod push it out.

Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:43 pm

The one I got to fire (which pushed me off of the fence to purchase) ran into the same issue. The chambers on these are tight to begin with and it didn't runt he steel cased stuff at all. Note aside I quit using steel cased in everything but AK pattern rifles and roller lockers due to the excessive fouling and lacquer buildup that happens. My HK 93 chamber flutes get horrible shooting that stuff.

e292644 · Wed Jun 21, 2017 5:05 am

I wonder why there's not too many Wolf A1 owner experiencing this issue. Maybe they all run it with brass. I've heard some of them said it will run with wolf steel case ammo but never got a chance to try it out. I will stay with brass.

Arkane wrote: ↑Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:43 pm The one I got to fire (which pushed me off of the fence to purchase) ran into the same issue. The chambers on these are tight to begin with and it didn't runt he steel cased stuff at all. Note aside I quit using steel cased in everything but AK pattern rifles and roller lockers due to the excessive fouling and lacquer buildup that happens. My HK 93 chamber flutes get horrible shooting that stuff.

Wed Jun 21, 2017 5:13 am

Honestly I think the majority of them are running brass. I figure that most of the folks buying the A1 uppers have built at least one rifle and probably done some research, and are like a LOT of the AR guys who shied away form the steel cased stuff after the below article was published which illustrated some of the differences between steel and brass cased ammo.

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-v ... ased-ammo/

e292644 · Wed Jun 21, 2017 5:56 am

Great article, thanks!

Arkane wrote: ↑Wed Jun 21, 2017 5:13 am Honestly I think the majority of them are running brass. I figure that most of the folks buying the A1 uppers have built at least one rifle and probably done some research, and are like a LOT of the AR guys who shied away form the steel cased stuff after the below article was published which illustrated some of the differences between steel and brass cased ammo.

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/brass-v ... ased-ammo/

Mon Aug 28, 2017 5:11 am

I pretty much only shoot steel cases tulammo. $4.27 a box its hard to beat. Accurate enough for coyotes and deer out to 300m. And if your worried about shooting out a barrel you can buy more with the money you saved.

I got my A1 out of the first batch from AIM and pretty sure it was the first SBR in the US. Never shot it with the 16" barrel lol.

Sat Nov 18, 2017 11:25 am

I've been shooting my upper with the Academy Monarch Steel (made by Brown Bear in Russia). Shoots like a pussy cat. Recently put a H2 buffer and it's smooth shooter. Gas Piston uppers are known to be overgassed in order to run properly.

Not sure if the coating on the Tula/Wolf ammo causes it to stick in the chamber or not, but I typically don't shoot those as they tend to short stroke in my other ARs (Colts/BCM).

Sat Nov 18, 2017 1:25 pm

I thought there was a lacquer coating issue until i read manufacturers statements that in modern steel, "lacquer" isn't used, at least not on .223/5.56. I think they some kind of teflon coating.
either way, there are many problems. Perhaps its the metalurgy formula of the case?
I read one opinion that the steel cases sides don't retract after the pressures are relieved. The brass is softer and releases.

I realize there is cost savings in steel, but .223/5.56 was never designed to run steel. The Soviet weapons were and the shape of the case is what it is specifically for steel extraction.

If your 5.56 runs steel, you're one of the lucky ones.

Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:23 pm

My 22 year old Norinko SKS has never seen a brass case in it's life and yet it continues to be without question the most reliable of all my semi-auto rifles. I can see no excess wear in the chamber. The rifle has somewhere in the vicinity of 3K+ rounds thru it. On the other hand I have an 8mm Mauser 98k made in 1945 that refuses to fire more than 3 rounds of the old laquered German surplus before it gets too sticky to operate. I guess it's a crap shoot, could go either way. As far as using the new(er) Wolf and similar steel cased ammo, well, they are your guns, you decide.