Steel cased ammo v. Steel core ammo and a confused range.

[Half-Cocked]

So today I went to the range and I was told that it is prohibited to shoot steel cased ammo however I was allowed to this one time.

The reasoning was according to the range master that steel cased ammo also has a steel core which presents a fire hazard when it hits the metal backstop that may ignite unburnt powder down range.

I smiled and nodded my head and said okay I won't bring any steel cased ammo in next time.

Correct me if I'm wrong but steel case does not mean steel core ammo. And okay the back stop is made out of a metallic material. But really the risk of a fire due to unburned powder being all the way at the end of the range towards the backstop?

I'm not buying it. Steelcased ammo is fine to use it has the same lead bullet as your brass cased ammo. it's important to note that while you're shooting these guys are sweeping away your brass. Which personally I find distracting and unsafe. I mean they aggressively collect this stuff. But hey their range their rules.

My theory they reload and or sell the spent brass when your steel case ammo is shot they don't want it mixing with their resellable brass that you paid for!

My theory on why they don't want steel core ammo shot is because it will damage the backstop. That's a valid concern.

It's a great range and good guy but I really hate it when people come up with some bull explanation that doesn't make a lick of sense.

I suppose it's a more palatable explanation than.... well we sell your brass after you get done shooting here and we don't want to sell any brass that has steel mixed in with it.

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Chinese 7.62x39 used to have steel cores.
However. Most European military ammo, especially Russian/ former Warsaw Pact, had copper plated steel jackets and they will throw sparks when hitting steel, but igniting POWDER down range? I think the range master's been swiggin' the Hoppes. A grass fire maybe, but powder? Some ranges bar ammo that will " attract a magnet" probably thinking it must be armor piercing.
I've seen ranges that had posted rules that if the brass/shell hit the ground, it was there's. Ummm...No. I moved on.

 

[Half-Cocked]

Chinese 7.62x39 used to have steel cores.
However. Most European military ammo, especially Russian/ former Warsaw Pact, had copper plated steel jackets and they will throw sparks when hitting steel, but igniting POWDER down range? I think the range master's been swiggin' the Hoppes. A grass fire maybe, but powder? Some ranges bar ammo that will " attract a magnet" probably thinking it must be armor piercing.
I've seen ranges that had posted rules that if the brass/shell hit the ground, it was there's. Ummm...No. I moved on.

You know I did come across that information about the copper jacketing on there. Apparently on the red standard army brand ammo they use a copper and steel jacket.

Speaking of drinking the hops. To prove his point you'll never guess what the range Master had me do. Again I feel really bad because he's a nice guy but he said yeah man they throw Sparks. Here fire across a couple of lanes into the backstop and you'll see what I mean.

Now luckily while he's talking to me I have enough sense to take my finger off the trigger continue to point my gun downrange while I crank around and talk to this guy.

this is definitely not the safest range I've been to.

One what would prevent me from whipping that pistol around the moment somebody tapped me on the shoulder to engage in a conversation?

And two firing a Cross Lanes seems like it would cause more of a likelihood of a ricocheted bullet. matter of fact just the last time I was there at the outdoor range some guy put his targets up at 100 yards and mistakenly set up at the lane next to him. In other words his Target was on Lane 24 he was sitting and set up at Lane 25. They would not allow him to shoot from Lane 25 into Lane 24. And yet on the indoor range the range Master said go ahead shoot across see the Sparks.

I shake my head I tell you.

 

[John0313]

If you’ve ever worked at (specifically cleaned up) an indoor range, you quickly get an education on unburnt powder, and how quickly it can accumulate.

Sparks hitting unburnt powder laying in the lanes is a leading cause of fires at indoor ranges. If the range has a modern/current air exchange system, it will ensure that there’s plenty of oxygen to feed the growing fire.

The concern is a very real one.

WRT the steel case/projectile issue, we all know that one doesn’t equal the other. Some of the most uninformed people I’ve run into regarding shooting and marksmanship work at gun shops and ranges in my experience.

 

[Half-Cocked]

Man I would have never thought unburnt powder was that big of an issue but I totally get it. Especially when you mention the ventilation heck yeah if the fire is going that would just exasperate the situation.

Then again what do I know I don't work at a range.

 

[GM54-120]

Checking ammo for steel projectiles is common practice at our public ranges. If it sticks to a magnet you cant shoot it period. Does not matter if its the jacket or the core. Ive got some really old Israeli 7.62x39 ammo with steel cores and a copper HP jacket. Its some odd ball round Israel had made for convert ops is all i was able to dig up on them. They sold them at 1 gun show for about a year then they were gone.