A few months back, I ran into the guys from Freedom Munitions at the Great American Outdoor Show, and they asked me to write up a review on their new product, American Steel ammo. If you couldn't tell from the name, the casings are steel. What you cannot tell from the name, is that they are brass plated. In case you didn't know, brass ammo feeds and ejects much better than steel does, and is easier on your gun's components, like the extractor.
The hope is that the brass plated steel will marry the balance of quality VS price.
They gave me 250 rounds of the American Steel ammo, along with some of their re-manufactured stuff, and asked me to compare the two. Honestly, both fed in the firearms I used for the evaluation. I'm happy to report that each round of ammunition went off with a bang, and without any malfunctions. For my testing, I used a Springfield Armory EMP 4 (with review to follow), a Springfield Armory XD9, and I even have a few through the Definitive Arms AKX-9.
Again, no issues thus far. Sadly, I'm out of ammo from them but hope to have some more in soon.
The important things for you to remember, is that the ammo is super cheap, brand new, and made in America. As of right now, they are only manufacturing them in 9mm, but that is likely to change and grow, as the demand for other calibers increases.
I thought for sure the ammo would be super dirty, but it left an average amount of residue on the weapons, and was cleaner than other budget-priced steel cased ammo.
The bullet is a 115 grain projectile that is designed solely for target practicing. The main point is affordability and to have a great way of lobbing many rounds of ammo down range as cheaply as you can, so you can be as good of a shot as possible.
Though, I must say that I always recommend shooting some of your self-defense ammo so you know how it handles (and to know that it works in your gun of choice). The last thing you need is to run into a defensive situation without a gun that actually works
Anyway, as of right now there are mixed thoughts about whether or not the spent casings can be reloaded. After all, they are steel, but they are brass plated. Some reloading experts say that the most important thing is that they have a boxed primer and then they can be reloaded.
Others don't want to take the chance. The brass-grabbers at my range didn't seem to care what it was, just as long as it was that shiny yellow color…I'm not sure that the one guy believed that it was brass plated steel, but I have plans to ask him how it went next time I see him.
The American Steel Ammo is a cheap way of shooting American made ammunition that is brand new all around. Hopefully they will begin to manufacture more calibers of ammo as they deem necessary, especially since there is likely a large demand for it. As of this writing, a box of 50 rounds can be bought for under $9.00—which is slightly cheaper than their re-manufactured stuff is. Being that it's new, I'm all for it.
Sound Off Gun Carriers! What do you think of this brass-plated steel cased ammo? Would you ever run it in your guns? Or, are you a brass only kind of shooter? Let us know in the comments below, and then make sure you like our Facebook page.