Tula steel case ammo with the SR9, is it ok?

[elvisart]

I've had my SR9 for a few months and have put about 1000 rds through it with no hitches at all, mainly PMC FMJ range ammo. I found a decent price on Tula 9mm at Cheaper than Dirt, but have had a few people say not to use steel case. I also own an SKS and a M1 Carbine, and they eat the steel stuff just fine. Should I not use it? I ordered a box of 50 to try it out.

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't use it unless it was a LOT cheaper. I just bought a box of Federal 9mm at Walmart earlier for $11.97 (went up from $10.97 the last time I bought it), and they had that stuff there for about $9.99. It wasn't cheap enough to try it in my opinion.

I can't give you first hand experience unfortunately.

 

[Big Stu]

It will work but it will also help put our American workers out of a job. The savings aren't that great and the ammo is very dirty to shoot. I stopped buying my ammo from Walmart because you are getting ammo of questionable quality. I worked out a deal with my LGS and they give me a good deal and I keep my money in town with the little guy. All that being said, Tula will not hurt your SR9. It will get it very dirty, very fast.

 

[pisgah]

The Tula ammo won't hurt your gun. Try it and see if it works. You may even find it is no dirtier than anything else. As far as putting an American out of a job -- you're also employing an American or three who import, warehouse, and distribute the stuff. And many folks fail to realize that a lot of American-branded low-cost ammo is loaded in Austrailia, Czech Republic, etc. these days.

 

[clint_lnl]

works and shoots fine BUT its dirty and I also noticed the mag is harder to load with the steel cases. dirty don't mater since I clean every time after shooting BUT will not buy it again, will spend the extra dollar or 2 on federal ammo or WWB

 

[Sal1950]

Only steel cased ammo I ever bought was some 30 carbine (Herters from Cabelas) because it was so dang cheap and there was nothing else even near that same price on the day I wanted it. Didn't have problem with it.
But otherwise I will always look for anything else that is brass cased and made in the USA, don't mind spend a couple extra $ to keep America strong.

Out of work, hungry? Eat your foreign car.
Sal

 

[Cheesewhiz]

Tula ammo is dirty as has already been said and I have seen length variations and off center loads with it also. The one thing I really don't care for is that the steel casing on it doesn't appear to have any factory taper crimp. This will make it a balky feeding round in some pistols.
It's hard to evaluate a pistol's performance with crap ammo.

 

[pisgah]

It's hard to evaluate a pistol's performance with crap ammo.

I beg to differ, in this regard -- you will have no idea how reliably your pistol will function, or how accurate it will be, with anything but expensive, often hard-to-find premium-grade ammo, unless you try some crappy stuff. And in my experience, the Remington ball ammo at Wal Mart falls much more in to the "crappy" category than the Tula.

 

[Cheesewhiz]

It's hard to evaluate a pistol's performance with crap ammo.

I beg to differ, in this regard -- you will have no idea how reliably your pistol will function, or how accurate it will be, with anything but expensive, often hard-to-find premium-grade ammo, unless you try some crappy stuff. And in my experience, the Remington ball ammo at Wal Mart falls much more in to the "crappy" category than the Tula.

I don't remember calling for "expensive, often hard-to-find premium-grade ammo" in this or any other thread. I normally use S&B and you can find that at a fairly low price almost anywhere. I buy by the case through my local LGS most times. It ranges from $9.00 to $10.50 per box of fifty for case lots to $11.00 to $13.00 when purchased singlely. There are many brands of range ammo that are inexpensive and not crap.

Are you saying that Tula is better than WWB or Federal? That's just crazy talk.

I do agree that the Rem UMC stuff is junk.

 

[elvisart]

My local gunshop sells PMC for $13/50, Walmart's cheapest is around $12 ,and this is coming in at under $9/50, so the savings is pretty significant.
I clean after every range trip, so cleaning isn't an issue. I'm having to mail order ammo for my Tokarev and my M1 Carbine, as the only local that stocks it has insane prices.
Thanks for the advice!

 

[pisgah]

Well, call me crazy if name-calling gives you a thrill. But I will state flatly that in my four 9mm firearms -- S&W 39-2, KelTec Sub2000, Ruger P89DC, S&W 6906 -- the Tula ammo is as reliable as either WWB or Federal, as accurate as the Federal, and more accurate than the WWB -- and as clean (or dirty) as either. Has your experience been the same? Obviously not -- but it doesn't mean the next guy won't have the same good experience I have had.

 

[Cheesewhiz]

Well, call me crazy if name-calling gives you a thrill. But I will state flatly that in my four 9mm firearms -- S&W 39-2, KelTec Sub2000, Ruger P89DC, S&W 6906 -- the Tula ammo is as reliable as either WWB or Federal, as accurate as the Federal, and more accurate than the WWB -- and as clean (or dirty) as either. Has your experience been the same? Obviously not -- but it doesn't mean the next guy won't have the same good experience I have had.

Is "crazy talk" name calling?

Tula ammo is filthy crap and not at all in spec ammo, at least their 9mm.
... defending it is just silly on many levels. If you want to run that junk in your guns, fine. Just don't pee on my boots and tell me it's raining. Is it really worth $0.02 a round in savings to run crap threw a pistol? Do you realize how many come on this forum and blame Ruger for a sub par product and when you find out the absolute crap ammo that they run through them, you just shut it down and laugh your tail off.
...and the sad thing is they will defend that junk over the damn gun. It's sickening.

 

[guidedfishing]

I've shoot a couple thousand rounds of Tula thru my SR9. And at least that much Winchester and Federal ammo. 1st myth. It is no more dirty than Winchester ball ammo. Most the time its at least $2.00 a 50ct less. Every time I've pulled the trigger it goes bang. Now having used it enough my opinion is formed on usage and not what I want it to be. Here is my biggest issue with this ammo the lacquered steel cases it will not reliably feed through any of my magazines either in the SR9 or the Browning Hi-Power. If I load 5-7 rds it will feed. Any more and that and it hangs up in the magazine. No such issue with the federal and Winchester brass ammo. Its okay to plink with but I would never rely on it for nothing more than in-formal target shooting.

good luck
GF

 

[wiredgeorge]

I haven't found any Russian ammo to be particularly dirty other than some of the milsurp stuff and not in 9mm Luger. I haven't shot Tulaamo in a 9mm pistol but I carry a Bersa .45 UC Pro. Folks on the Bersa forum are convinced that steel jacket ammo is hard on your pistol extractor and other internals... not much first hand experience as far as I could tell but just opinions so I bought two boxes. I have a blow-back .45 Hi-Point and the Tulaammo .45 ACP 230 gr. cycles flawlessly. In my Bersa .45, not so... not one round would extract after firing. The profile of the rim area seems to be a tad different than most well known brass cases with the rim, slot in front of the rim a little thicker and the ramp back up angled a little more abruptly. In any case, the extractor made a mark on the case which stayed in the chamber. I shoot a lot of steel rounds in my SKS and Nagant Mosin and they cycle the stuff very nicely as does the Hi-Point... I think the Russian stuff is made pretty much as well as any other inexpensive round but it just wouldn't cycle in my Bersa which has NEVER failed to feed or extract or had a stovepipe otherwise.

 

[pisgah]

In my original comment, I said to TRY IT AND SEE IF IT WORKS. In your pistol, it might not; but if it does, there is absolutely no reason not to use it. The steel used in the cases is just about as soft as brass; if it were not, it would not expand to seal off the chamber. Steel has been used for decades without harm to extractors, and if your extractor breaks while using steel cases, it would have broken eventually using brass. It's a fault in the extractor, not in the case material.

As far as being dirty -- some ammo is dirtier than others. So what? Cleaning is a routine part of gun usage. If Tula or any other brand produces a bit more soot than another in a shooting session, I'm still cleaning the same way I would after using the less-sooty stuff.

 

[ship4brains]

I have ran a few boxes thorugh my p90 with no failures. FYI

 

[rammerjammer]

I have run about 1000 rounds of steel cased Herter's ammo from Cabelas through my SR9c with no problems.

And I have run about 1000 or more of the same stuff through my P90 with no problems. With the cost of .45 ammo, Herters which is probably rebranded Tula or Wolf is the only ammo I can afford to put through my P90. And the P90 is such a tank I am not really worried about it.

If it works in your gun, go for it for target practice.

 

[Simms65]

I've run 1,000+ between cleanings through both my SR9 and SR9c. It isn't any dirtier than cheap Federal or WWB, has been more reliable than recent WWB, runs at bit hotter than Federal 115, and is every bit as accurate.

I love the steel bashing threads. For every person that doesn't buy it, that's more for me to shoot cheaper. It makes a big difference when you are buying 1000+ at a time.

The only thing I don't like about it is the Berdain priming. I just use range pick up brass for my 9mm reloads. Those have (oh no!) cast lead bullets! :lol:

 

[sr45c]

I've ran 2000+ runs of wolf WPA steel case/steel ball with copper jacket ammo on both my SR9C and SR9 and I had 10 jams total thats very good I reloaded those bullets and they fired fine.

I use to shoot the WWB from wally world some of the slugs on these rounds where recessed further back "overpressed" which causes major jams. bummer since you have to dispose of them waste of money for me.

Just purchased another 1k rounds of wolf ammo and will continue to do so because they work and it's CHEAP!

 

[toyhunt]

One new mag from HiPoint for my 9mm carbime loaded w/federal ,shot 10 rds. no problem.So ,I loaded 10 of tula. jamed, slide wouldn't work , maybe harmed firing pin.? So went home cleaned & oiled.Will try again, with anything but tula. Firing pin looked ok.