Just wondering if anyone has heard of 22lr in casing other than brass. Seems the price on 22 is steadily climbing, just wondering if cost of brass is driving this or demand. I know steel 9mm and aluminum tends to be cheaper. Or us there something else I'm unaware of like corrosion etc why steel isn't used ? Thoughts ?
22LR in steel, alum etc?
- Thread starter robab
- Start date
Aluminum age hardens on its own if left on a shelf and can get brittle and steel would have to be quite thin to work for rimfire. Steel might also not obturate properly to seal the chamber at 22lr pressures. Some people are also concerned about steel cased ammo damaging firearms (chambers, extractors, etc.) I think Berdan primers are still made from brass? All US primers I know of are made from brass or copper (many are nickel plated so look silver). The primer has much more deformation per surface area than the case body so if it's more brittle or harder because it's aluminum or steel it could be a problem such as cracking or not going off. The same would be true of the rim of a rimfire case. It would probably be more difficult to get aluminum or steel to work; more tweaking.
Another issue is it would likely require retooling of the machines for the new material which could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Manufacturers are producing ammo 24-7 so going offline for the days or weeks to switch over, test batches, and start production wouldn't increase how much they can physically produce with the equipment on hand so there is no sense in doing it. Opening new civilian factories is a MASSIVE investment of time and funds for the equipment and licenses and could take years to accomplish. That's why companies don't just open new facilities because of a couple-year spike in demand; it isn't worth it if the demand isn't sustained for a decade or two. The current spike in demand is going on 2.5 years and is in remission.
Most of the price increase is the poor Canadian dollar and stores ramping up their prices because they can. There are many retailers still selling 22lr for about 10% more than they did 3 years ago before the current panic/shortage. That's on new shipments of ammo from the last couple months; not old stock from before the dollar tanked. Online stores with sane pricing sell out quick because anyone in the country can order from them. If you don't have a local store that isn't price gouging, it sucks but that's just how it is.
Another issue is it would likely require retooling of the machines for the new material which could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Manufacturers are producing ammo 24-7 so going offline for the days or weeks to switch over, test batches, and start production wouldn't increase how much they can physically produce with the equipment on hand so there is no sense in doing it. Opening new civilian factories is a MASSIVE investment of time and funds for the equipment and licenses and could take years to accomplish. That's why companies don't just open new facilities because of a couple-year spike in demand; it isn't worth it if the demand isn't sustained for a decade or two. The current spike in demand is going on 2.5 years and is in remission.
Most of the price increase is the poor Canadian dollar and stores ramping up their prices because they can. There are many retailers still selling 22lr for about 10% more than they did 3 years ago before the current panic/shortage. That's on new shipments of ammo from the last couple months; not old stock from before the dollar tanked. Online stores with sane pricing sell out quick because anyone in the country can order from them. If you don't have a local store that isn't price gouging, it sucks but that's just how it is.
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I know you beat this to death, but any chance of some ruskie .22lr?
They say they stopped making it
Concern I have about aluminum (although I still use it in 9 mm) is that aluminum oxide is one of the hardest and therefore most abrasive things around. It does seem that the AL used in cartridges is actually an alloy that doesn't have so much of that problem, but OTOH I'm not sure about that. Steel has a similar hardness problem, and in the amounts I shoot, neither would be healthy for the actions or chambers of the firearms.
Supply and demand with a bunch of government interference drives the price of ammo.
Steel in a rimfire would have to be really soft.
Steel and aluminum 9mm is also disposable and low grade.
All Al is an alloy. None of which will ever be as hard as the softest steel.
Steel in a rimfire would have to be really soft.
Steel and aluminum 9mm is also disposable and low grade.
All Al is an alloy. None of which will ever be as hard as the softest steel.
- Location
- West Quebec
I can see why you don't need the headaches of importing that even if available..
