steel core 7.62x54r

[whitey07]

does anybody know if steel core ammo is hard on barrels? ive only ever shot hungarian surplus . i thought i read on a post that it would wear your barrel out faster is this true?

 

[SandRoad]

What wears out barrels is not the friction between bullet and barrel, but the hot gasses at the barrel throat. The plasma from the burning powder physically erodes the steel.

The throat will be eroded far sooner than the barrel "wearing out" Since you are likely talking about a milsurp, why worry about it. A new rifle or barrel is FAR cheaper than the 5 to 10k rounds it will take to "wear" your barrel out. And what happens it that the barrel never really wears out, it just looses more and more accuracy.

 

[sunray]

The steel core comes nowhere near the barrel. The bullet jacket may be steel too. However, it's mild steel(much softer than the steel of the barrel) and won't wear out a barrel any faster than any other bullet.

 

[SandRoad]

The steel core comes nowhere near the barrel. The bullet jacket may be steel too. However, it's mild steel(much softer than the steel of the barrel) and won't wear out a barrel any faster than any other bullet.

Actually there are 7.62x54R bullets which are actually steel that is copper plated. Czech silver tip surplus ammo is one example. The jacket is copper plated steel with a lead core. The copper is the "lubrication". But as you noted, the steel used in these bullets is soft.

I recall there being Russian or Chinese surplus 7.62x39 that was steel core, but copper jacketed.

 

[.Ben]

the core material has nothing to do with barrel wear i belive the ammo your talking about is copper washed steel core,copper plated lead core, tin core, etc, wont make a difference on your barrel.