Aluminum-case ammo in my .45 pistols - OK to use?

[gunsrfun1]

Thinking of trying the Federal aluminum-case ammo in my Kimber and my SA XDM range guns; brass-case has gotten too pricey for me. Everything I am reading is that it's ok to use for range purposes. Also reading that some of the "stories" about aluminum-case (it will damage your extractor, etc.) are bogus.
Ballistics are close to the Federal Champion brass-case (which you can't find anymore) my favorite .45 load.
In the past I avoided aluminum-case ammo, but I'm more open to it now.
Curious if anyone has any particular concerns or had any issues with this particular caliber, based on experience (not hearsay.)
I don't reload, so that is not a consideration.
Thanks

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I have used plenty of aluminum case in 45 and 9mm. No problems. Steel case 9mm i did have some extraction issues. I know someone who reloads aluminum for 1-2 reloads.

 

[Hugger-4641]

I've never had any problems with aluminum ammo in 45acp, or with 9mm , .380, or .40sw.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I’ve used aluminum cased ammo in 9mm, .45ACP, and .44Spl. It is my home defense load in .44Spl in my S&W 696 firing a 200gr JHP…accurate, soft shooting, and having reliable extraction.

I carried it in my Star PD without reservation after running 200 rounds through the gun.

 

[N555]

Loading and ejecting gives aluminum cased rounds pretty substantial bullet setback.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Loading and ejecting gives aluminum cased rounds pretty substantial bullet setback.

With my carry ammo, I only chamber it a couple of times before relegating that round to the practice pool…be it brass or aluminum cased

 

[Mark_Mark]

With my carry ammo, I only chamber it a couple of times before relegating that round to the practice pool…be it brass or aluminum cased

I deliberately put extra crimp on my 1st round in the mag so I don’t get set back. Good for 30-40 chambers, then goes into the range ammo bag.

 

[Old Dog]

Since I quit handloading several years back, I've been using aluminum cased 230 grain FMJ Federal and Blazer (Speer) in my .45s for the same several years, not regularly, but whenever I'd picked up a few boxes (Wal-Mart, Bi-Mart and Midway used to have excellent prices on the stuff). No problems with the performance of either brand.

Colt's, Kimbers, Springfield Armory, Dan Wesson 1911s, SIGs, FNX, even a WC and an Ed Brown. I don't recall ever having a malfunction with either the Federal or the Blazer aluminum cased .45 ACP, nor any accuracy issues.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have shot aluminum case ammo in a 1911 and 9mm ammo in a Sig without any issues.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I deliberately put extra crimp on my 1st round in the mag so I don’t get set back. Good for 30-40 chambers, then goes into the range ammo bag.

Are you talking about adding crimp to factory rounds or reloading aluminum cases?

 

[FL-NC]

Try a box at the range. Worst thing it will do is not work.

 

[edwardware]

If it's loaded with care, aluminum-cased ammo is every bit as good as brass in many applications. It might not exhibit quite the same response as brass in high pressure cartridges, but 45ACP isn't.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Are you talking about adding crimp to factory rounds or reloading aluminum cases?

No, but why not, great idea

 

[9mmepiphany]

No, but why not, great idea

Because the OP stated that he doesn’t reload. That’s why he’s asking for specific feedback about factory loaded aluminum cased ammo

 

[AK Hunter]

I don't mess with aluminum cases because if I'm buying them I want a case to reload after shooting & if I'm reloading they are not worth the trouble of cleaning because I only get 1 or 2 reloads from them. Besides brass is laying all over the range free to pick up.

 

[Walkalong]

I deliberately put extra crimp on my 1st round in the mag so I don’t get set back. Good for 30-40 chambers, then goes into the range ammo bag.

Neck tension holds the bullet for auto rounds, not crimp, all it needs is removal of the flare.

That said, it sounds like a very bad plan, reloads or factory, either way.

 

[9mmepiphany]

No, but why not, great idea

Crimp doesn’t prevent setback, it may even increase the possibility due to the different elasticity between aluminum and lead

 

[Jim Watson]

First generation CCI Blazer in aluminum shot very well, the 200 gr .45 SWC was just what was needed for IPSC. But the SWC was enough different in shape that I could not count on them feeding in my Gold Cup. The 230 gr RN was at a higher power factor than required and kicked more. So I stayed with reloading.

Early Blazer had Berdan primers to discourage reloading but I see Boxer primers now, no doubt simplified their supply chain. I reloaded a few just to see if it was possible and they did ok but I would not count on it.
A commercial reloader once did a demonstration that his Dillon 1000 would punch out the Blazer Berdan anvil along with the primer and swage the primer pocket to accept a Boxer primer. He also kept his primers in a Mason jar, so I do not consider him a good reference.

 

[jmorris]

First thing I would do is take a round and chamber it, don’t baby it you are seeing if the firearm is going to mess up the round, then eject it.

If your firearm messes them up like this camp 9, don’t even think about it.



If your firearm doesn’t set the bullet back or otherwise mangle the case and you shoot a lot of it, you should keep a close eye on how the firearm is holding up along the way.

Aluminum cases don’t seal as well and Breech face erosion is not unheard of and unless you have a removable breech face like an SV, can be very expensive to repair.



That is not the end of it though, this is a firing pin stop from one of my 1911’s after 40k rounds of aluminum blazer, looks about the same as if it had been hit with a plasma torch.



Path of least resistance, I suppose.

I also know a guy that bragged for a few months that he was smarter than CCI, in that he was able to reload the aluminum cases they said were non reloadable (unlike the others 45 ACP is not Berdan primed). He may have made it 6 months before he ruined the Kart barrel. Almost every case split upon the second firing and I that ruined the chamber, not unlike my firing pin stop above.

I almost never use the stuff anymore but I probably went through more of it than most people, just turned out to be a false economy for me. I wouldn’t be scared of a box or two though, if it chambers and ejects looking and measuring good.

 

[CapnMac]

TH Blazer AL cased stuff pretty reliably will fire.
My experience with where it will group afterwards was less than stellar.
I gave up on Blazer back in the mid 90s, so, I may be biased.

 

[Steve762us]

That is not the end of it though, this is a firing pin stop from one of my 1911’s after 40k rounds of aluminum blazer, looks about the same as if it had been hit with a plasma torch.

Good Grief!

What did the firing pin & spring look like? Was it piercing/blowing primers?

 

[jmorris]

Actually, the firing pin and spring were fine. Noticed it when I sat down in the bath tub stage at the 2008 or 2009 IDPA Nationals. Swapped the stop and finished the match with it, never did malfunction.

 

[Steve762us]

Truly fascinating...that a flame jet could move thru the firing pin channel, and cause that much erosion at far end, do nothing to the firing pin & spring, on the way there.

BTW, your first pic appears to show primer pocket leakage, not failure of case to chamber seal.

Here's a breech face with erosion from primer leakage, from a 1911 forum; this was
with brass-cased reloads, using Winchester primers, from 2014:

 

[JDR]

I have a lot more experience using aluminum case 9mm than .45ACP, but the former always worked fine in the Glocks (17,19,19X) and the latter always worked fine in the Gen4 21. A big reason I’ve always liked the “G’s” is they shoot whatever you load them with, at least mine do.

 

[3Crows]

What about aluminum cases in aluminum framed 1911s? It seems that it would possibly damage the alloy feed ramp? Aluminum forms an oxide when exposed to air (O2), aluminum oxide, the stuff sandpaper is coated with. I think I will pass.

3C