ammunition, misfeed, failure-to-eject, brass, steelMany “surplus ammo” offerings are steel-cased. In some of the bolt-action rifles I have (such as the Mossin-Nagant), the ammunition shoots fine.
However, in others (such as my AR-15 or XD), steel-cased ammunition routinely does not eject properly, or does not feed correctly, causing the weapon to jam.
Anecdotally, I have heard this happening with friends as well.
What causes the steel-cased rounds to not feed/eject as well as their brass-cased brethren?
Brass has a lower friction coefficient. That is, it is a generally a slicker material than the steel used in cartridge cases. This extra friction requires a bit more force to overcome. With some semi-auto firearms (or when some firearms are dirty) the small extra force required can cause misfeeds or ejection problems.
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