AR-15. Best Bulk Ammo?

[GetSmith]

I'm considering a colt 6920. The price of the rifle is not what I'm worried about, its the ammo. I would want to stockpile 7000 to 10000 rounds if I was to get the rifle. Is steel cased bulk Russian ok for the colt 6920? What bulk ammo do you recommend for SHTF? Cabellas has thier house brand .223 55 grain 1000 rounds for $260, no shipping or tax. What do you shoot through your AR?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Yoda]

The varnish coating on steel cartridges melts in a hot AR and gums up the works. I am sticking with brass casings. Also with a large cache of steel casings you may need to watch humidity and moisture more. Try a box of ammo before buying bulk.


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[yz9890]

not true in my experience (or any of my friends). the jams for me come when I switch from steel to brass. zero jams if I stay with one or the other. the steel seems to allow more gas and carbon back into the chamber because it doesn't expand as much. (I've never seen varnish or polycoat build up anywhere). so when I fire the softer brass case in the carbon gummed up chamber, sometimes it expands enough to contact the carbon build up and stick. so clean before you switch back to brass and you'll be fine.

[GetSmith]

not true in my experience (or any of my friends). the jams for me come when I switch from steel to brass. zero jams if I stay with one or the other. the steel seems to allow more gas and carbon back into the chamber because it doesn't expand as much. (I've never seen varnish or polycoat build up anywhere). so when I fire the softer brass case in the carbon gummed up chamber, sometimes it expands enough to contact the carbon build up and stick. so clean before you switch back to brass and you'll be fine.

Thanks to both of you for the responses.

YZ. What steel cased Russian ammo have you shot through your AR?

[DefConGun]

Once and a while you can catch a pretty good deal on Lucky Gunner (.com). I've never bought 5.56 from them yet but I got a real deal on 40 S&W once.

The market appears to me to be volatile so you just have to keep an eye out for deals and shop regularly. 5.56 can be hard to get at times depending on what you're looking for, etc. I called around a few weeks ago and no one locally had any 5.56 readily available.

[JaySkiBum]

The varnish issue some speak of isn't really an issue anymore because all the steel .223 I've seen recently has the newer polymer coating which is extremely rugged. I haven't shot enough steel out of my AR to see the jamming issue, but it does make sense if you switch back and forth. To me, the fact that the steel cased ammo is going to be dirtier is the only turn off for me. I have been buying the 100 round Federal boxes at Wal-Mart that are going at $35 a box right now which is a decent price. Large bulk purchases will definitely beat that price though. Personally I prefer to keep the steel in my AK only, but I don't shoot my AR enough to really make the price difference a big deal.

[Piratesailor]

Try freedom ammunition.

[Alex_C]

I usually buy Lake City/Federal or Winchester 62 grain M855 ball. Same stuff the military uses for a fair price and sometimes you get an ammo can out of the deal too.

[WHEC724]

I'm thinking a 6920 should shoot anything. I run all sorts of junk through my PSA, and it just doesn't care.

[kapnketel]

AR15.com has a thread that people post the latest best deals in .223/5.56. Check it out.

[NMB]

I shoot wolf/tula almost exclusively through my AR (Palmetto Upper/Stag Lower with BCM BCG. If you are having problems with it, you probably need a better BCG.

The polymer coating does not melt or gunk up your rifle, thats a fallacy.

Also there is this idea floating around that it causes wear on your rifle. If you think that little steel casing has been hardened more than the steel in your BCG or Chamber, you have a crappy rifle.

[yz9890]

Thanks to both of you for the responses.

YZ. What steel cased Russian ammo have you shot through your AR?

wolf/tula

[whoppo]

I shoot:

Federal 5.56 LC 55gr M193 and 62gr M855 Green Tips
PMC 5.56 X-TAC 55gr and 62gr Green Tips
Federal .223 50gr Polymer Tipped "Varmint"

and that's pretty much it except for the occasional M856 tracers.

I don't fear steel cased ammo, but I do choose not to shoot it.

[slidewayz240]

Ive fired Tula and will NEVER shoot it again... fire it through both my father and my friends AR as well as my SIG and all three had the chamber expand due to it getting hot after firing it and it got stock in the chamber and required a rod to ram the spent shell out. Why did you use that ammo in 3 different rifles you ask? My dad bought bulk Tula and thats all we had around.

[Moundman]

I've shot Wolf, Tula and Federal. Never had an issue with any of them.