The problem with the lacquer coating is if you get the chamber very hot. It will tend to "melt" and build up, and is a royal pain to remove once it rehardens (which it will definitely do before you can clean it out).
As long as you aren't doing mag dumps back-to-back from an AR-15, SKS, or AK-type rifle, and abusing your rifle/barrel, you should be fine.
Actually, Wolf is not lacquering their cases any more. All the new production .223 and 7.62x39 have a polymer coating on the steel cases. The boxes(crate) it comes in is marked with a big P. And as far as lacquer buildup goes, I don't think the Soviets or Chinese ever had any problems with "lacquer build up" in full auto AK's!!!
bowhuntr
Posts: 931 | Location: Somewhere....... | Registered: 07 October 2002
Wolf ammo is noncorrosive, and the steel cases won't scratch your chamber if the ammo is not covered with grit or dirt. Dirty ammo will scratch your chamber, and the softer brass cases will imbed grit worse than steel does.
Watch out for the length of the bearing surface on the Wolf full metal jacket .223 bullets . I bought a large quantity of the Wolf stuff several years ago , and while it works fine in my Mini-14 (with a military spec chamber , I presume) , it jams hard into the lands in my M-77 stainless which has a much shorter throat . This may or may not create excess pressure , but it would be something to watch out for if using the Wolf ammo in a bolt gun .
Posts: 1660 | Location: Gary , SD | Registered: 05 March 2001
One of the larger gun show ammo dealers in these parts quit handling Wolf ammo a year ago. According to him, extensive use of it could damage some firearms. A few of his long-time customers reported problems.
I've used Wolf ammo here and there over the past few years with no problems, but only in my SKS and Makarov. Perhaps the problem sdgunslinger mentions is one of those that some folks have had.
Posts: 733 | Location: N. Illinois | Registered: 21 July 2002
I've known several people shot it in several calibers with no problems. But my concern with it is about the bullets. As I understand it, they are loaded with STEEL jacketed bullets that are copper plated before loading.
How thick is the copper plating? It sounds like a guy could be running steel jacketed bullets down his barrel.......which sounds like a fast way to wear out a barrel? Am I wrong?
Posts: 19677 | Location: New Mexico | Registered: 23 May 2002
Quote: As I understand it, they are loaded with STEEL jacketed bullets that are copper plated before loading.
How thick is the copper plating? It sounds like a guy could be running steel jacketed bullets down his barrel.......which sounds like a fast way to wear out a barrel? Am I wrong?
Yes, they're steel jacketed, as are most military and many sporting bullets from the old Soviet Bloc nations. The copper coating's very thin, basically a wash that serves to lubricate the jacket drawing dies. Works the same in rifling. Recovered jacket fragments I've picked up show no rubthrough of the copper. I don't believe steel jacketed bullets cause any faster barrel wear than gilding metal jackets. Most shooting wear of bores is from gas erosion, and improper or excessive cleaning is even more damaging.
Posts: 1325 | Location: Bristol, Tennessee, USA | Registered: 24 December 2003
I guess the Russians did this to save $. Wonder how such bullets affect accuracy? Anyone ever compared such a thing? What about oerformance in game? (Not the FMJ...but the hunting bullets.)
Posts: 19677 | Location: New Mexico | Registered: 23 May 2002
I was thinking about buying some steel cased Wolf ammo in 223 for my little CZ. I am not expecting much but thought for the hell of it why not give it a try and see how it shoots. I was wondering if this ammo could damage my gun in any way, could the steel cases scratch the chamber or is Wolf corrosive ammo??
Posts: 1755 | Location: slc Ut | Registered: 22 December 2002
