One thing none one wants is to be kicked out of a gun range or even banned permanently. If you know the rules you shouldn’t have to worry about this. The range rules are set to help everyone have a fun and safe shooting experience. Abide by the shooting range rules and they will be more than happy to have you back anytime.
Most indoor ranges carry the same set of rules but I don’t always assume so. If I do a little research before hand I feel more confident and don’t take any chances with my reputation.
The rules aren’t always given an explanation. So understanding why certain rules were created will help explain many of the aspects involved in operating and using a gun range.
A common rule for indoor gun ranges is “No Steel Core Ammunition Allowed” or “Armor Piercing/ Steel Core rounds are prohibited”
The rule no steel cased ammo is less common but still can be applied to any gun range.
So “Why Can’t You Shoot Steel Cased Ammo at a Range?”
A gun range may prohibit steel cased ammo because the spent shells get mixed up with the brass ones. Steel cases are non-re loadable and they must be thrown away or discarded. Some ranges may collect the brass shells, reload and sell them for extra money.
Customers at a gun range may not pick up after themselves, leaving shells lay on the floor of the range. After a busy day there can be hundreds of spent ammo cases covering the floor. Workers must clean them up at some point.
Some ranges may ban aluminum cases for the same reason. The range may check ammo with a magnet to see if it is steel core.
Pro-Tip: Indoor ranges typically require you to wear ear and eye protection. Most ranges will provide these for you but I prefer bringing my own for a couple of reasons.
One I don’t like sharing the same object that’s been touching others ears (that’s just me). Also you can get electronic earmuffs that only cancel out sounds above 80 decibels, this allows you to still hear things while wearing them (like a person talking).
Check out the best electronic shooting earmuffs on Amazon now.
No Steel Core Rule Reasoning
The rules can be confusing, some ranges may say steel casing but they might really mean steel jacketed or steel core. The reason for a steel core ban is due to the damage the round can cause to the range.
Steel core rounds shot into a steel backstop or trap will cause damage to the backstop. Unlike lead rounds the steel is much tougher and does tear into the ranges structure. Because the steel round does not expand like lead it more penetrating.
Even the target holders or rail lines and cables could be prone to damage from steel rounds. This would be expensive maintenance for the business and simply banning the round is a good way to prevent this.
Steel core rounds can also ricochet off of damaged steel targets or in this case backstops. There is also the slight chance of a fire from any sparks, which is more likely with a steel round. Any gun powder residue or paper target scraps can catch fire.
Steel Cased Ammo vs Steel Core
Steel cased ammunition is different than steel core. Case refers to shell or cartridge of the ammo not the bullet. The shell is where the firing primer and gun powered is stored into. Steel casings can be silver in color. There are different coating options (Polymer, Lacquer) both are used as a lubricant.
One reason steel cased ammo can be popular is because the price is cheaper than brass. You could get a box of steel cased ammunition for sometimes half the price. Usually this is surplus ammunition from other countries where lead is more expensive than steel.
Another advantage of steel casing is the cartridge is extracted much better than brass. This means after each fire the gun spits the cartridge out as it goes through the cycle to re-chamber another round. Steel casing work better than brass for some guns because the steel holds up better. The guns with strong or short cycle times.
This is confusing because the extraction is not as effective with firearms that use gas powered cycling systems. The steel being stronger than brass is harder on these guns and can cause jamming. That is why steel casings are coated with a lubricant.
Steel Core Ammo:
Steel core ammo has a smaller steel bullet coated by lead on the outside. That is why it is called steel “core” because the bullet has a steel core instead of solid lead. Steel core ammo can have a copper jacket, so distinguishing steel core and non can be difficult.
The whole bullet is not made of steel because it would damage the barrel. Because steel is tougher than lead shooting solid steel could really tear up a gun barrel.
Outdoor Range Rules
The rule of no steel core ammo can carry over to outdoor ranges. Steel casing should not be a issue with outdoor ranges. The steel core rounds have greater chance to causing sparks and could potentially start a fire. There is also more of a chance of ricochet with steel rounds.
Recommended Ammo
Read more about my favorite place to buy ammo online here.