Barrel Wear from Steel Jacket Bullets: Serious Warning

Summary for barrel wear from steel jacket bullets Discussion

Barrel wear from lead filled full metal steel jacket bullets is the central concern in this thread, with John Nussbaum asking how much more wear to expect in an M1A1 (.308) compared with standard copper-lead bullets. James Watts offers a cautious but strongly negative estimate, guessing wear could be at least 100 times greater, with likely loss of accuracy and velocity because the steel jacket would not swedge into the barrel properly. He also questions the legality and practical purpose of such bullets. Another responder suggests the question may be better directed to a firearms specialist. A later answer adds that steel on steel is a bad combination, so friction and barrel wear would likely be considerable and muzzle velocity reduced; that answerer notes cupronickel is the usual jacket material and suggests considering molybdenum or PTFE coatings if steel jackets are being used for some reason.