Plastic Ammo ???

[theogre_52]

Got this link sent to me today.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/plastic-cased-ammunition-from-pcp-ammo/

Looks interesting and thought that I would share.

 

[pdogsbeware]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

Hmm... interesting. Maybe I missed it, they said it would reduce weight, but would it reduce cost as well? If so, right there they will have a winner.

Will have to see what happens with that.

 

[*greenhorn*]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

cant reload and i can foresee quite a few problems, like melting, what happens id they get really hot and dubble feed crack a casing or something crazy, i think they should put this in the "Frozen Bullet" vault and leave it

 

[Wolvenhaven]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Cowboy1978</div><div class="ubbcode-body">cant reload and i can foresee quite a few problems, like melting, what happens id they get really hot and dubble feed crack a casing or something crazy, i think they should put this in the "Frozen Bullet" vault and leave it </div></div>

This isn't plastic like milk-jug plastic; this is most likely plastic like high quality engine parts plastic. It's probably some sort of plastic polymer mixture which can hold up to high heat and high pressure, there were some guys in Cali(I think) who printed a entire combustion engine out of a plastic polymer and it worked fine and never melted. Calling it plastic is a bit of a misnomer as it's more of a synthetic substance than what most people consider "plastic".

 

[pdogsbeware]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

Kinda like how glocks are "plastic" guns...but they hold up just fine. I hear ya clucking big chicken.

 

[*greenhorn*]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

heat up a Glock to 400 deg and watch it melt, a Glock is made from Nylon 6,6 its melting point is 256 deg, how hot do you think a barrel is when you go full auto on a AR for cupple 100 rounds.

the "plastic" casing is a good idea but shove one in a hot barrel and see what happens especially if it dubble feeds on a 4-500 deg barrel or a 1k degree full auto set up

what about the brass rim plate adheared to the plastic casing it could case separatation / i think its a hopeful idea but i doubt the general public will take to it, im sure it will cost more than ammo now, especially when it hits the market. and im sure it cant be reloaded. i wouldn't buy it for that reason alone.

 

[Brian Moyer]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

I watched the video and read everybobys comments and they are valid. I am a reloader and right now I say "No" to the product.
Is it possible the manufacturer could or would send samples to members here to try out for our own testing and evaluation if we ask? Possibly the Defense Department might by into it for cost reduction......who knows.

 

[pdogsbeware]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

I know a glock can melt, I was meaning the haters who hate because it's a "plastic gun". That's their only reason, they'd never buy a plastic gun cause they think that's stupid idea for a firearm...

Anyways, So you don't use it in your full auto stuff...problem solved! haha Is it an end-all solution? No, definitely not. I'm sure it has it's limitations, but for the vast majority of normal firearms users (read; people not on this site, and me), this ammo will work just fine.

Most people don't have class 3 guns, and don't reload. Hell, I reload, but if it's cheaper than my cost to reload, there's nothing wrong with using it just to dick around with. Precision? probably not. Make lots of noise and do it cheaply? Sure. Imagine how many time's you've been in a gun store and someone comes and asks for the cheapest ammo they have (i.e. a good 80% of shooters) They will sell a shitload of this stuff.

...On the other hand, it might be a totally inadequate product that breaks if you looks at it wrong, won't extract, and leaves too much residue. Who knows until it's out and tested.

 

[*greenhorn*]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

Well said

 

[FCS]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

Same basic plastic cased ammo was available 20 years ago. Didn't take off then and I don't see it taking off now either.

Claim back in the early 90s was reduced weight, could carry more or at least not wear out a troop as quick.

I shot some, wasn't impressed with overall performance. Know a few others who shot quite a bit more of it then I did, they weren't too impressed either. Granted, this was early 90s so I'm sure the materials have changed since then.

Not enough advantages to the plastic cased ammo for commerical, guys can reload or have it reloaded and get cost/rd pretty low after 5-7 firings on a single piece of 223 brass.

Time will tell.

 

[BALLISTIC]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

I think this is more targeted towards the military, as their main use doesn't require reloadable cases, and with the reduced weight if the price could be less than what brass cased ammo goes for, then I could see them looking into it, if it will survive in mild auto use.

 

[LARMIKE]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

I have used this about 7-8 years ago. It was avail. in 223, 308 and .50 never shot the .50 but I went thru several cases of the 223. It ran fine no full auto. Ball and tracer. The tracer did not light 95% of the time. If and when you had a malfunction it totally jacked up the 2 rds. that had the train wreck. It was accurate and somewhat reliable. I would not carry as a duty/defense load. The company contacted me as they wanted a sub load. I told them to pound sand. (They were not willing to compensate me for it) Maybe they improved it ?? Looks like it is a different company.

 

[Don't try to run]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

Germany started producing 7.62 Nato blank ammo with platic cases in the 80's. First time I saw it it was scattered around a very realistic SAM 2 site mock up down at Eglin that was obviously being used for SpecOps training and Lazer and TV Missile testing.It was at one of those old remote airfields scattered all over down there. There were also reinforced aircraft bunkers on the same facility that crearly showed hits right in the doors.
But blank is one thing. Since the case itself expands and grips the walls of a chamber (which is why you should always have a dry chamber when shooting. Lube there was the cause of ruptured cartridges in the M60) I have some doubts with any polymer. Weapons used on rapid semi and full auto get hot enough to cause the weapon, especially AK's to actually burst into flames. I don't know how a plastic (of any kind) case would hold up in a red hot chamber in front of a closed bolt.

 

[ACK]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

The last variation on this theme was made by a company named Natec. Around 2006 I saw a few empty cases at the local range and was intrigued. Did some research and this was one of the articles:
PCA -NATEC

The current version has additional metal in the neck area.

 

[Rootshot]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

About 5 or 6 years ago I met someone at the range with a few boxes of NATEC i 223. He wanted to see how accurate it could be, so I shot a few groups out of a Cooper Varminter which normally shoots in the .75MOA range. Accuracy was unimpressive - in the 2-3MOA range if I remember right. It fed and fired fine.

--Rootshot

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

To me it sounds like the solution to a problem that doesn't exist
Why would you want to take a chance with plastic casings?

Temperature sensitive I'm sure.

Brass has been working fine for over 100 years, it would have to be a DRASTIC change to work.

Perhaps in the future but even carbon fiber has a limit.

 

[bohem]

Re: Plastic Ammo ???

The stuff that has been in production for 20 years sucks. A buddy of mine bought a few hundred rounds on a "great" deal (about 0.20/rd) a couple years back. It shot OK from a 223 bolt gun until I started beating on it. In the AR the second magazine had a case head separation where the brass case head ripped off the piece of plastic.

The result was a messy double feed that ended up with me having to take the barrel off the upper, get it into the machine shop and work with the plastic to get it out. The rest of the ammo is available still at an even "greater deal" if someone wants it.

I'll pass on anything like this ever again.