Comments on: Will U.S. Military Start Using Ammunition with Composite Cases?

By: kurz

kurz — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 21:23:41 +0000

“Where is most of the world’s Tungsten? Russia, for starters.”

Actually China holds the world’s largest reserve, Russia is second:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/270453/distribution-of-tungsten-reserves-worldwide-by-country/

Innovation is necessary or we stagnate. Without innovation, where would we as shooters be?

By: David Royse Joe

David Royse Joe — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 18:09:43 +0000

I wonder if they have any interest in selling single use primed cases. I doubt they would be cheaper than brass so long as the military is buying their product. I also wonder if they have subsumed with patents the entirety of the single use market.

By: Stephen Lamboy

Stephen Lamboy — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 12:56:32 +0000

I applaud this innovative development. I’m please to also read the dismissive comments.This means they are on to something. Innovation always afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted.

By: Grant

Grant — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 12:14:03 +0000

Having worked directly for Polycase, I would be inclined to avoid any plastic cartridge cases operating at rifle pressures.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 06:11:06 +0000

Last time I looked, standard brass cases are perfectly recyclable. Mercuric priming has not been a thing for quite a while now, and even when it was “standard” for Britain and the Empire / Commonwealth, the brass was salvaged and recycled (not reloaded, however).

Polymers? In extreme cold?

One of the useful functions of metallic cases is to carry heat away from auto / semi-auto firearm mechanisms when ejected.

Also, if the working dimensions are similar, will there be enough material in the neck to solidly constrain a projectile being cycled through, say the M-240 / M-249?

In the event of a “misfeed”, will the bullet still be retained, even if the case is “bent” or will the bullet depart and propellant be spilled into the mechanism?

Will a polymer case provide the same ‘grab-curve’ in the chamber to moderate back-thrust on the bolt? The Russians have been doing interesting things with polymer coatings on mild-steel cases for quite a while. The ONLY real problem with steel cases is that the case-making tooling has traditionally been Tungsten Carbide because it handles the much greater wear forces better than hardened steel, even when specially treated. During WW2, the German tank and anti-tank gunners wanted all the Tungsten Carbide AP ammo they could get. However, the makers of the extensive range of steel cartridge cases in use by just about every arm of their military, wanted the Tungsten Carbide to make tooling for those cartridge cases. Where is most of the world’s Tungsten? Russia, for starters.

Could be interesting to see what happens in systems using “delayed blowback” where the characteristic combination of plasticity and elasticity of brass is central to the system. OK, there are not as many such firearms in front-line service these days; just musing.

Then, some bozo will mandate lead right out of the bullet-core business, sectional density and ballistic coefficients be damned. Solid Bronze bullet? CNC machine turned? Hello Balle D, 1898!

By: js

js — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 02:58:01 +0000

The new rounds aren’t going to be better than the old ones without a lot of development. The M4 works well but it took a long time and a lot of product evolution from the original M16. Same thing applies to ammo.

Better to not rush adoption of a technology until it’s ready.

What matters is that the new rounds work better for the troopers. Everything else is noise.

By: David Lawson

David Lawson — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 00:40:52 +0000

“Not reloadable” That means target shooters are out unless they are incredibly accurate off the shelf.
Great innovation for certain purposes, time will tell if they catch on.

By: ELR Researcher

ELR Researcher — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 23:53:58 +0000

Their FAQ page states that their ammo is NOT reloadable.

“Is your composite ammunition reloadable?

No. True Velocity ammunition is not designed to be reloaded using commercially available reloading equipment. We do not recommend attempting to reload our cartridge cases”

By: D-4297

D-4297 — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 23:33:39 +0000

They talked about weight , accuracy , and being re-cyclable . But not a syllable about RELOADABLE . And not sure about long term heat / Sun exposure . Think I’ll stick with my low-tech , old fashioned brass . It won’t melt or rot in the Az. desert sun . Newer ; ain’t always better . Just newer . They played this same song about the M-16 too . And we all know how that worked out in Nam .

By: phlegm

phlegm — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:36:59 +0000

I’ll be waiting with interest to see SD/ES numbers on these.