Federal 45 ACP alum.

[Glock 40]

I shot some 9mm aluminum a few days ago that I bought in 2006.It was $3.88 for a 50 round box from Academy.I use to buy a case 20-50 round boxes for less than 90 dollars with tax.

Yup I bought many a case of that Blazer Aluminum from Academy it was like $83 bucks back in 04-05 back when Federal 510 was like $6.86 for a brick of 500

I have a pile of the 9mm Federal aluminum from the great Wal-Mart ammo sale. I have shot it with no issue. I like to use it at indoor range that way if there are lots of folks I don't worry about grabbing my brass. I just sweep it up and trash it.

 

[swampratt]

Some of the aluminum cases need trashed they have no center primer hole.
The way I seen it was it lived for 1 firing..I did not see any case stress cracks.
My 45 Hi-Point has a very generous chamber and it will test a case to failure quicker than a tight chamber like a Kimber 1911 I know of.

It is not a frady cat thing or brave thing it is a metallurgy thing.
It takes quit a bit of back and forth bending to crack aluminum same deal with brass.

I do not want to buy ammo as I cast my own bullets and can make very inexpensive ammo.

I have only used 45acp in aluminum cases so far.
Like many of you guys I hate to lose cases and if i am out in tall grass area fun plinking the aluminum reloads will get lost and I really care less.

I have also used many steel cases and those can take a hammering.

DO NOT clean the aluminum in a pin tumbler with citric acid.. it will eat it away.
Dry media vibratory or just wipe down and reload.
Vibratory is what I use for steel cases also.

 

[Spider27monkey]

I've reloaded for years but I was at Atwoods on Monday and thought for the heck of it I'd try a 100 round box of Federal Champion 230 gr. 45 ACP alum case ammo since they have all their ammo at 10% off till the 15th plus I had a little $$$ burning a hole in my pocket.

Anyway, yesterday I was shooting the ammo through my 5" stainless Smith & Wesson 'E' Series 45 ACP M1911 and I was really impressed with the accuracy of the ammo on the 25 yd. steel gongs......it's advertised at 845 fps and maybe it was just me but it did feel a little snappy compared to my 230 gr FMJ reloads.

Not a great feat for most here but using the ammo I fired the last 28 rounds at the 6" gong and I only missed with four rounds which for me is pretty darn good on the 6" gong.

If you haven't shot any and don't need the brass to reload you may want to give it a try.

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I stay away from that stuff. Long before I started reloading, I bought a box of it to shoot out of my newly purchased Glock 21.4. I thought I had a squib, turns out the extractor stripped a rim off leaving the case in the chamber. After contacting Federal, they asked me to mail the case back to them along with the box it came in. A few days later they mailed me a box of 50 brass case rounds.

 

[Defcon Shooter]

I stay away from that stuff. Long before I started reloading, I bought a box of it to shoot out of my newly purchased Glock 21.4. I thought I had a squib, turns out the extractor stripped a rim off leaving the case in the chamber. After contacting Federal, they asked me to mail the case back to them along with the box it came in. A few days later they mailed me a box of 50 brass case rounds.

My 1911 will tear the rim off leaving the case in the chamber then you have to knock it out from the front. Not worth it to me except in my 625 revolver