Aluminum Cartridges

[Dixie Dude]

With the high cost of brass, and the possibility of some type of ammo tax down the pike, do you guys think some type of high strength alloy aluminum could be used for reloading?  I know the Russians are good with steel on their military and civilian ammo, but it can't be reloaded with current tools available to home loaders.  Just wondering if any of the ammo companies are working on some type of substitute to keep costs down.  Maybe shotgun shells with aluminum bases?

[BCB]

I think some companies have used aluminum cases with their really cheap line of ammo.  Some are berdan primed to help avoid them getting reloaded.  They are not reloadable I don't think...BCB

[jhalcott]

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=598358
    CCI Blazer ammo is one brand that uses aluminum cases. They are NON reloadable though

[Dixie Dude]

I noticed Remingtons were only about $2 more per box of 50 than the Blazer.  I would have thought the aluminum would lower costs much more.  I know in rifle ammunition the brass is over half the cost of reloading per cartridge.  Haven't checked out pistol ammo. 

[SHOOTALL]

Winchester made 13 or 14 ga. shot gun shell out of Al.
at one time i heard that Al could not be re sized because it fatigued as it was worked ! that may have been as far back as the 60's and things have changed alot since then !
If i had to guess the next case may be some super plastic , and most likely take a special weapon to shoot it in , if any case is used at all !

[Reed1911]

They already make the plastic cased ammo as well, PCA is the maker and it was terrible, but good idea just not fully what it should be yet.

[SHOOTALL]

We used to shoot activa shotgun shells , they worked ok !
but with the cost of metal on the rise plastic may make a come back !

[BCB]

Activ hulls were plastic, but they did have a steel base/rim so the extractor could grab them and not pull through the plastic.  Yet, you are correct for the most part, they were plastic and they held up quite well.  I still have a few hundred of them I have loaded several times.  Inovative in their time, but Activ reloading wads, etc were best used...BCB