Steel is a harder metal so has 3 major negatives.
1. When it expands it can "stick" in the chamber and be harder to extract or cause a really bad jam malfunction. This is made somewhat worse by the polymer lacquer that is used on cases. In a hot chamber it literally melts and forms a bond. I had an AR15 that had a very bad jam from a steel case shell sealed in the chamber.
2. Steel is harder on extractors, so you may have premature extractor breakage. This is not only expensive (thereby negating cost savings) but inconvenient or worse.
3. Not easily reloadable. While you may save a nickel per round on steel, it's a false economy. The brass is valuable to reloaders, even if you don't reload it can be harvested and sold/traded.
I do shoot some steel, mostly in surplus or Russian guns designed for it (loser tolerances and stronger extractors). But I prefer to shoot brass all around.
1. When it expands it can "stick" in the chamber and be harder to extract or cause a really bad jam malfunction. This is made somewhat worse by the polymer lacquer that is used on cases. In a hot chamber it literally melts and forms a bond. I had an AR15 that had a very bad jam from a steel case shell sealed in the chamber.
2. Steel is harder on extractors, so you may have premature extractor breakage. This is not only expensive (thereby negating cost savings) but inconvenient or worse.
3. Not easily reloadable. While you may save a nickel per round on steel, it's a false economy. The brass is valuable to reloaders, even if you don't reload it can be harvested and sold/traded.
I do shoot some steel, mostly in surplus or Russian guns designed for it (loser tolerances and stronger extractors). But I prefer to shoot brass all around.