9mm "Sterling" brand Turkish ammo any good?

MuzzleBlast · June 28, 2022, 11:41 AM

Anyone have experience with 9mm "Sterling" brand Turkish-made ammo?

zippyfusenet · July 5, 2022, 07:45 AM

I shot a 50 round box of Sterling 9mm FMJ at the range last week. No malfunctions. I didn't notice any problems. It threw some sparks from the muzzle. It was the cheapest that range had, about $22/box. I can get a better price buying other brands in bulk.

TunnelRat · July 5, 2022, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zippyfusenet

I shot a 50 round box of Sterling 9mm FMJ at the range last week. No malfunctions. I didn't notice any problems. It threw some sparks from the muzzle. It was the cheapest that range had, about $22/box. I can get a better price buying other brands in bulk.

Given what you can find that ammo for online, than range is making a healthy profit.

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BillG174 · July 19, 2022, 06:03 PM

I only buy American made ammo - everyone should

kenny53 · July 19, 2022, 08:36 PM

Its good ammo.

reynolds357 · July 20, 2022, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuzzleBlast

Anyone have experience with 9mm "Sterling" brand Turkish-made ammo?

It is good ammo. Lot better than white box Winchester. (IMO)
Never shot any bad Turkish ammo.

TunnelRat · July 20, 2022, 06:21 PM

I took a shotgun course recently and one of the students was using all Sterling ammunition, birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. The birdshot was fine, the buckshot had quite the spread as we backed up but not unheard of, and the slugs were on the verge of dangerous. By 15 yd the slugs were on the edges of full-size cardboard targets. The student, who is an NRA instructor, couldn’t understand why he was shooting so poorly. He switched ammo to the Winchester slugs the other students were using and his groups tightened up dramatically. When we looked at the slugs we could see all of them were misshapen, throwing aerodynamics to the wind. This is my only experience with Sterling ammunition.

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secamp32 · March 13, 2023, 10:47 PM

I guy in CO just posted 2 utube videos about his brand new Shadow Systems blowing up while shooting Sterling ammo. It may have been the gun or it may have been the ammo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnVf62hOt-g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WgXQozhJsU

**44 AMP** · March 14, 2023, 04:06 PM

Don't know about the ammo, no personal experience with it, but I suggest you check it to see if it is corrosive. What's written or not written on the box is not a guarantee, particularly with foreign made materials.

My personal test is to pull down one round, get a steel putty knife, put it in front of the muzzle and pop the primer so it sprays the putty knife blade.

Clean the gun as if it had fired corrosive ammo, and put the putty knife on a shelf for a day or three, then check it for rust. Corrosive primed ammo will have started the putty knife blade rusting.

Good luck!

rc · December 10, 2023, 12:40 AM

Bad Turkish ammo has been showing up in 308 flavor as well.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ammo/commen...g_up_zsr_ammo/

I've used some IZQ 9mm available from wally world a few years ago and it had hard primers but was decent other than that. The 5.56 I tried was OK too but I think quality control in Turkey is lower than ammo from our domestic makers.

Drm50 · December 16, 2023, 07:15 PM

Shot some 9mm in several pistols. Brn HP, Kimber Solo, S&W 39 and S&W M&P. Had a couple hang fires that were unnerving. 1 dud, which is no big deal with QC on ammo. It seems to smoke and wasn’t very accurate. Smells like it’s loaded with Camel poo. About same quality as the Herters Cabelas peddles.
We have had no problems with Win White Box. The Brn HP is comp version and if you miss with it, it’s your fault. It gives us benchmark when trying out ammo.

rc · December 16, 2023, 07:34 PM

I think herters was using Russian steel case in 223 and 7.62 russian. Have they switched country of origin now?

Drm50 · December 17, 2023, 03:32 PM

I may be wrong but I think Herters is repackaged from random buys. In other words they buy cheapest lot they can get at any given time. That may be over implication of some kind of open contracts.

rmh3481 · December 17, 2023, 06:59 PM

I think I would pass on any of the Turk Ammo. Ive heard of light charges and in this case, heavy charges. Ive also seen blown cases and dead primers. Looked like a double charge although in 9mm that would be compressed. Who knows. The Turk ammo has been having problems for a couple years now and I just wouldnt want any of those problems coming home with me. Stick with US made Winchester White Box, Fed, Rem or Blazer Brass.

June 28, 2022, 11:41 AM	#1
MuzzleBlast Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2001 Location: Arkansas. Much better place since Bill and Hillary went home. Posts: 1,041	9mm "Sterling" brand Turkish ammo any good? Anyone have experience with 9mm "Sterling" brand Turkish-made ammo? __________________ Molwn labe!

July 5, 2022, 07:45 AM	#2
zippyfusenet Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2005 Posts: 165	I shot a 50 round box of Sterling 9mm FMJ at the range last week. No malfunctions. I didn't notice any problems. It threw some sparks from the muzzle. It was the cheapest that range had, about $22/box. I can get a better price buying other brands in bulk. __________________ You'll shoot your eye out, kid!

July 19, 2022, 06:03 PM	#4
BillG174 Member Join Date: October 8, 2014 Location: Lenexa, KS (Kansas City Metro) Posts: 46	I only buy American made ammo - everyone should __________________ Being Armed Is A Mindset, Not A Physical Condition - Rob Pincus Freedom Is Not Free SAF, GOA, Kansas State Rifle Association

March 13, 2023, 10:47 PM	#8
secamp32 Junior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3	Warning I guy in CO just posted 2 utube videos about his brand new Shadow Systems blowing up while shooting Sterling ammo. It may have been the gun or it may have been the ammo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnVf62hOt-g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WgXQozhJsU

March 14, 2023, 04:06 PM	#9
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,906	Don't know about the ammo, no personal experience with it, but I suggest you check it to see if it is corrosive. What's written or not written on the box is not a guarantee, particularly with foreign made materials. My personal test is to pull down one round, get a steel putty knife, put it in front of the muzzle and pop the primer so it sprays the putty knife blade. Clean the gun as if it had fired corrosive ammo, and put the putty knife on a shelf for a day or three, then check it for rust. Corrosive primed ammo will have started the putty knife blade rusting. Good luck! __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

July 19, 2022, 08:36 PM	#5
kenny53 Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2015 Location: My back yard Posts: 971	Its good ammo.

July 20, 2022, 06:21 PM	#7
TunnelRat Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 12,228	I took a shotgun course recently and one of the students was using all Sterling ammunition, birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. The birdshot was fine, the buckshot had quite the spread as we backed up but not unheard of, and the slugs were on the verge of dangerous. By 15 yd the slugs were on the edges of full-size cardboard targets. The student, who is an NRA instructor, couldn’t understand why he was shooting so poorly. He switched ammo to the Winchester slugs the other students were using and his groups tightened up dramatically. When we looked at the slugs we could see all of them were misshapen, throwing aerodynamics to the wind. This is my only experience with Sterling ammunition. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

December 10, 2023, 12:40 AM	#10
rc Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2001 Location: CA Posts: 1,778	Bad Turkish ammo has been showing up in 308 flavor as well. https://www.reddit.com/r/ammo/commen...g_up_zsr_ammo/ I've used some IZQ 9mm available from wally world a few years ago and it had hard primers but was decent other than that. The 5.56 I tried was OK too but I think quality control in Turkey is lower than ammo from our domestic makers.

December 16, 2023, 07:15 PM	#11
Drm50 Senior Member Join Date: November 10, 2014 Posts: 1,382	Shot some 9mm in several pistols. Brn HP, Kimber Solo, S&W 39 and S&W M&P. Had a couple hang fires that were unnerving. 1 dud, which is no big deal with QC on ammo. It seems to smoke and wasn’t very accurate. Smells like it’s loaded with Camel poo. About same quality as the Herters Cabelas peddles. We have had no problems with Win White Box. The Brn HP is comp version and if you miss with it, it’s your fault. It gives us benchmark when trying out ammo.

December 16, 2023, 07:34 PM	#12
rc Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2001 Location: CA Posts: 1,778	I think herters was using Russian steel case in 223 and 7.62 russian. Have they switched country of origin now?

December 17, 2023, 03:32 PM	#13
Drm50 Senior Member Join Date: November 10, 2014 Posts: 1,382	I may be wrong but I think Herters is repackaged from random buys. In other words they buy cheapest lot they can get at any given time. That may be over implication of some kind of open contracts.

December 17, 2023, 06:59 PM	#14
rmh3481 Member Join Date: August 25, 2015 Location: Western Pa Posts: 60	I think I would pass on any of the Turk Ammo. Ive heard of light charges and in this case, heavy charges. Ive also seen blown cases and dead primers. Looked like a double charge although in 9mm that would be compressed. Who knows. The Turk ammo has been having problems for a couple years now and I just wouldnt want any of those problems coming home with me. Stick with US made Winchester White Box, Fed, Rem or Blazer Brass.