Went shopping for some plinking ammo over the weekend and the usual places were all sold out of .223 so I bought a box of MFS zinc plated steel case ammo on sale just to try it out.  I learned that it was also re-branded by Colt (so it must be good, right?) I'd heard that it was 'dirty' and sure enough it ejected all of the cases with a sooty look to them (the cases are a shiny silver color when new) and that it smelled like 'cat piss' and at least one of the rounds left what smelled like ammonia on its way out but overall I didn't experience any ftf/fte problems and the accuracy was 2 moa or better at 50 yards with a 3x9.  I cleaned the rifle when I got home expecting to find a horror story but instead it wasn't any more dirty than after firing federal brass case ammo.  In fact it wasn't that dirty at all after 50 rounds of federal no cleaning and 20 rounds of MFS.  It took the usual for me number of patches w/ hoppe's thru the barrel and bcg and gas key were 'normal'.  results are with a Colt 16" upper.

Are these rounds a well kept secret or was I just lucky with this first box?  

If they are the same as Colt, they are Barnaul Silver Bear.  I was surprised with the accuracy of them (I shot Colt-branded a couple of weeks ago for the first time), and didn't find them dirty either.  I was overwhelmed by the cap piss stench, however - it was brutal, even being outside in a snowstorm at the time.  I think they're fine if you don't mind shooting steel case.

+1

Gone through probably 2 cases of them through my beater Ar's. never an issue.

I bought a few boxes of this stuff at a local show, typical dirty foreign production ammo but ran fine and grouped better than most of the Wolf Military Classic I had stored. Decent ammo if priced right and if it's rebranded Barnaul Silver Bear it's good stuff, all the 7.62x39 that comes from Barnaul is good. Just watch the zinc coating, it seems more prone to rusting that plain ol' steel case so store it properly or shoot it up now.

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