CCI Blazer Brass Review (2026): 10,330 Rounds Tested in 45 Guns

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Blazer Brass is the box most of us grab when the job is putting rounds downrange, and it is the range load behind a lot of our gun reviews. For this CCI Blazer Brass review I pulled every Blazer Brass round count, group and stoppage from those reviews: 10,330 rounds through 45 guns. Then I put 17 chronograph strings next to the velocity CCI prints on the box.

The short version: Blazer Brass is reliable range ammo with honest 9mm velocity, groups that are fine for practice, and reloadable brass. The catch is the .45 Auto, which ran 80 to 90 percent of its box speed in our guns, and the fact that CCI tells you not to shoot it through a ported barrel or a compensator.

Last updated October 22, 2026

Table of Contents

CCI Blazer Brass Review at a Glance

CCI Blazer Brass is brass-cased, boxer primed FMJ range ammunition made in Lewiston, Idaho, in 24 loads across 9 calibers. In our guns it ran 10,330 rounds with 8 stoppages, grouped 2.63 inches on average, and the 9mm stayed close to its box velocity.

Our Rating: 8.0/10

What we checked	Result
Rounds counted in our gun reviews	10,330 rounds in 45 guns, 8 stoppages (99.92 percent clean)
Five-shot groups, 20 guns	2.63 inch average, 1.42 to 4 inches
9mm 115 gr velocity, six pistols	1,050 to 1,156 fps against 1,145 on the box
.45 Auto 230 gr velocity, four pistols	667 to 749 fps against 830 on the box
Price, 9mm 115 gr, per round on our cards	27.5 cents, against 26.0 for American Eagle 115 gr
Current CCI part numbers	28, including Blazer Brass HP and Clean-Fire Suppressor

What Is CCI Blazer Brass?

Blazer Brass is CCI’s brass-cased centerfire range line. It uses standard boxer primers in reloadable brass cases, with a full metal jacket bullet, and CCI sells it in 50 round boxes with 100, 200 and 500 round packs for the 9mm.

CCI’s own description is short: “Blazer® Brass handgun ammunition features reloadable brass cases, quality primers and clean-burning propellants.” It adds: “Standard boxer-type primers and primer pockets make reloading easy” CCI also calls its primers “non-corrosive, non-mercuric CCI primers”, and of the brass loads it says: “Like all Blazer brass loads, it is accurate and 100-percent American made.”

The name causes confusion because there are two Blazers. Plain Blazer uses an aluminum case with a Berdan-style primer, and you cannot reload it. Blazer Brass is the brass version, and the empties are worth picking up. If you see a box that just says Blazer, check the case before you buy it for reloading.

The line has two newer branches. Blazer Brass HP puts a jacketed hollow point in the same brass case, and CCI pitches it as “affordable enough to train and defend with the same round” The Blazer Brass Clean-Fire Suppressor loads, new for 2026, are subsonic with a fully enclosed TMJ bullet and lead-free primers. CCI says “The accurate loads leave less fouling in the barrel and suppressor to minimize maintenance and maximize your time at the range.”

One rule from CCI that matters: every Blazer Brass product page carries the line “DO NOT USE IN FIREARMS WITH PORTED BARRELS OR PORTED RECOIL COMPENSATOR.” CCI does not give the reason on the page, so take it at face value. If your carry gun or race gun is ported, buy a different practice load. CCI’s sister brand Speer makes the Lawman TMJ line for that job.

How We Tested Blazer Brass

Blazer Brass is our default range load, so it is in the round count, accuracy and reliability sections of 45 of our gun reviews. This review pulls those numbers together and adds 17 chronograph strings from 12 pistols.

Groups are five-shot groups from a rest, at 15 or 25 yards depending on the gun, and every one links back to the review it came from. Velocity strings ran six to 15 shots across a chronograph a few feet from the muzzle. Stoppages are logged by round number, and we note when a gun was still in break-in.

That makes this a long-run review rather than a one-box test. The 10,330 rounds were fired over many months, through striker guns, 1911s, 2011s, DA/SA pistols, carbines and a revolver, and across several lots of ammunition.

Blazer Brass Velocity: Box Speed vs Our Chronograph

The 9mm Blazer Brass ran close to its box velocity, 1,050 to 1,156 fps for the 115 gr from barrels of 3.39 to 5.31 inches. The .45 Auto did not: it ran 667 to 749 fps against 830 on the box.

Load	Gun, barrel	Shots	Average fps	Extreme spread	CCI box fps	Share of box
9mm 115 gr	Glock 43, 3.39 in	6	1,050		1,145	92%
9mm 115 gr	Glock 19, 4.02 in	6	1,104		1,145	96%
9mm 115 gr	Glock 34, 5.31 in	6	1,156		1,145	101%
9mm 115 gr	Sig P365XL, 3.7 in	10	1,100		1,145	96%
9mm 115 gr	Glock 19X, 4.02 in	10	1,114		1,145	97%
9mm 115 gr	M&P9 Pro, 5 in	10	1,135		1,145	99%
9mm 124 gr	Sig P365XL, 3.7 in	10	1,080		1,090	99%
9mm 124 gr	Glock 19X, 4.02 in	10	1,084		1,090	99%
9mm 124 gr	M&P9 Pro, 5 in	10	1,122		1,090	103%
380 Auto 95 gr	Glock 42, 3.25 in	10	872	49 fps	945	92%
380 Auto 95 gr	Glock 42, 3.25 in	10	869	48 fps	945	92%
380 Auto 95 gr	Glock 42, 3.25 in	10	868	68 fps	945	92%
45 Auto 230 gr	1911 Government, 5 in	6	735		830	89%
45 Auto 230 gr	Sig P320 full size, 4.7 in	6	749		830	90%
45 Auto 230 gr	Sig P320 Compact, 3.9 in	6	700		830	84%
45 Auto 230 gr	S&W M&P Shield 45, 3.3 in	6	667		830	80%
10mm Auto 180 gr	Glock 29, 3.78 in	15	1,012		1,200	84%

Barrel length explains the 9mm. The 3.39 inch Glock 43 ran the 115 gr at 1,050 fps, the 4 inch Glock 19 at 1,104 and the 5.31 inch Glock 34 at 1,156, which is above the box. The 124 gr tracked its box figure more closely: 1,080, 1,084 and 1,122 fps from the P365XL, Glock 19X and M&P9 Pro against 1,090 printed.

The .380 was steady. Three different lots from the same Glock 42 averaged 872, 869 and 868 fps, with extreme spreads of 48 to 68 fps over ten shots. That is about 92 percent of the 945 fps box figure, which is normal from a 3.25 inch barrel.

The .45 is the real gap. From a 5 inch 1911 it ran 735 fps, from the 4.7 inch P320 749, from the 3.9 inch P320 Compact 700 and from the 3.3 inch Shield 45 only 667. CCI prints 830. American Eagle 230 gr FMJ from the same 1911 and P320s ran 813, 824 and 800 fps, about 80 fps faster.

That matters for two reasons. Soft .45 ball can short-stroke a gun with a heavy recoil spring, and in USPSA a .45 needs a power factor of 165 to make Major. Blazer Brass works out to 169.1 from the 1911 but 153.4 from the Shield 45. If you shoot Major, chronograph your lot first. The 10mm told the same story: 1,012 fps from a 3.78 inch Glock 29 against 1,200 on the box.

Blazer Brass Accuracy in 20 Guns

Across 20 of our gun reviews, Blazer Brass averaged 2.63 inch five-shot groups, from 1.42 inches out of a Walther PDP-F to 4 inches out of a Sig P365. That is practice-grade accuracy: usually a little wider than the defensive loads tested in the same session.

Gun (our review)	Blazer Brass load	Distance	Five-shot group	American Eagle FMJ, same session
Walther PDP-F	147 gr	15 yd	1.42 in
Beretta APX A1	115 gr	15 yd	1.9 in	1.8 in
Staccato P	124 gr	25 yd	2.1 in
Shadow Systems MR920	124 gr	15 yd	2.1 in
Kimber Rapide (9mm)	115 gr	25 yd	2.2 in
Canik METE MC9	124 gr	15 yd	2.25 in
Kimber Custom II (9mm)	115 gr	25 yd	2.3 in	2.1 in
Stealth Arms Platypus	115 gr	25 yd	2.4 in	1.8 in
Girsan Regard MC	115 gr	15 yd	2.5 in	2.2 in
FN High Power	124 gr	25 yd	2.5 in	2.8 in
Springfield Ronin (.45)	230 gr	25 yd	2.6 in
Glock 29 (10mm)	180 gr	15 yd	2.6 in
Kimber R7 Mako	124 gr	15 yd	2.8 in	3 in
Ruger SR1911 (.45)	230 gr	25 yd	2.9 in	2.4 in
Glock 34 Gen 5 MOS	115 gr	25 yd	3 in
Ruger Security-380	95 gr	15 yd	3 in	2.7 in
Glock 45 Gen 6	115 gr	25 yd	3.1 in
Taurus 1911 (.45)	230 gr	25 yd	3.4 in
Walther PDP	115 gr	25 yd	3.5 in
Sig P365	115 gr	15 yd	4 in

The tightest groups came from the Walther PDP-F, which printed 1.42 inches with the 147 gr at 15 yards, the Beretta APX A1 1.9, and the Staccato P 2.1 inches at 25 yards with the 124 gr. The worst came from short guns: 4 inches from the P365 at 15 yards.

In the 8 sessions where we also shot American Eagle FMJ, American Eagle was tighter 6 times and Blazer Brass 2 times. The margins were small, mostly 0.1 to 0.5 inch, and in our Springfield XD models guide Blazer Brass 124 gr was the most accurate load of the whole test.

Blazer Brass Reliability: 10,330 Rounds, 8 Stoppages

In the 45 gun reviews where we logged a Blazer Brass round count, it ran 10,330 rounds with 8 stoppages, 99.92 percent clean. Six of the eight came during break-in, in the first 75 rounds or so of a new gun.

Gun (our review)	Load	What happened
Beretta 80X Cheetah (.380)	95 gr	one failure to feed at round 431, from a full 15-round extended magazine
PSA Dagger Compact	115 gr	two failures to feed, both in the first 75 rounds
PSA Dagger Micro	124 gr	one failure to go into battery during break-in
Ruger LCP MAX (.380)	95 gr	one failure to feed around round 30, none in later sessions
Glock 29 (10mm)	180 gr	one stovepipe at round 212, shot weak hand only
Ruger Security-380	95 gr	one failure to feed at round 58, nose into the feed ramp
Colt Combat Commander Lightweight (9mm)	115 gr	two failures to go fully into battery, rounds 31 and 64
Kel-Tec P15	115 gr	one failure to eject at round 58, nothing after
S&W M&P9 M2.0	115 gr	one failure to feed at round 140, none after
Walther PDP-F	147 gr	one failure to go into battery in the first 30 rounds, no repeat

Read the table for the pattern rather than the count. Two failures to feed in the first 75 rounds of a PSA Dagger Compact, one in the first 30 of an LCP MAX, two failures to go into battery in a new Colt Lightweight Commander. Those are new guns with tight springs. The one stoppage deep into a session was the Beretta 80X Cheetah at round 431, from a fully loaded extended magazine.

The rest of the record is long runs without a problem: 500 rounds through our Glock 19 Gen 5, 500 through the Staccato P, 500 through the Kimber Rapide, 400 through the HK VP9, and 300 through the Glock 45 Gen 6 and the PSA AR-V carbine. Blazer Brass also ran our .380s and the 10mm Glock 29, where the one stovepipe came while shooting weak hand only.

Is Blazer Brass Dirty? Cleanliness and Reloading

Blazer Brass is not the cleanest range ammo. CCI says it uses clean-burning propellants, but after a couple of hundred rounds you will see more carbon in the action than with Federal or Sellier & Bellot ball. It is not enough to cause stoppages in any gun we ran.

Our best 9mm ammo guide says the same: after 200 rounds of Blazer Brass you notice the extra fouling. If clean is the priority, CCI now makes the Clean-Fire Suppressor loads, and Federal has its Syntech line. Our American Eagle review covers the Federal options.

For reloaders, Blazer Brass is good range pickup. The cases are boxer primed with standard primer pockets, which is what CCI means when it says reloading is easy. Plain aluminum Blazer is the one to leave on the ground.

Blazer Brass vs American Eagle

Blazer Brass vs American Eagle is close. American Eagle 9mm 115 gr ran faster from the Glock 19 and 34 but slower from the short Glock 43, grouped tighter in 6 of 8 head to heads, and was 26.0 cents a round on our cards against 27.5 for Blazer Brass.

	CCI Blazer Brass 9mm 115 gr	Federal American Eagle 9mm 115 gr
Glock 43, 3.39 in	1,050 fps	1,026 fps
Glock 19, 4.02 in	1,104 fps	1,146 fps
Glock 34, 5.31 in	1,156 fps	1,206 fps
Groups, same session	Tighter in 2 of 8	Tighter in 6 of 8
Price per round on our cards	27.5 cents	26.0 cents
Made in	Lewiston, Idaho	Anoka, Minnesota

Both are brass-cased, boxer primed and reloadable, both come from the same parent company, and both ran reliably for us. Our Federal American Eagle review has its full chronograph table. In .45 Auto the gap is bigger, and American Eagle is the better pick if your gun needs a full-power load.

Pick by price on the day. In 9mm the difference is a cent or two a round, and stock moves daily. Winchester White Box and PMC Bronze sit in the same price band; our best 9mm ammo guide ranks them.

Every Current Blazer Brass Load

CCI lists 28 Blazer Brass part numbers: 13 FMJ loads from .380 Auto to .44 Remington Magnum, 8 Blazer Brass HP loads and 3 Clean-Fire Suppressor loads. The .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum FMJ loads are new for 2026.

Line	Caliber	Bullet	Style	Muzzle fps	Muzzle ft-lb	Box	CCI part
FMJ	10mm Auto	180 gr	Full Metal Jacket	1,200	575	50	5221
FMJ	30 Super Carry	115 gr	Full Metal Jacket Flat Nose	1,150	338	50	5205
FMJ	357 Magnum	158 gr	Full Metal Jacket Flat Nose	1,250	548	50	5337
FMJ	38 Special	125 gr	Full Metal Jacket	865	208	50	5204
FMJ	380 Auto	95 gr	Full Metal Jacket	945	188	50	5202
FMJ	40 S&W	165 gr	Full Metal Jacket	1,050	404	50	5210
FMJ	40 S&W	180 gr	Full Metal Jacket	985	388	50	5220
FMJ	44 Rem Magnum	240 gr	Full Metal Jacket	1,200	767	50	5244
FMJ	45 Auto	230 gr	Full Metal Jacket	830	352	50	5230
FMJ	9mm Luger	100 gr	Full Metal Jacket	1,130	284	50	5296
FMJ	9mm Luger	115 gr	Full Metal Jacket	1,145	335	50	5200
FMJ	9mm Luger	115 gr	Full Metal Jacket	1,145	335	500	5200BK500
FMJ	9mm Luger	124 gr	Full Metal Jacket	1,090	327	50	5201
FMJ	9mm Luger	124 gr	Full Metal Jacket	1,090	327	100	52011BB
FMJ	9mm Luger	124 gr	Full Metal Jacket	1,090	327	200	52012BB
FMJ	9mm Luger	147 gr	Full Metal Jacket	950	295	50	5203
Clean-Fire	40 S&W	180 gr	Total Metal Jacket Flat Nose	970	376	50	5220S
Clean-Fire	45 Auto	230 gr	Total Metal Jacket	800	327	50	5230S
Clean-Fire	9mm Luger	147 gr	Total Metal Jacket Flat Nose	900	264	50	5203S
HP	10mm Auto	180 gr	Jacketed Hollow Point	1,175	552	50	5251
HP	357 Magnum	158 gr	Jacketed Hollow Point	1,150	464	50	5207
HP	38 Special +P	125 gr	Jacketed Hollow Point	970	261	50	5338
HP	380 Auto	98 gr	Jacketed Hollow Point	920	184	50	5238
HP	40 S&W	180 gr	Jacketed Hollow Point	1,015	412	50	5241
HP	45 Auto	230 gr	Jacketed Hollow Point	850	369	50	5245
HP	9mm Luger	115 gr	Jacketed Hollow Point	1,145	335	20	5239A
HP	9mm Luger	115 gr	Jacketed Hollow Point	1,145	335	50	5239
HP	9mm Luger	124 gr	Jacketed Hollow Point	1,100	333	50	5246

The 30 Super Carry 115 gr is worth a note: CCI lists it at 1,150 fps, right with its own 9mm 115 gr at 1,145. Our .380, .45 ACP and 10mm guides cover the full field in those calibers. CCI’s brand page has its rimfire lines.

The two magnum loads are the newest. Our news story covers their launch: the .357 Magnum 158 gr FMJ flat nose is listed at 1,250 fps and the .44 Magnum 240 gr at 1,200.

Blazer Brass HP and Clean-Fire Suppressor

Blazer Brass HP is CCI’s cheap hollow point for people who want to practice with what they carry. Clean-Fire Suppressor is a subsonic, lead-free primer load for cans. Neither replaces a premium defensive load.

The 9mm Blazer Brass HP 115 gr is listed at 1,145 fps, the same as the FMJ, and it ran 47.6 cents a round on our cards, against 27.5 for the FMJ. For carry we would still buy one of the loads in our best 9mm ammo guide. For a range day that matches your carry gun’s point of impact, the HP is a reasonable middle step.

Clean-Fire Suppressor runs the 9mm 147 gr at 900 fps, the .40 180 gr at 970 and the .45 230 gr at 800. CCI says the three loads also make power factor for competition. On our cards the 9mm was 30.3 cents a round, which is cheap for a subsonic suppressor load.

Who Should NOT Buy Blazer Brass

Blazer Brass is the wrong buy for four kinds of shooter, and each has a better pick.

• Anyone with a ported barrel or compensator: CCI says not to. Buy Speer Lawman TMJ instead.
• USPSA Major shooters with a short .45: our Shield 45 string worked out to a 153.4 power factor, under the 165 floor. Buy American Eagle 230 gr or a dedicated Major load and chronograph it.
• Anyone looking for carry ammo: FMJ is for the range. Even Blazer Brass HP is a budget hollow point.
• Shooters who need clean ammo indoors: standard Blazer Brass uses lead-core bullets and conventional primers. Buy the Clean-Fire Suppressor loads or Federal Syntech.

Which Blazer Brass to Buy

Buy the 9mm 124 gr if you want the steadiest 9mm load and the closest match to your carry ammo, the 9mm 115 gr if price is everything, and the .380 95 gr for small .380 pistols.

Our Verdict on CCI Blazer Brass

Is Blazer Brass good ammo? Yes. It ran 10,330 rounds through 45 of our guns with 8 stoppages, most of them in break-in, and it gives you reloadable brass. It is not the most accurate ball ammo we shoot, and the .45 is soft. For 9mm practice it is one of the safe buys, so buy whichever of Blazer Brass and American Eagle is cheaper that week.

CCI Blazer Brass FAQ

Quick answers to the questions buyers ask most about Blazer Brass.