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2ndAmendmentNut
11-02-2009, 10:28 PM
I was talking to a fellow reloader, and he warned me to not use nickel plated brass. When I asked why, he explained that when a bullet was fired from nickel brass it would drag some of the nickel from the inside of the case into the barrel. He seemed convinced that this nickel in the barrel would act almost as a fire lapping compound and wear out your barrel right quick. He went on to say that if you really wanted to use nickel brass you could ream the inside of the necks down to the yellow brass, then you could “safely” use them without unnecessary wear to the barrel.

This was a new one for me and I am some what skeptical, is this really true? Or is it a bunch of BS?

stubshaft
11-02-2009, 10:31 PM
Sounds like a load of Bravo Sierra to me.

MtGun44
11-02-2009, 10:33 PM
For many years jacketed bullets used nickel alloy jackets. Barrel steels were
softer in those days, and seemed to last just fine.

Bill

felix
11-02-2009, 10:35 PM
True or false, so what! Primer dust does a good abrasion, if not more so. Abrasion does not occur enough in our lifetime on its own accord. Now, combined with powder heat caused by pressure as well as fire, and with its associated abrasion, we have a barrel killer. To lessen this effect considerably, it is best to use loads not over 20K cup. The barrel will last 10 times as long giving the same accuracy as "new". ... felix

Trey45
11-02-2009, 10:37 PM
I had to go look just to make sure, my rifling is still there in the barrels I've used nickle brass with. Whew, really dodged a bullet there........

AZ-Stew
11-02-2009, 10:39 PM
I think he's right. After 40 or 50 thousand rounds, the barrel will surely lose accuracy when shooting bullets from nickled brass.

Have you asked him how many reloadings a nickled case will provide before the nickle is all removed from the inside of the case mouth and dragged down the bore? Ask him to run an experiment to prove that this happens. Please report the results.

Regards,

Stew

STP22
11-02-2009, 11:03 PM
If there`s a concern using nickel plated brass, I`d pay more attention to the dies.
I`ve encountered more than a few steel 3-die sets that never saw an occasional cleaning. A clean patch thru the used die set (especially the expander die) tends to reveal all sorts of crud, and plenty evidence of silver flakes.

Rusty W
11-02-2009, 11:14 PM
I've used nickel brass before. I got 2 maybe 3 whole reloads on it. Sure is pretty.

S.R.Custom
11-03-2009, 12:04 AM
I was talking to a fellow reloader, and he warned me to not use nickel plated brass. When I asked why, he explained that when a bullet was fired from nickel brass it would drag some of the nickel from the inside of the case into the barrel...

If that were true, it would be a good thing; the sliding friction coefficient of nickel on steel is only about 2/3 that of lead on steel.

http://www.engineershandbook.com/Tables/frictioncoefficients.htm

Ricochet
11-03-2009, 12:18 AM
Considering all the abrasive crud that comes out of fired primers, particularly the ones like Winchester primers with powdered aluminum in them, nickel brass is the least of your barrel wear worries.

jhrosier
11-03-2009, 01:04 AM
I think that you are supposed to shoot vampires with wooden bullets loaded in nickled cases.:kidding:

I often wonder where 'stuff' like this originates.

No offense intended towards the OP, but an awful lot of what some folks spread around just ain't so.

Jack

Gerry N.
11-03-2009, 02:08 AM
I was warned about the same thing many years ago. I asked the guy telling me and he said "Someone told me." Interesting standard of proof.

In the dark ages I helped out at the Seattle Police Athletic Assn. Rifle and Pistol range. They had two automatic loading machines reloading .38 Spec. practice loads. Most of the brass was nickled. I asked the guy who ran the machines if it made any difference. He said as far as he could tell the only real difference was that they were more silvery looking than the unplated cases. They wore out at the same rate and didn't seem to affect the sizing dies.

Gerry N.

R.C. Hatter
11-03-2009, 02:35 AM
:coffeecom An old wives tale if I ever heard one. I've used all manner of nickel plated pistol brass through the last 48 years, and as far as my aging eyes can see, all the rifling is still in my pistol barrels, every last one of 'em.

Echo
11-03-2009, 02:41 AM
Nickled cases don't turn your gunbelt green like brass cases do...

S.R.Custom
11-03-2009, 02:43 AM
...He said as far as he could tell the only real difference was that they were more silvery looking than the unplated...

Sounds like he was as eloquent as he was observant.

Gently
11-03-2009, 02:48 AM
Nope cant happen...........although the external case is pretty and shiney inside is a "residual plate". unless you jab it with something sharp to break the surface or it rusts out there is no worries about "spitting out" small pieces of nickle.

Besides if it did "spit" out small pieces it would evaporate almost instantly.

captaint
11-03-2009, 02:54 AM
That's IT!!! I'm going to go find my inside neck turning stuff and throw out all my Winchester primers. And just in time. I think my barrels are still OK. Enjoy Mike

Bret4207
11-03-2009, 08:02 AM
This is probably the same guy that'll tell you lead alloy will wear your barrel more than top end jacketed loads.

Charlie Sometimes
11-03-2009, 08:19 AM
It's another rumor started by the liberal think tanks- right after they end hunting with lead bullets, they will be moving on to nickel and brass poisoning! :veryconfu :kidding:

I have seen some nickel peel off of a few 38 Spl Winchester cases- bad plating process batch?
And I have used some nickel 357 and 38 Spl cases enough to wear the nickel thin to a semi-transparent nickel brass look.
Lots of shooting and tumbling/polishing will do that, I guess. [smilie=p:

richbug
11-03-2009, 08:29 AM
In USPSA I shoot nothing but Winchester Nickel brass. Mostly because it is slippery, but being "pretty" doesn't hurt. My last Para-ordnance had 50,000+ rounds through it when I sold it, it would hold 4" groups at 50 yards off hand at the end.

Its replacement has 20,000 through it, it still shoots 4" at 50 yards.


The downside I see to nickel is it doesn't last as long, maybe 10 loadings before they start to crack.

Boerrancher
11-03-2009, 09:04 AM
I have never had any issues with nickel cases, shot them several times over until they split.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

44man
11-03-2009, 09:05 AM
I shot nickel so long the plating wore off in the tumbler! :mrgreen:
They are nice and slick in a sizing die.
Back when I had a Lone Eagle in 7mm-08, the ejector would ride over the rim on brass cases but nickel was slippery enough to release from the chamber. I never lost a case to cracking.
I don't buy much of it because it costs more.

MT Gianni
11-03-2009, 11:04 AM
Nickled cases don't turn your gunbelt green like brass cases do...

They don't hang up in the "dump pouches" that preceded speed loaders either after sitting for months without use.

Ricochet
11-03-2009, 12:07 PM
I think that you are supposed to shoot vampires with wooden bullets loaded in nickled cases.:kidding:
I thought you were supposed to make 'em out of steak and shoot 'em in the heart with it.

1Shirt
11-03-2009, 02:07 PM
I'm with AZ Stew! After many, many, many rounds----yah!
1Shirt!:coffee:

Oldtimer
11-03-2009, 06:22 PM
I agree with richbug. I have an old 3 screw K frame Smith PPC gun that I shot on the local police pistol team back in the early 70's. Was used when I got it. I prolly shot 75 thousand rounds or more through it over the years. Sometimes we'd burn a thousand rounds a week each. At one time, I had a 20 gal garbage can full of hulls. The majority was nickel plated. Gun is kinda loose now, but off a sandbag will still hold a 2 inch group at 35 yards. No doubt about it, neck will split a lot faster than a brass case. I've loaded thousands, and thousands. Bob

Guesser
11-03-2009, 06:31 PM
This falls into the same static waste barrel as the fact that every one that ate carrots prior to 1858 "DIED".

stubshaft
11-03-2009, 06:39 PM
Looke like something the myth busters should look into.

armexman
11-04-2009, 10:07 AM
Guesser; yes they all did die, or at least I haven't seen any around;)

BOOM BOOM
11-04-2009, 08:09 PM
hi,
Back in the late 1960's I bought several thousand Nickle jacked 7MM bullets.
After putting at least 3,000 through my 7MM mag. plus many copper jacketed bullets it still shoots under an inch if I do my part.
If nickle was going to bother my bore that shuld have done it.

AZ-Stew
11-06-2009, 12:32 PM
Speaking of such, back in the early 70s, Speer used to sell a .224 52 gr hollow point that was nickle plated. They called it the "Silver Match" bullet. I still have a box of them. I shot a bunch of them with no adverse effect on my .22-250.

Regards,

Stew