nickle case

[jsheyn]

I see in the swap forum alot of people make statements like culled for nickle and trash. Why do people not like nickle? I have been reloading nickle cases for years with no problems...just curious as all my 357 are nickle

[w5pv]

I do not cull then either,seem to work just fine for me.

[hornady]

All opinions on Hunting, shooting and reloading forums in most cases are more opinion than accrual fact. Personally I reload and shoot both Nickel and yellow brass and have for many years. It dose seem the nickel brass is a little more brittle than the yellow. I do seem to get 3 times as many splits in nickel brass as I do the yellow.

[USAFrox]

I like and shoot/reload nickel cases. I just segregate them, so that my lots are either all brass, or all nickel.

Speaking of nickel - I'm thinking of switching from dry tumbling to wet stainless steel pin tumbling. In the wet tumbling, do the stainless steel pins end up taking off the nickel coating? Anyone know the answer to this?

[billyb]

brass that is nickel plated is acid etched to get the nickel to adhere. It makes the brass brittle. This is all according to an article that came out in one of the gun mags. a few years ago. I use the nickel myself.

[alleyoop]

I use the Nickel cases for my wax boolits that's just my safety for keeping enlarged primer pockets from being loaded with full power loads.

[Dan Cash]

I use nickel for .38-44 loads and brass for std .38 Special. Don't shoot the heavy loads as much as the standard but the nickel cases seem to last quite well.

[wcp4570]

I reload and shoot both. Like others have said I too keep brass and nickel separate. As with all brass, I use it until it cracks, then it goes into my scrap brass bucket.

wcp

[BruceB]

After almost five decades in this hobby, I can say this with absolute faith:

NICKELED CASES DON'T LAST AS LONG AS PLAIN BRASS DOES.

There's nothing wrong with loading them, but inspect rigorously for mouth cracks before starting the loading process.

For really critical applications, consider the effect of a neck cracking the next time the case is fired. Will the bullet land somewhere outside the normal group?

I still use nickel handgun cases but I refuse to allow any nickeled rifle cases anywhere near my bench.

[bangerjim]

Nickel IS perrrrrty.....but is does crack faster than standard brass. Especially loaded with silver slugs for monster hunting!

I use both and keep them separate.

bangerjim

[jsheyn]

Thanks guys, never really paid attention to the longevity of nickel plated. I usually do an inspection and if it's cracked it goes into the scrap pile.

[Zymurgy50]

I have a few 45ACP nickle cases that have been loaded and tumbled so many times that half the plating is worn off. I don't remember any of them splitting at the mouth.

[LUBEDUDE]

I used to like nickel cases.

That was until I started shooting and reloading every weekend.

[Char-Gar]

After almost five decades in this hobby, I can say this with absolute faith:

NICKELED CASES DON'T LAST AS LONG AS PLAIN BRASS DOES.

There's nothing wrong with loading them, but inspect rigorously for mouth cracks before starting the loading process.

For really critical applications, consider the effect of a neck cracking the next time the case is fired. Will the bullet land somewhere outside the normal group?

I still use nickel handgun cases but I refuse to allow any nickeled rifle cases anywhere near my bench.

Yep, that is my take on it as well..

[Airman Basic]

Speaking of nickel - I'm thinking of switching from dry tumbling to wet stainless steel pin tumbling. In the wet tumbling, do the stainless steel pins end up taking off the nickel coating? Anyone know the answer to this?

Just tumble them without the pins if you want to keep the nickel.

[chsparkman]

Speaking of nickel - I'm thinking of switching from dry tumbling to wet stainless steel pin tumbling. In the wet tumbling, do the stainless steel pins end up taking off the nickel coating? Anyone know the answer to this?

I've tumbled lots of nickel plated brass with ss pins, and I've never noticed the plating coming off as a result. I load nickel plated brass, but I agree with the rest of the posters on this thread...they don't last as long.

[USAFrox]

Awesome, thanks for the info!

[jcwit]

In my experience nickel tends to gall to the inside of the sizing die thereby causing scratches to other brass/nickle cases till polished out.

[s1120]

Most of my cases are nickel. I got them all from my Dad and they are mostly older then me, and have been loaded countless times. Granted these are light BE target loads... but still. Maybe they cant be reloaded as much as brass, but at this rate that will be for my own kids to find out. Every once in a wile I find a small slit in a case mouth... and it sees the scrap bin, but realy not that often. Till they are all gone they will keep holding all my mild BE loads.

[Bayou52]

In the wet tumbling, do the stainless steel pins end up taking off the nickel coating? Anyone know the answer to this?

Usafrox-

I wet tumble casings using SS pins. I've wet tumbled both brass and nickel plated casings.

To answer your question, in my experience, I have noticed the nickel plating wearing off on a minor few casings after several tumbling sessions. The underlying brass gradually shows through the worn off nickel plating usually in the area of the case head. Doesn't matter to me - what was nickel now becomes brass!

Bayou52