Silver cartridges

[colt 357]

Ok Ive been picking up range brass for .40 and 9mm luger I picked up about 600 to 700 each. Now I have appox 30 if the nickel or the silver cartridge of each. Now I heard some reload these and some dont reload these. What do you guys do with these toss or reload. Now I seperate my brass into boxes of 50 and they all stay together tumble relaod. That way when the start to show signs of ending their life cycle or spilting I dump the whole box into the scrap bucket. I was thinking of using these nickle as replacements for lost shell then I know that one has been replaced. What your guys take on the nickle shells.

[bobthenailer]

I prefer to use brass cases ! but sometimes i use the nickeled cases for less used loads in a particular caliber. sometimes i use nickeled cases for ammo loaded with lead gas checked bullets or jacketed bullets.
I see no problem useing your method of case replacement . nickled cases are supposed to cause wear on the sizer die or cause nickel build up in some instances . but if it happens it can be polished out. unless you are loading alot of nickeled cases you probly wont have any problems .

[leadman]

The only thing I have noticed with nickeled bottlenecked cases is the necks tend to split sooner than plain brass. As both have necks the same thickness the brass for nickeled cases must be thinner.
I used some nickeled 38 special cases until the nickel was almost worn off when they finally split. That was excellent service.

[NoZombies]

I like to use the Nickle cases for my "hunting" or other hotter loads for a cartridge.

[quilbilly]

I have definitely found that, in my 32-20, the nickels cases only last four or five reloads before splitting while the brass cases seem to go on forever. I am gradually getting rid of them.

[NickSS]

I have used a lot of nickel 38 and 357 mag brass over the years as they show up in the scrap bucket more often. They do not wear as well as the brass ones. I do not like them at all in bottle neck cases for rifles and when I get some they go right into my scrap bucket. Straight wall cases work better but they wear out faster than brass. However. I use them indiscriminately for plinking ammo

[wiljen]

I use a lot of nickel in 38 and 357 as I was given all the pickup from a police range and probably 90% of it was nickel. It does tend to split at the neck earlier than brass but when talking range pickup or freebies, use em until they do. If buying new, I'd rather have plain brass with a few exceptions (I use brass vs nickel to know pressure levels in 45-70 for example).

[cajun shooter]

For many years now the myth about nickel cases keep floating around. While shooting PPC matches with 2.7 grains of Bullseye behind the Speer 148 gr HBWC I fired the nickel cases. Along with my brass cases and while not receiving as many reloads I had many that gave me at least 8 reloads or more. In my BP shooting in SASS matches I shoot the 44-40 nickle cases in my rifle ammo so that they may be identified easier. With the low pressure of BP loads they give very good service. For the bottle neck nickle cases you may anneal the necks and receive many reloads even though they will have some discolor. This also happens with the brass cases. To throw away your nickel cases is a true waste. Use them for lower pressure loads.

[mdi]

Yep, nickle plated cartridges "may not" be as good as non-plated, but they are free, range pick-up, and no harm will come to you or your guns from reloading them. I have some .38 Special cases from mebbe 1971 or so that haven't chipped, but do have brass spots showing through the nickle plating; I don't know how many times they have been reloaded (I do a lot of W231 and 148 DEWCs). I use carbide dies, so wear isn't a problem. I for one, certainly wouldn't toss 'em...

[Aces an Eights]

A shooting buddy and I got a bucket of old police ones and have been using them over the last year without many issues.

However I keep the one pictured to remind me to always inspect for cracks, this one got all the way through to bullet seating before breaking in two. Doh!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=584&pictureid=4202

[lylejb]

I've used a couple thousand in 38 spec and mostly 357 mag, with no problems yet. These are range pick ups, so what does it matter if I don't get quite as many loads from them, They cost me nothing.

I've been told that nickel is harder on plain steel dies, but my die set is carbide, so no problem.

As you've said, these are range pick ups, so don't worry about it.

Shoot 'em and enjoy the free brass.

[mac45]

Never had any problem with nickel cases.
I use 'em to make it easier to sort after a trip to the range.
.38 Super is Nickel, 9mm is brass. 10mm is nickel, .40 is brass and so forth.