Nickel Plated vs brass casings.

[Mike89]

I'm getting interested in reloading after posting here on buying ammo.

If I get into reloading, I would basically be reloading .44 mag (my revolver), 357 (son's revolver), and 32 (wife's auto). After a bit of reading comments from the pros here, I must say I'm quite overwhelmed on this reloading stuff. Man, lots of stuff I need to learn.

Question regarding nickel plated casing vs brass. I see on the Starline Brass website that they have two different cases. Brass and Nickel Plated Brass. For a 44 mag, brass is $84.55 for 500 cases. For Nickel Plated Brass it's $21.00 for 5000 cases. That's quite a bit of difference in price there.

I'd like to get some feedback on this brass vs nickel plated brass from a reloader's standpoint. Thanks

[sheepdog]

Nickel has less drag and tends to handle a beating better and flow a bit less. More expensive. Harder to trim. Tends to fail from neck sizing faster.

[Mike89]

More expensive

Don't know if I misread that. That seemed opposite of the prices I posted.

[RayinNH]

Mike you read the chart wrong. Starline doesn't inventory Nickel plated brass. It can only be purchased in drum quantity. The 5000, is the drum quantity for .44 mag. The $21.00 is the additional charge per 1000 pieces. That is if I read it correctly as well :grin:.

In my experience the nickel cases clean quicker in the tumbler, but seem to suffer an earlier death due to splitting...Ray

[Mike89]

OK. Went back to the site and read it again and do see the price is not very clear. It now appears it's $105.00 for 5000 (5 X $21.00) or $105.00 for some kind of fee and have to call to get the actual price.

Since Sheepdog says Nickel Plated is MORE expensive, I don't know what to think now what that pricing is.

[RayinNH]

The $105 fee is for them to send it out and get plated. They don't plate in-house. They only plate in drum quantities, so you would need to purchase 5000 pieces...Ray

[garandsrus]

Mike,

Check Midway (http://www.midwayusa.com/) or Grafs (http://www.grafs.com/) for prices on smaller quantities of brass.

Non-plated brass lasts longer in my experience. The nickle plated brass tends to split sooner in the neck area for the .38 special I have loaded. Nickle plated is great if you are going to carry rounds in a holster belt as it won't tarnish the way yellow brass will.

John

[Mike89]

The $105 fee is for them to send it out and get plated. They don't plate in-house. They only plate in drum quantities, so you would need to purchase 5000 pieces...Ray

Ok, I got it now. I was all screwed up in the way I was reading those prices. Well nickel plated is out of the question now. I was thinking it was way cheaper, it was the only reason I posted this thread to find out how good it was for, what I thought was, a way cheaper price.

Since I've been reading here, and getting all the feedback to get my ass reloading, I've been trying to gather information to get some ball park calculations for my head to determine what the cost was going to be to get into reloading (like cases, bullets, primers, investment tools, etc). I don't really know anyone close to me that is into shooting so finding cases laying around is pretty much not going to happen. Now I know empty cases are going to cost me around $85 for 500. I haven't even got into looking for prices on primers and bullets yet. I gotta go and get me a book on reloading.

[fishhawk]

well the initinal cost for getting into reloading does scare a lot of new folks but remember you dont have to buy this every time and over the long run the gear is paid for after aprox 1000 rds. if the brass costs you 85 bucks a hundred i figure reload that 4 times and the brass was 21 bucks the more reloads out of that brass the cheaper it was. the press and dies get paid for fast steve k

[RayinNH]

Mike don't overlook the used market for equipment. Check the 'Swappin & Sellin' section here. At gun shows check under the tables as well as on top. Good used equipment can be had at substantial savings. Purchasing used reloading equipment is just like any other tool purchase. If it looks clean and well taken care of it's probably fine. If it looks beat, pass it up at least initially until you gain experience with reloading and the associated tools...Ray

[Dennis Eugene]

Steve's Right Initinal cost can be scary, on the other hand I've loaded up around 800 rounds of 44's 45's and 41's in the last month and didn't have to go to the store once, so it seems like those 800 where free. and all my rounds will be free until I need to go get more powder or primers ect.ect. And while in reality your buying only 500 brass once you've reloaded them for the fith time you have gotten 2000 free. At least that's how I explain it to my wife. Dennis

[Ozark Shiner]

The way to go on reloading equipment is to buy used stuff. Just buy good stuff and it'll never let you down.

[sheepdog]

Don't know if I misread that. That seemed opposite of the prices I posted.

I didn't say more expensive used, more expensive to make/buy new loaded. Cheaper used at times because guys think they wear out the dies quicker, more hassle etc.

I would post at your local range (if allowed) that you trade lead projectiles for brass. Work out what formula works for you (for example I usually trade a 9mm tumble lubed proj for 45 acp brass on a 1 for 1 ratio).

[mdi]

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/51

This is the way I got stated in reloading. Most would recommend replacing the Lee Loader with hand press or single stage press though. There's a lot of hand work using a Lee Loader, but they can be quick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeEl9wZyabc&feature=related

I've got nickle brass that is 20 yrs. old and I don't know how many times reloaded. Nickle getting thin in some places, but still OK. For me, I can't see the extra cost of nickle plated brass unless it's for a BBQ gun (dressy).

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Nickel plated brass looks pretty, also it will not turn green and corroded on a leather cartridge belt. The main draw back to nickel is it will usually have a shorter life because it is more brittle and does not hold up to repeated reloading as well. Just plain brass is softer and can be reworked quite a bit. Mileage will very as to exactly how many reloadings, depends on how hot a load you make.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

This is the way I got stated in reloading. Most would recommend replacing the Lee Loader with hand press or single stage press though. There's a lot of hand work using a Lee Loader, but they can be quick.

I got started this way also, but be careful with those Lee hand loaders that use the hammer. Yes they work, but the method used to seat the primers is a little nerve racking. Also they are so extremely tedious that it will either turn you away from hand loading, or get you hooked enough to go out and order better equipment. Again I would really try to find someone local that would mentor you before buying a ton of equipment.

[9.3X62AL]

Mike, welcome aboard and I'll pile on in favor of unplated brass. The only real advantage offered by nickel-plated brass that occurs to me is in the reloading of black-powder cartridges. They clean up more easily.

I've reloaded all 3 of the calibers you mention for a long time, and all are straight-forward prospects without weird traits or quirks. Very user-friendly, and very easy to create accurate, safe loads with.

Check for private message.

[lylejb]

I happened into a bunch of nickel 357's and have had no problems with them. I like that they don't tarnish like brass. I was told that you need to use carbide dies to load them, because nickel is harder than brass. That really doesn't matter, because you will want to use carbide dies anyway. carbide dies allow you to resize cases dry, plain steel dies require you to lube each case. The time saving / ease of use is WELL worth the small extra cost.

If I were looking to get into reloading on a budget, I would look at one of Lee's loading kits. They have most of what you need in one box, and won't break the bank.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=121744

You will need to buy the die sets for each caliber you want to load for, and your choice of loading manual (s).

I wouldn't recommend the little hand held presses, or the lee loaders. while you can make ammo with them, it's alot slower and more work than it needs to be.

[swheeler]

At 21.00 for 5K buy the nickel, infact I'd buy as ,many as I could afford!!!!!!!!!!!!! good investment

[Mike89]

Scroll up and bit and you will see that's not the price (as I also first thought it was)

It's actually $21.00 per 1000 just to have the brass cases nickel plated. So that's $105.00 (for 5000) and that also doesn't include the price of 5000 brass cases. So for 5000 nickel plated cases, it would be $105 more than the cost of 5000 brass cases.

[Marlin Hunter]

Mike,


Non-plated brass lasts longer in my experience. The nickle plated brass tends to split sooner in the neck area for the .38 special I have loaded. Nickle plated is great if you are going to carry rounds in a holster belt as it won't tarnish the way yellow brass will.

John

I agree with this.

Someone told me that it is easier to see case failure with nickel plated brass than with plain brass. I have not seen proof of this myself.

[Char-Gar]

Nickle plated brass was carried by LEOs in the days of the sixguns and extra ammo in leather loops/slides on the best as it would not corrode. That is the only advantage, other than that, It won't last near as long as unplated brass. Don't buy it, unless you can get it on the cheap.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I have been shooting .38 Specials for 20 years. The same brass! I keep track of a lot of brass that came in loaded cartridges from Remington. Two boxes worth that I paid $5.75 a box for many years ago. This lot of 100 cases have been reloaded over 40 times. None have split. A few have been discarded because of enlarged primer pockets but I still have over 90 of them left.

Mind that I load these with powder puff loadings of W 231 and wad cutters for newbie shooters and the ladies particularly. I use them in a Smith 586 and over a charge of 3.8 grs of W231 I get outstanding accuracy at 25 yds. However most of the shooting is done at lesser ranges at dirt clods, baloons, shotgun hulls, soda cans and such for fun. I have an H&G 148 gr wadcutter mold and I can pop them babies out really fast and make a big pile of boolits. Lubes with LLA and JPW and dried on wax paper. Not sized and loaded in a Dillon 550 they cost me less than $2.00 a box and they produce a lot of fun and have turned quite a few folks into shooters and reloaders.