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Thread: Nickle cases

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
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    Handgun calibers not much difference, my experience with nickel cases was with a 300 Win Mag. Using the same die settings and case lubricant, the force to resize nickel cases was much harder to me, all other parameters being equal, including loads fired in the cases.

  2. #22
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    Any dirt on the cases will scratch your dies.
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  3. #23
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    When using nickel cases I ALWAYS dry tumble them first to remove any dirt and grit.

  4. #24
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    Nickle has a much higher friction coefficent than brass so it places more demands on the case lube - and press - than brass.

    Seems thin coats of nickle plated over the brass are more likely to wear off with use but thicker coats tend to break up and flake off.

    For one material to scratch another it has to be harder than the other. Sizer dies are case hardened very hard, file hard, so sizers aren't as easily scratched as is often presumed. Insufficent case lube will allow dry brass to be forced under high pressure to rub over the steel and galling will occur. Galling means bits of the softer metal (the brass case) will stick to the harder (the steel die) as if it were welded. The galled brass - not the die - will then scratch cases and it grows worse as the die continues to be used. The only cure is to remove the galled brass.

  5. #25
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    I load Nickle too. They are easier to find too. They crack now and then. But i also had brass crack. I reloaded the 38 special my son and i shot the other day. One case was cracked it was a brass one.
    One round at a time.
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  6. #26
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    I'm surprised so many people have NOT had an issue with them. I've ended up with a handful of nickel cases in nearly every caliber, just from random chance of range pickups or whatever. Generally you can reload nickel plated cases 2 maybe 3 times before you get a bunch that split. The ones that don't split start to get extremely hard after that, and neck tension is very strong, which is not a good thing. They did not seem to anneal. I know for sure I've loaded them in 38 special, 357 magnum, 41 magnum, 44 magnum, 45 acp, 7mm-08, 308 win, 30-30 win.

    I've had better luck reloading steel cases, than I have nickel plated cases. I think they are garbage, and all I find go right into the trash. Not worth the headache. That's only my opinion.

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by fc60 View Post
    Greetings,

    I load nickel cases.

    Shoot them until they crack/fail.

    Cheers,

    Dave
    "CRACK/FAIL" is the key phrase here! Most of the Ni rounds I have reloaded failed after only a very few cycles, where brass ones will go for many many more!. Ni is great if you are storing your rounds in leather strap holders like police do. They do not corrode like brass does. But the cops do not reload!!!!! And don't care about cycle cracking like we do.

    I have many hundreds of them (straight and bottleneck) , with sources for as many as I care pick up. I use them and then scrap them after 2-3 reload cycles.

    The 30-06 ones do look cooooool!

  8. #28
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    Leather strap holders? You mean like a TV western cowboy belt? Do people really use those? I've never seen a police officer with one.

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by megasupermagnum View Post
    I'm surprised so many people have NOT had an issue with them. I've ended up with a handful of nickel cases in nearly every caliber, just from random chance of range pickups or whatever. Generally you can reload nickel plated cases 2 maybe 3 times before you get a bunch that split. The ones that don't split start to get extremely hard after that, and neck tension is very strong, which is not a good thing. They did not seem to anneal. I know for sure I've loaded them in 38 special, 357 magnum, 41 magnum, 44 magnum, 45 acp, 7mm-08, 308 win, 30-30 win.

    As stated before...I have .38 cases I have been loading since 1974-75. They probably have between 8 to 12 reloads per case. Now granted most of my 38 loads would be considered powder puff loads, but I have no problem with bullet retention. Under the nickel is the same yellow brass case you are reloading. I know this because quite a few of the ones I reload are almost straight yellow brass now.
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  10. #30
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    I try to use them for my 38 Special wad cutter loads, just to kind of seperate them.
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  11. #31
    Boolit Master 444ttd's Avatar
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    my dad has about 300 7-08 nickel cases but he doesn't shoot much anymore. the nickel does come off in flakes. i've heard that nickel cases are hard to reload for. my biggest deal is the cracking of the necks. i've had 9 or 10 of them that have cracked, but i've put in garbage.
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  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by megasupermagnum View Post
    Leather strap holders? You mean like a TV western cowboy belt? Do people really use those? I've never seen a police officer with one.
    I have 3 old west styles and 2 police styles of the belt cartridge holders.

  13. #33
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    I found a nickel 357 casing today. The mouth looked like some one took a bite out of it. Never saw a failed casing like that before.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by bangerjim View Post
    I have 3 old west styles and 2 police styles of the belt cartridge holders.
    Do you leave cartridges in them? Are they practical beyond SASS or other for-fun shooting?

  15. #35
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    I reload mainly 9x19 and 40 S&W, and have noticed a slightly higher rate of case splitting with nickel plated cases. I reload them anyway, as I tend to lose the brass after a couple reloadings, and in my application I haven't appreciated malfunctions or accuracy loss that I can pin on the rounds where the case splits.

    On another site I read that the cause of splitting is a process called hydrogen embrittlement, but I'm no materials engineer, so can't say I know for a fact. On the same site there was a link to a YouTube video by some tacticool combat "expert" who said he always put a nickel plated round as the last in a magazine, so he could tell he was empty when that case was ejected. When I stopped laughing , I thought about it, and now I put a nickel plated round in every action pistol competition mag, but as the top, not bottom round. All other rounds are brass cased. Now I can tell at a glance when a magazine is not full.

    And my impression in loading and handling nickel cases is that they feel slicker than yellow brass.

  16. #36
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    I have some with the nickel wearing thin and yes I find they split much sooner than the brass.
    Old retired guy in Baton Rouge La.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
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LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check