silvery .38 spc cases -- nickel-plated brass?

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yhtomit

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Today at the range (public! permission granted! ground clearing encouraged! don't worry!), I nabbed several handfuls apiece of a few different types of ammo (I think the usual range-scouring guy declared it a day of rest, and it looks like I got there at the perfect time for a packrat), and among them are some bright silvery .38 special cases.

I'm guessing they're nickel-coated brass, but only because I vaguely understand that such things exist, having never purchased any .38 special except some cheap (but brass) range ammo to shoot from a rented .357 revolver.

This question is surely sounding silly to those who understand the answer, but ... is there a way to tell whether that's indeed what they are? :) Is it possible that they're especially shiny aluminum that hasn't had time to turn to weather and turn ugly? Does anyone even *make* aluminum .38 special?

They're certainly not steel -- the only scores I registered with my magnet test were a few bits of Wolf 9mm which got tossed in by accident. (If it's not rusty yet, any reason I shouldn't hoard fresh-shot Wolf for recycling?)

(I don't have dies yet for .38 special, but since reloaded .38 would let me shoot very cheaply at the range where I typically end up shooting .22s instead just because I can buy it for a few dollars a box. So the question is only 80% academic, rather than 100%.)

Cheers,

timothy
 
They're probably nickel plated brass cases; especially if they are boxer primed and from a mfg like Remington, Winchester, etc.

Blazer .38 Special aluminum cases usually have primers with two flash holes...at least the ones I've seen and of course, they cannot be reloaded.

The last time I recycled some Wolf steel cases, I got two cents per pound for them...hardly worth the effort.
 
They're nickel plated and fully reloadable. You won't get as many loadings from them, but still quite a few. I use the nickel plated brass in .38 for my carbine loads for Cowboy Action Shooting, since they're more likely to be lost than revolver brass.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
I have a bunch of those too, waiting to be reloaded. (my fiancee shoots .38 spl) They are indeed nickel plated.

ReloaderFred - How many loadings would you recommend from them, considering they'd be used for target loads?
 
Unless you latched onto some silver plated brass used by the Lone Ranger.

Actually nickle plated cartridges are cadmium plated. That's your useless factoid of the day.:D
 
I'm guessing they're nickel-coated brass,
Click to expand...

Yes, nickel

This question is surely sounding silly to those who understand the answer, but ... is there a way to tell whether that's indeed what they are? Is it possible that they're especially shiny aluminum that hasn't had time to turn to weather and turn ugly? Does anyone even *make* aluminum .38 special?
Click to expand...

CCI Blazer is Aluminum. Check the headstamp and the flash hole (Blazer will have two small flash holes, off center). It's non-reloadable. It's also not shiny -- more of a matte silver color.

Nickel can be reloaded. It is a bit harder to size (in my experience).
 
Kingpin008,

I quit counting the number of loads I get out brass many, many years ago. I just load .38's until the split, then I recycle them. My wife and I go through several thousand rounds of .38's per year with our Cowboy Action Shooting. I keep the nickel separate for the carbines, and I notice that I recycle a lot more nickel cases than I do brass cases. The plating process makes the brass slightly brittle, though they clean up faster in the tumbler. Also, if you're putting rounds in leather loops, use nickel cases. Brass forms vertigris really quick, but nickel doesn't.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
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