mikemyers
Member
The following is copied from some internet sources. Before I toss out all my old nickel plated brass, is there any reason I might want to reload with it? Based on only the information below, I expect to toss it out.
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Brass is an alloy made from a mixture of copper and zinc. It’s the primary case material for most cartridges for a couple of reasons:
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Cons of Brass Cases
....one large con of brass cases is that they tarnish, especially when repeatedly handled, stored in adverse conditions, or kept in leather holsters.
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Nickel plated brass is regular brass that covered by a thin layer of nickel through electroplating.
Advantages of Nickel Plated Brass Cases
Disadvantages of Nickel Plated Brass Cases
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Brass is an alloy made from a mixture of copper and zinc. It’s the primary case material for most cartridges for a couple of reasons:
- Cheap
- Soft enough to expand and fill a chamber
- Not soft enough to split
- Does not scratch gun parts
- Does not spark with other metals
- Reloadable many times
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Cons of Brass Cases
....one large con of brass cases is that they tarnish, especially when repeatedly handled, stored in adverse conditions, or kept in leather holsters.
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Nickel plated brass is regular brass that covered by a thin layer of nickel through electroplating.
Advantages of Nickel Plated Brass Cases
- More corrosion resistant
- Lower coefficient of friction which allows slicker feeding in semi-autos (easier sliding rounds on top of each other in the magazine)
- Easier loading/unloading in revolvers
- Looks pretty/different which allows easier identification of brass at the range or designation of a special load
Disadvantages of Nickel Plated Brass Cases
- More expensive than regular brass
- More brittle so may neck split/crack after fewer reloads
- Different metal properties may require modification of reloading dies (check length and crimp)
- Plating may flake and get into dies where it can scratch die and future rounds