Nickel brass worthwhile to reload?

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Almost everyone at my local range uses brass cases, and my nickle cases are easy to spot. I also use a red marker around the primer, which really makes it easy to differentiate, but to be sure, a nice shiny nickle case with a copper plated bullet on top certainly looks great.

Some of my oldest cases are nickle plated .38 SPL, and the nickle started wearing out in places, but never had any splits. I did have a few that the nickle flaked off around the mouth, and they went in the trash, but they're not any more fragile than normal brass.
 
I guess the one benefit for me is I only clean my cases in an ultrasonic cleaner. The nickel cases do look good after cleaning compared to brass cases depending on how much time and what solution I use. Shoot em and reload em until they are garbage.
 
I use One Shot case lube on all my handgun brass because it makes them resize so much easier in my progressive presses, so I guess I don't have to worry.

I've been lubricating all my handgun cases even when sizing in a carbide die for the past couple years. It makes the sizing process slicker. Since I clean cases after sizing anyway, no big deal on my part.
 
As a very lazy sort of fellow, I avoid lubing cases as much as possible. I never lube handgun cases, whether nickel or brass. The only exception is 500 S&W brass. Sizing those cases, even in carbide dies, is a real workout without lube.
 
The Lone Ranger had nickel cases, that's all the justification I need.
Yes, but he also used silver bullets.Are you topping yours with silver? You must be a rich man ! :)
While searching to find out if the Lone Ranger cases were regular brass or nickel plated, I came across this add for Remington ammo, which touts one advantage that Nickel plated cases have over brass: they prevent corrosion.
https://www.luckygunner.com/remington-nickel-plated-umc-target-ammo-review
 
I have a batch of 500 cases the over the past 20 years have been loaded in 38 WC for a S&W Model 52. Split case mouths are slowly reducing the amount but can’t say at any greater rate than the yellow brass I load for 38 SWC. I've never had any flaking but a few are starting to look less Nickle plated as if the repeated tumbling is wearing the Nickle finish thinner.
 
After reading this thread: "I want to find me some Ni plated brass so I can handload it!"
 
I use nickel plated 357 cases to keep them separate from my brass 38 spc. cases. Let’s see, been doing it since the 70s with no issues first on Lyman Spartan, then on Dillon SD, and now on Dillon 550 with (RCBS carbide die) Hum that’s durn near half a century!
Yeah, I’m that old!
I have saved up a few hundred brass 357 cases I have found or came mixed in with nickel cases I bought, but am holding them back for hard times!
Yeah, I’m that tight!
The nickel looks great I’m my pistol belt and doesn’t develop verdigris as quick as brass!
Nope, I ain’t that anal! It’s a function thing with me!
Happy 4th to all!
 
So midway through sizing and priming abou5 600 223 nickel cases found speer 2012 cases have very loose primer pockets. Not sure if or how many reloads but those are the only bad ones I have found so far.
 
I shot 120 357 magnum rounds this morning. 60 nickel plated and 60 regular brass. I had 4 cases split at the neck. Not the full length of the case but enough to be pretty obvious. Anyone want to guess which cases split? I will give you a hint it wasn't the regular brass cases.
 
For .38, .45acp and 9mm, I load nickel brass indiscriminately. I don't mark it to indentify what is mine either. I just pick up what I see. Sometimes I pick up what is there and sometimes I leave some of mine behind. When I notice one with a split, I throw it away.
 
I've loaded a lot of nickel brass with no problems. Some of it seemed to be harder than non nickel and I got split cases with fewer loads and some didn't. And the nickel seemed to peel off of some of them while it didn't on some others. In short, I prefer non nickel but will load nickel if I have it.
 
I have loaded nickel. 45 Colt cartridges with Black Powder. They are much easier to get clean inside and out.
 
I’ve loaded lots of brass and nickel revolver rounds. I like to use the brass cases for general plinking ammo and nickel cases for HP or maybe a specialty round.

I’ve found the nickel ones split at the same rate as my brass cases, which really isn’t all that often.

Stay safe.
 
For those who don't know...

The chemicals used to tan leather react with brass. So, cartridge loops on a belt will tarnish and corrode the brass cases of ammunition. Nickel plating does not react with the chemicals so is a better choice when carrying ammunition in leather belts for long periods of time.
 
I load and reload nickel brass for my classic firearms like my C96, P08 and P38. I like the visual difference for distinguishing the low power loads from regular loads. I even thought of copper plating some cases for special high power loads.
 
I just purchased 250 300 Savage plated brass from a member on here to load. If I was worried about the plating I would have passed on the sale. In the FWIW department I have loaded some of my 38 SPL brass so many iimes the headstamp has all but been peened off. None of the plated were more susceptible to splits thanthe regular brass. YMMV
 
I don’t think I’d use nickel 303 British brass to reform to something else. If it anneal maybe but sounds too tough. Might even flake.
 
Can't say for sure, but after trimming some Nickle plated 5.56 brass my Wilson trimmer blade became so dull it wouldn't trim anymore. Maybe the time had just come for that blade, I'm not sure. But it was coincidence enough to get me to put the Nickle plated brass aside.
 
if I buy new, I buy nickel, haven't had any issues loading or reloading. I also only reload all my ammo only 6.3 times before I recycle it. Only time I split necks was when I was experimenting ...both brass and nickel
 
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