Any reason to reload nickel plated brass cases - or just dispose of them.

[CZ9shooter]

In most calibers I keep them separate. I use them on the occasions that I load up top shelf type ammunition. Hunting or carry stuff.

With 380 it is different. I dont have a whole lot of cases yet so I just treat them all the same. Maybe someday I will have thousands and I will separate them.

 

[Dudedog]

I use them. Case life may not be quite as good as plain brass but if they are free range pickups it does not matter.

Load, shoot, repeat

 

[blue32]

Nickel 45 auto starts to split around 28 reloads. Nickel 260 rem has held up fine for 12 reloads (neck sized).

 

[Curator]

I load my nickle plated .44-40 and .45 Colt cases with black powder. I load yellow brass with smokeless. Easy identification and the nickle brass cleans up easier and faster. I managed to find some starline nickle .40-65 for black powder loads. Getting black powder residue out of the inside of the brass cases would often take 3+ hours in my wet tumbler. Nickle cases are clean with one hour tumbling.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I have .38 Special brass that was nickel plated, but have been loaded so many times, only the base is still nickel. The rest of the cases are just brass now. lol

The only disadvantage I have ever experienced with nickel plated case is in bottle necked rifle brass. The brass was fine, but it does wear out the cutter on a trimmer faster. Not a big enough issue for me to stop using it.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

Just throw them in the box with all the others of the same caliber and load em. Quit worrying about it. When they crack chunk em. I'm sorry, but you will have to find something else to worry about.

I do separate nickel 40 S&W cal out to work up test loads, since I only have about 100 pcs of those.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[Potatohead]

What internet "expert" wrote that nonsense??

What're you trying to say Rule?
I know I feel very expertish when I spout off online

 

[Coldfinger]

It has been my experience that wheel gun nickel plated seems to flake very quickly compared to nickel plated in 9mm, or 45. I never reload nickel 40. Just a preference of mine. Anyway, they load and shoot just fine.

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[.308 Norma]

It has been my experience that wheel gun nickel plated seems to flake very quickly compared to nickel plated in 9mm, or 45. I never reload nickel 40. Just a preference of mine. Anyway, they load and shoot just fine.

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The earlier flaking of the wheel gun brass compared to the semi-auto brass is probably due to roll crimping of the wheel gun brass versus the taper crimping of the semi-auto brass, isn't it?

I don't load for semi-autos very often, but I've been loading revolver ammo for many years. And I know you're right - the nickle plating around the mouths of revolver brass flakes off fairly quickly. It doesn't bother me though. I load them until their mouths split anyway. As others have said though, it seems like nickle plated brass splits a little sooner than plane brass.

 

[evtSmtx]

I may be a gray (light black actually) grey beard but despite my years I have less time in reloading than many. I reload range pickup nicklel brass a lot. I get it from friendly range officers so it's mostly once fired BUT - I notice no big difference in 9 & 45. My 44 magnum loads are all brass that I'm 100% certain of the provenance of.

 

[Coldfinger]

The earlier flaking of the wheel gun brass compared to the semi-auto brass is probably due to roll crimping of the wheel gun brass versus the taper crimping of the semi-auto brass, isn't it?

I don't load for semi-autos very often, but I've been loading revolver ammo for many years. And I know you're right - the nickle plating around the mouths of revolver brass flakes off fairly quickly. It doesn't bother me though. I load them until their mouths split anyway. As others have said though, it seems like nickle plated brass splits a little sooner than plane brass.

Not that you bring it up I believe you are right. The roll crimp is likely the culprit. I have noticed flaking in 40 S&W cases after only a few loadings and I attribute that to the higher pressure these cases are loaded to compared to other semi-auto cases. I just recently started loading 38 SPC, so wheel gun ammo reloading is still new to me. I have been loading semi-auto and rifle ammo for getting on 20 years. (Wow that just made me feel old.) I remember buying powder in metal canisters. Funny that they don't recommend storing powder in metal containers now-a-days but used to sell it that way.

Regards
Coldfinger

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[hdwhit]

Essentially all of my .38 Special brass is nickel plated. I load it on a single stage press using a Lee Speed Die with a carbide sizer ring adjusted for a light crimp. I have never had any problem with the nickel "flaking" off the case or becoming work hardened although it may be a little early to know what the long-term results will be because even though the cases are 20+ years old, most are only on their third loading.