Steel Vs. Nickel Cases

[GeeBert74]

Hello all, my name is Tony and I just joined up here today. I have been reloading for around 9 months now and came across this forum in my travels.

You have to pardon my ignorance on this question. I am wondering how I tell the difference between Nickel Plated Cases and Steel Cases.

I have picked up almost 1000 cases from my range where the police department also shoots and I am trying to figure out if they are steel or nickel. They are fairly shinny and smooth. They were either fired out of a M&P 40 or a Glock 22.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[jcwit]

A magnet should be the magic tool.

 

[cberge8]

Yup, run a magnet through the brass, anything that sticks is steel.

I use a magnet I picked up from home depot that roofers use to pick nails out of grass. It is very strong, and all I have to do is pass it over top of a pile of "brass", and all the steel is gone!

 

[rcmodel]

Also, almost without exception, steel case ammo will have Berdan primers, Not Boxer.

Berdan = Two or more off-center flash holes so you can't deprime it.
Boxer = One centrally located flash hole so you can deprime it.

rc

 

[GeeBert74]

Yep, I feel like an idiot!

Thanks!

 

[jcwit]

Don't, you asked a question and got an answer, nothing wrong with that.

 

[SSN Vet]

I segregate my nickel plated for my warmer SD loads.

They're almost to pretty to shoot.

 

[Walkalong]

The only steel cases that are hard to recognize are the S&B brass coated steel 9MM. I use a magnet to check for them.

In time you will learn to recognize all the other coated steel stuff. The Zinc coated rifle stuff can fool you for a minute, but not long.

 

[Sport45]

Next, you'll be asking how to separate the brass from aluminum. A magnet won't help then.

For that, you need a large bucket of fuming nitric acid. Dump all the brass in. Once the red vapors have cleared you simply strain what's left out of the bucket and rinse it off. That will be your aluminum.

 

[kingmt]

RC
I've seen you say that several times but it just isn't true around here. I've reloaded a bunch of them in 223.

 

[1SOW]

Find out when the police shoot! That "once fired" brass is a gold mine.

 

[MachIVshooter]

RC
I've seen you say that several times but it just isn't true around here. I've reloaded a bunch of them in 223.

They can be (painstakingly) reloaded, but are generally considered non-reloadable.

Carefully aligning a delicate decapper or messing with hydraulic depriming and having to track down berdan primers to save a whopping $0.03/round over new ammo seems rather silly to me. I don't even bother with boxer primed .223 for plinking ammo. Unless you buy in massive bulk, it'll cost you around $200/1,000 FMJ .223 if you already have brass. Wolf is $230/case delivered from ammoman.

 

[rsrocket1]

I think what kingmt was disputing was that steel cases are almost always Berdan primed. Tula .223 steel cases are Boxer primed and are as easy to reload as brass cases. Yes you cannot reload them as many times, but they are great for use when you are going out shooting where you will have a hard time retrieving your spent cases (read disposable)

Steel pistol cases tend to be a dull gray while nickel plated brass cases are a shiny silver. They also "jingle" with more of a clicking sound than brass or nickel plated brass cases. Aluminum cases are noticeably light and thin and you can usually sort those easily.

 

[Walkalong]

Tula .223 steel cases are Boxer primed

Interesting, but I am still not going to reload them unless times are really hard. Steel just wasn't meant for reloading, and lacks the qualities brass has that makes it so suitable.

 

[FROGO207]

I have tried reloading it all just so I can SAY I was able to do it. Was it worth it--that's another story. But if you want to waste a lot of time you can even reload rimfire. Note that this is WAY not worth it but can be done with LOTS of effort and a home made neck crimp tool. As in take apart one round for the bullet for use in a reloaded round. I finally found a use for those REM Golden duds.

 

[kingmt]

They can be (painstakingly) reloaded, but are generally considered non-reloadable.

Carefully aligning a delicate decapper or messing with hydraulic depriming and having to track down berdan primers to save a whopping $0.03/round over new ammo seems rather silly to me. I don't even bother with boxer primed .223 for plinking ammo. Unless you buy in massive bulk, it'll cost you around $200/1,000 FMJ .223 if you already have brass. Wolf is $230/case delivered from ammoman.

There is nothing painful about loading them. My cost is about $40/1000, Walmart $350/1000 so I think it is worth my time. Im glad it isn't worth it for most tho because then prices would be higher.

I have enough brass & steel that I throw the steel I pick up in the scrap now but I still have a good supply of clean sized steel cases.

 

[Walkalong]

Once fired steel that is boxer primed might come in handy in bad times, but I haven't seen any yet. Of course, I haven't been checking either, cause I thought it was all berdan primed.

 

[jcwit]

Have seen alot of steel boxer primed 45 ACP at our local range. No .223 IIRC.

I do wonder something tho, why would anyone want to reload .223 steel cases, are you trying to make me believe .223 brass is in short supply. You must be joking.

 

[MachIVshooter]

My cost is about $40/1000,

How so? I'm not even aware of anyplace you can get 1,000 cheap FMJ bullets for $40, let alone including powder and primers.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to know where to get 1,000 bullets, 1,000 primers and 3-1/2 pounds of powder for $40.

 

[SSN Vet]

Find out when the police shoot! That "once fired" brass is a gold mine.

+1. Those are my best hauls

Lots of 40 cal. Which I don't load, but still accumulate for trade. And a good bit of 45 acp... Which makes me 8^)

 

[moxie]

Odds are that .40 shot by cops in training is nickel plated.

 

[dbarnhart]

>>>it'll cost you around $200/1,000 FMJ .223<<<

I'm reloading .223 for $118/thousand.

 

[kingmt]

Sorry I have a hard time typeing on this phone. Should have been $80. I spent less tben 7 cents a piece for bullets 1.5 for primers & powder was so cheap I didn't even count it. Total cost was less then 8 cents each. The only exact price I remimber is the powder was $8 for 8 lb & I use 8gn in them.

 

[MachIVshooter]

The only exact price I remimber is the powder was $8 for 8 lb & I use 8gn in them.

So where do we get ONE DOLLAR PER POUND powder that is so potent it only requires 35% of a normal charge weight?

Personally, I think you just like the number 8 (and propogating bravo sierra).

 

[higgite]

Nickel and Cobalt are also magnetic. Be careful.

A permanent magnet is an object made from a material that is magnetized and creates its own persistent magnetic field. An everyday example is a refrigerator magnet used to hold notes on a refrigerator door. Materials that can be magnetized, which are also the ones that are strongly attracted to a magnet, are called ferromagnetic (or ferrimagnetic). These include iron, nickel, cobalt, some alloys of rare earth metals, and some naturally occurring minerals such as lodestone.