Why Nickel For .38 Spcl?

[otisrush]

I finally got my .38 Spcl dies and I'm starting to size the 2,000 or so empties my ex Cowboy Action Shooting buddy gave me.

Although I've known for a long time that one will find "nickel" .38 Spcl cases, their prominence really struck me as I was working through a bin tonight - and also the fact you never ever see them in 9mm.

So why the difference? Do nickel cases not work correctly in a high pressure round like the 9mm - but obviously do OK with lower pressure .38 Spcl?

Thx.

OR

 

[Hardtarget]

I have nickel cases for 9mm , .357, and .45acp . In .38 special I use brass cases for target and nickel cases for self defense loads. Makes it easy to keep them separated and I just like the way they look.

Mark

 

[otisrush]

You're right. I need to correct myself: I have seen and do have nickel in my 9mm case collection. However its not present at nearly the rate it seems to be in .38 Specl.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Nickel cases were first brought out to prevent verdigris when carried in leather belt loops and dump pouches. When yellow brass is in contact with tanned leather, it forms the green tarnish and eventually green slime, that will eat through the yellow brass. The nickel prevents that from happening.

Nickel cases also clean up faster, especially when used in conjunction with black powder. They will also split sooner than yellow brass cases will, which is why I confine them to use in my revolvers and only shoot yellow brass in our .357/.38 Spl. lever action rifles.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[rcmodel]

Nickel plated cases were first used to prevent Green slime verdigris from forming on brass revolver cases carried by cops and such in leather belt loop cartridge belts of the time.

.38 Special was THE Police revolver cartridge for about half a century.

Today, auto pistol cartridges are plated on high end SD ammo because it supposedly offer slicker feeding, and impervious to corrosion when carried in magazines for months.

rc

 

[otisrush]

Thanks. Very helpful.

 

[gamestalker]

I actually really like nickel. Since I often stock pile my loads, and also carry as my loaded rounds, it makes for a good non corrosive cartridge.

Granted nickel may not last as long before developing splits, but I really haven't had much issue with that. I'm just careful about how much I bell them, if I bell at all. I also don;t need to crimp if not belling. When loading 9mm specifically, I use jacketed bullets, so avoiding having to bell or crimp during seating is a fairly easy process on a single stage press. So I probably get about as much life from them, as I would with plain yellow brass. I don't usually see much nickel 9mm though, but it's around, and I grab it when I see it.

Now with revolver brass, yes, I do see a shorter life span, and that's because of the roll crimp working the mouths, of which nickel is a bit more brittle I'm sure. I can still seat without belling, but a roll crimp is necessary with full tilt loads and powders,

I also use nickel in bottle neck loading, but mostly for my hunting loads, and again, because I like to avoid corrosion. And it happens fairly quickly if the weather is wet / humid. I've had hunting ammo corrode in just a couple days in the field, so nickel is great for this application, IMO. Unavoidable things happen in which ammo gets exposed to the elements while hunting.

GS

 

[9mmepiphany]

So why the difference? Do nickel cases not work correctly in a high pressure round like the 9mm - but obviously do OK with lower pressure .38 Spcl?

Interesting conclusion

Most of the 9mm I load is in brass cases, however all the factory defensive ammo I have comes loaded in nickeled cases...+P & +P+

My .38Spl cases are about 8:1 brass vs. nickel...but most of them were wadcutter loads from when I competed in PPC.

On the other hand most of my .357Mag cases are nickeled. I was just inventorying them for possible sale and noticed that out of 870 cases, only about 35 were brass.

With the above examples, I'm thinking nickeled cases don't really have an issue with high pressure loadings

 

[cfullgraf]

So why the difference? Do nickel cases not work correctly in a high pressure round like the 9mm - but obviously do OK with lower pressure .38 Spcl?

I have some nickel plated 308 Win and 17 Remington cases so I suspect pressure is not an issue with nickel plated cases.

Like gamestalker, i find nickel plated cases have a little bit shorter case life than un-plated cases, but it is not a scientific study. What nickel plated handgun cases I have get used and loaded just like the other cases.

Back in the day when steel handgun sizing dies were the primary sizing die and carbide dies were very expensive, I found nickel plated cases to be a bit harder on the dies. If not careful and properly clean and lubricate the cases, when sizing nickel plated cases it was easier to get a build up of material in the die that would scratch the cases. A little polishing of the die solved the problem for a while.

Not an issue with carbide sizing dies.

 

[gonoles_1980]

I use my nickel cases with xtreme lead bullets (which look silver). Call them them my werewolf hunting bullets. They just look cool.

 

[au_prospector]

I like them, they are interesting to me. The contrast between the shiny silver case and the copper bullet is striking to me. The ones I find are usually marked +P. I pick up all that I find at the range. I have only discarded a few and only because it appeared the plating was wearing off.

 

[Drail]

The nickel and the brass tend to separate because the nickel cannot expand and contract as easily as the brass. Nickel cases will extract easier when fired in +P loads - usually one time and then the nickel will begin to separate - especially if you have oversized chambers. Resizing and the case and expanding it speeds up the process. I quit using nickel after finding flakes of it in my sizing dies.

 

[kcofohio]

Early on in reloading, I was too aggressive with the roll crimp on some 38s that caused the nickel to flake at the mouth.

That is interesting as to why nickel. Never thought about brass being in contact with leather and its' effect on the brass.

 

[Blue68f100]

Most all of my 357 mag brass is Nickle and 40+ yrs old. It has held up well over the years. Did not have a tumbler back then and all you had to do was wipe them off with a rag and you were good to go. Have never had one peal, wear through yes. I still use the ones worn through ones till they split. Brass quality is not near as good these days as compared to brass mfg back in the 60-70's. I have seen the newer brass peal and split a lot sooner (1/4 - 1/2) the life of my older brass from the 60's-70's. I think a lot of Mfg seam to shoot for min spec to save on raw material cost. It may not seam like much but when you look at the larger picture it can add up.

 

[cfullgraf]

I quit using nickel after finding flakes of it in my sizing dies.

Over the decades, I have just a few nickel cases that the nickel flaked off the case. Maybe less than the fingers on one hand. But, it does happen.

I have a number of nickel cases where the nickel is wearing off, I assume from tumbling during the multiple reloadings.

They shoot and reload fine and they get transferred to my yellow case pile.

 

[ATLDave]

As others have stated, I have found/used nickel-plated cases in 9mm, .357, 10mm, and 5.56mm. I have also found/used nickel-plated cases in .38spl and .45ACP.

These days, it seems to be common on premium defensive ammo... probably because it looks cool.

 

[j1]

The nickle cases may flake.

 

[Lman57]

I have nickel .223 rounds Winchester.

 

[TimSr]

Its not just the brass contacting leather. Take a new clean brass cartridge and handle it with your bare hands a few times, and it will soon be tarnished and black in color from teh oils on your skin. I choose nickel for anything I'll be loading and unloading single rounds with my fingers, whcih means my carry ammo or hunting ammo. Auto's are typically unloaded without touching the round, you are not usually touched after loading them in the magazine.

 

[X-Ring]

I just scraped all my nickel 38 and 357 cases. They were real old and starting to crack a lot. They shot and held up well, but not as well as the brass that is still in rotation.

 

[ku4hx]

I like Nickel plated cartridges. They size easier (carbide die), clean up easier and as far as I can tell have a service life comparable to yellow brass in my applications.

Way back in the '70s, '80s and early '90s when every magnum cartridge I loaded was a magnum level load, I did notice some plating flaking off at the case mouth, but I never let that stop me. Once I got out of my "magnum only" phase I never saw it again.

My opinion is the plating tends to reduce corrosion and makes chambering a little easier. I never quite bought into that second point but I still have '70s era gun rags that say that.

And of course they look nice. To me anyway.

 

[CraigC]

Conventional wisdom is that nickel cases are brittle and will split or crack sooner than unplated brass. This is not always true. I've had nickeled brass that split on the first reload but I also have nickeled Speer .44Mag brass that has been used so many times the nickel was worn off. Like the others, I don't think pressure plays a role. I've got nickel plated rifle brass and 100rds of plated .480 brass on the way.

I have had nickel flake off and get embedded in a carbide sizer die, which required replacement.

 

[Walkalong]

Nickle flaking off in small amounts can happen, but isn't a widespread or even common problem. I have nickle cases that are now almost brass from the nickle being worn down tumbling with no flaking. It happens, but it isn't a big concern. And I am like others, nickle plated cases seem to be a bit more prone to cracking sooner than brass.

 

[Catpop]

I've used nickel 357 since 1973. Never had any problems. Never cleaned them between loadings. Fired well over 100 K rounds, probably close to 200 K. Usually get 15- 20 reloading before splitting occurs.
I use nickel for 357 and brass for 38 spc for ease of separation.
Tx, Catpop

 

[Rodentman]

I don't really care whether I reload brass or nickel except in one caliber. I have some 50AE nickel cases which are the most difficult to resize. Even well lubed it takes a great deal of effort and it's just not worth it. The ones I have are staying at the range next time I fire them.

I didn't buy them. I bought the DE 10" bbl from a guy on a different forum and he threw them in. Probably have 100 of them. They are painful to resize. Brutal. And I don't notice any different between brass and nickel in any other caliber.