Nickel pistol cases -- a dumb question

[gene pool]

Let me ask a dumb question ... I consider it dumb since I have been reloading for many years and feel that I should know more about the subject. I also realize this is a forum primarily for rifle shooting and reloading, but here seems to reside more hands-on experience than in other forums.

Question: Are nickel pistol cases inferior, superior, or the same as brass cases? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Thank you in advance.

Gene Pool

 

[MK 19]

After multiple firings the nickel plating will begin to flake off, for 38's that are loaded for plinking that is no big deal, but on anything more serious it will drastically shorten the life of the case

 

[Dans40X]

I personally have not experienced nickel plated cases that flaked off.

I have thousands of 380ACP,356 TS&W,38Super,38Spl,357mag,44Spl,44mag brass of commercial manufacture that has been loaded enough times(15-20) that the nickel plating...no not flaking...it is 80-90% worn off the cases.

All sizing has been accomplished w/ carbide dies in the above calibers.

If your chamber is of maximum specifications or rough as a corn cob,your mileage will suffer.. drastically.

 

[Hombre0321]

I use nickel cases all of the time, have some 38 and 38 super that have 40 firings on them. I took a 100 38 cases and cleaned them in my Rotary tumbler wet with ceramic media that I usually clean my 45/100 brass with just to see how tough the nickel was. it took 9 cleanings to remove all of the nickel from them and they shoot very well today and have 25 loadings on them.

RS

 

[coford]

Gene,

I shot a lot of plated brass back when I shot Cowboy Action, in both my handgun and my levergun. The only advantages I saw was it cleaned up a little easier in the tumbler, it fed a little better in my leverguns (because it was slicker), and it looked cool in a cowboy gun belt. I did not find it inferior or superior. I did have one lot of Remington brass that flaked off. I sent some of it back to Remington but never heard a word from them. It seemed like the plating did not stick to the cases and after firing them 2 or 3 times it started coming off in flakes around the neck. I only had that experience with the one lot. I have some old .38 brass I have shot 30+ times and the plating is wearing off but the brass is still shootable. I would not pay more for plated brass but I would not avoid it either.

 

[Larryh128]

The other reason for plated brass is if you are carrying in a belt holster. Not as big a deal today because about 99% of LE carries Semi-auto and loaded mags but when they carryed ammo in loops , it didn't corrode.

 

[gene pool]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Gene

 

[Buzz]

I had some nickel 357 mag and half of them split near the case mouth when they were belled. I backed it off to the point where it was just kissing the die and they were still splitting. I don't know if that was just that lot of brass or not though. In all fairness I bought them as once fired, but who knows how used and abused they really were. I heard some reports that nickel was a little more brittle so I just chalked it up to that and quit using them. They sure are purdy though.

 

[Bindi2]

I had some nickel 357 mag and half of them split near the case mouth when they were belled. I backed it off to the point where it was just kissing the die and they were still splitting. I don't know if that was just that lot of brass or not though. In all fairness I bought them as once fired, but who knows how used and abused they really were. I heard some reports that nickel was a little more brittle so I just chalked it up to that and quit using them. They sure are purdy though.

Gave up using Nickel it split could not be trimmed and was harder on the dies and press.

 

[Duster_360]

Pretty much same experience I've had - nickel plated cases seem to be more brittle than the plain brass cases. Most evident to me in 357 where nickel cases seem to split in the neck after 3 or 4 firings. Plain 357 brass - I have some that's been shot 35 or more times. I bought a 100 lot of nickel and they had all split in less than 5 firings.

Nickel 45 ACPs seem to do better, but haven't really shot any more than 10 times yet. I have some 45s that have been shot 40+ times. In 9mm, I really don't have much experience with nickel, but I suspect nickel would be like 45s.

Difference is probably related to the heavy crimp used with 357s versus taper crimp on the other cartridges.

 

[Chief 101]

I use both, don't find any difference other than I can load nickle hotter and still extract easily...revolvers mostly. Auto's, no dif as I don't like to overdo these...

 

[stool]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
nickle plating can embrittle the base metal and lead to cracking...can not always. revolvers seem to fail sooner..in my OPINION it is due to over belling and over crimping..both work harden the brass which leads to cracking.

nickle cases can be trimmed

properly cleaned nickle case would be easier on the dies and press as the is less friction.......given the same load shot in each case.

I had some nickel 357 mag and half of them split near the case mouth when they were belled. I backed it off to the point where it was just kissing the die and they were still splitting. I don't know if that was just that lot of brass or not though. In all fairness I bought them as once fired, but who knows how used and abused they really were. I heard some reports that nickel was a little more brittle so I just chalked it up to that and quit using them. They sure are purdy though.

Gave up using Nickel it split could not be trimmed and was harder on the dies and press.

 

[Buzz]

Very possible. This was the first loading on what was supposed to be 1x brass. I've since used the same die setup on brass and I have 7 loadings on some of it without problems. Like I eluded to in my original post, I think the likelihood of this being fired many times more than once is fairly high.

 

[shortride]

Guess my results pretty well match everybody else's. In 38 and 357's the nickel work hardens and lasts four to seven times being reloaded whereas brass lasts ten to twenty reloads before the necks split. In rifle I have 6x47 and 308s. I don't notice any difference between brass and nickel both have been reloaded up to twenty times. I do neck turn the rifle cases so this might make a difference since the nickel is removed or thinned down some.

 

[scpaul]

Does anyone anneal straight walled nickel brass (both pistol and rifle) and does it help??Paul