nickel casing question.... - Page 2

TimSr · October 9, 2013, 06:39 AM

I have no experience with nickel rifle brass, but have used lots of .357 mag nickel I've relaoded many, many times. I've had older stuff that would start to flake or wear off around the case mouth, but I ignore it and keep on reloading. I'm using the same Lyman Carbide Dies I bought in the 80's. I've never heard of scatched die, and can't imagine how you could possibly carve out a srcatch in them from a nickel flake wedged between a casing and carbide, but I guess it's happened to somebody. I don't load light .357s. Thats what .38s are for! I have had no negative experience with nickel, and it polishes easier, resizes easier, and doesn't tarnish when you handle it, and I prefer it, though its much harder to find in the other calibers I shoot.

TXJohn · October 9, 2013, 09:59 AM

For all of you having good luck with loading nickel brass I think its great. I loaded some .280 Rem last Sun. with some Win. nickel brass and in my opinion they seemed to be twice as hard on my dies than reg. brass. jmo All were lubed with Imperial sizing wax. So I will not load anymore in my dies

**Mike Irwin** · October 9, 2013, 10:25 AM

"While it is harder than plain brass, it is nowhere near hard enough to scratch hardened/heat treated dies. It is NOT chrome! Chrome would certainly be hard enough to scratch steel."

I've always heard that the primary mechanism for scratching wasn't the nickel itself, but grit like sand.

When resizing brass cases, the brass is far softer and would take the punishment of any grit that was sticking to the case.

Nickle plating takes away the "brass crumple zone" (for lack of a better term) and any sand or whatever starts working on both the die and the case.

Regarding the failure rate of brass v nickeled handgun cases, the one specific instance I found where the nickled (old electro nickel from the 1970s early 1980s) cases failed at a MUCH higher rate was with my full bore .357 Magnum loads.

They required a heavy roll crimp to keep the bullet from jumping during recoil.

After several loadings, I was losing nickled cases roughtly 3 to 5 times faster than all brass cases.

In my light .38 Special loads, though, which I generally didn't crimp, nickeled cases lasted just as long as brass cases.

October 9, 2013, 10:25 AM	#28
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	"While it is harder than plain brass, it is nowhere near hard enough to scratch hardened/heat treated dies. It is NOT chrome! Chrome would certainly be hard enough to scratch steel." I've always heard that the primary mechanism for scratching wasn't the nickel itself, but grit like sand. When resizing brass cases, the brass is far softer and would take the punishment of any grit that was sticking to the case. Nickle plating takes away the "brass crumple zone" (for lack of a better term) and any sand or whatever starts working on both the die and the case. Regarding the failure rate of brass v nickeled handgun cases, the one specific instance I found where the nickled (old electro nickel from the 1970s early 1980s) cases failed at a MUCH higher rate was with my full bore .357 Magnum loads. They required a heavy roll crimp to keep the bullet from jumping during recoil. After several loadings, I was losing nickled cases roughtly 3 to 5 times faster than all brass cases. In my light .38 Special loads, though, which I generally didn't crimp, nickeled cases lasted just as long as brass cases. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

October 9, 2013, 06:39 AM	#26
TimSr Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Location: Rittman, Ohio Posts: 2,074	I have no experience with nickel rifle brass, but have used lots of .357 mag nickel I've relaoded many, many times. I've had older stuff that would start to flake or wear off around the case mouth, but I ignore it and keep on reloading. I'm using the same Lyman Carbide Dies I bought in the 80's. I've never heard of scatched die, and can't imagine how you could possibly carve out a srcatch in them from a nickel flake wedged between a casing and carbide, but I guess it's happened to somebody. I don't load light .357s. Thats what .38s are for! I have had no negative experience with nickel, and it polishes easier, resizes easier, and doesn't tarnish when you handle it, and I prefer it, though its much harder to find in the other calibers I shoot.

October 9, 2013, 09:59 AM	#27
TXJohn Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Location: Ft Worth TX Posts: 163	For all of you having good luck with loading nickel brass I think its great. I loaded some .280 Rem last Sun. with some Win. nickel brass and in my opinion they seemed to be twice as hard on my dies than reg. brass. jmo All were lubed with Imperial sizing wax. So I will not load anymore in my dies