April 18, 2005, 07:32 PM | #1 |
Junior Member
Join Date: April 1, 2005
Posts: 11
|
Nickel plated brass
What does the nickel plating do for the brass?
|
April 18, 2005, 08:00 PM | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 19, 1999
Posts: 567
|
It makes it purty.
Other than that, not a whole lot. I suppose the nickel plating could give some corrosion resistance if you were going to store it for a long time under less than optimum conditions. Generally, after being reloaded a few times it may start to peel or flake off. bergie |
April 18, 2005, 08:21 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 16, 2005
Location: Charleston, WV
Posts: 302
|
It's generally not the best for reloading, I don't know why, but the plating seems to make it brittle or something.
Nickel plated brass usually doesn't last more than a couple of times being loaded so most don't fool with it much. If it's free range pickup's I always grab it, but I have never bought any new brass that was nickel plated. |
April 19, 2005, 04:54 AM | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 20, 1999
Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country)
Posts: 14,324
|
Did you ever notice.....?
1) increased lubricity; easier to slide from the magazine into the chamber, and out again.
2) corrosion resistance 3) easier to find in the grass All my 'social' ammo, unless otherwise specified by the customer, was put up in nickeled cases. Check major-brand premium ammo; nickeled cases.
__________________
. "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo" |
April 19, 2005, 05:20 AM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 18, 2004
Location: Minden , Nebraska
Posts: 1,407
|
if you have ever left brass ammo in leather belt loops for a period of time you will find that it turns green. nickel plating helps to prevent that. I use only nickel plated brass in 45-70 , 270 win , 45 acp and I will eventually have everything in nickel. nickel plating maybe a little harder on reloading dies but it is unlikely that you will ever wear a set of dies out.
|
April 19, 2005, 07:20 AM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 3, 2005
Location: Rochester, New York
Posts: 2,136
|
I have a small supply of nickel plated 45-70 that I have reloaded. I really don't see much difference so far in brass life. It seems like most all of the above posts are correct. If nothing else, the rounds sure look pretty.
|
April 19, 2005, 08:30 AM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 18, 2005
Posts: 1,874
|
I shoot a lot of .38 and have taken all my Nickel cases and put them aside just to many splits.Had some R-P and if I shot 50 I had to throw away at least 3 but will say don't have a clue how old they were.Can't remember the last split with brass.But the nickel did unload great most would just slide out.But I do intend to use them????????/
__________________
Russ5924 |
April 19, 2005, 09:38 AM | #8 |
Member
Join Date: April 19, 2005
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 19
|
I don't have to check their headstamps for the dreaded "NT" symbol. That's what they're good for.
|
April 19, 2005, 11:23 AM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 11, 2002
Location: high up in the rockies
Posts: 2,289
|
Lubricity and corrosion resistance are the primary functions. Most premium ammo is nickeled for those reasons.
As for reloading, I must respectfully disagree with Cap. Razor. I have been reloading nickel plated brass for over 40 years. I have nickeled .38 and .357 Mag brass that has been reloaded in esxcess of 20 times. some of them have had the nickel wear completewly off, amnd look like plain brass, but they still work well.
__________________
If you think a mighty military force is expensive, wait 'til you see what a weak one costs. |
April 19, 2005, 05:12 PM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 16, 2005
Location: Charleston, WV
Posts: 302
|
Wow!
I didn't know so many folks loaded it! The main reason I don't fool with it much is because I have vast quantities on military brass, (for a few calibers). I do have some nickel brass, and I have reloaded it, but generally I don't, unless it's ammo that I plan to keep around for a while. cheygriz, I too have some highly worn nickel brass, but I noticed more splits in the nickel cases than I do in regular. Might just be the ones I have "acquired", I couldn't even tell you where it all came from, I've never bought any new nickel brass. Do you guys buy your brass in nickel? Or do you buy plan old brass, brass? I see specials often enough on new nickel brass, I just figured they couldn't get anybody to buy it, I'm thinking I might be passing up on some good deals since you all seem to have some luck with the stuff. |
April 19, 2005, 06:05 PM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 18, 2004
Location: Minden , Nebraska
Posts: 1,407
|
I had some Federal nickel plated 45 acp cases that had over 30 loads on them. I threw them away because at that point I was getting some split cases. I think I got my money out of them
|
April 19, 2005, 09:39 PM | #12 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 11, 2002
Location: high up in the rockies
Posts: 2,289
|
Cap,
In military calibers, I use MilSurp brass almost exclusively. It seems to last longer than any commercial brass. When I buy new I always get nickel plated, for either handgun or rifle. Once fired brass, I will only buy from contractors that buy it in bulk from government agencies, like LE or military. I've been burned too many times buying "once fired' from dealers only to find out that it was worn out range pick up. Interestingly, most of the .38, .40 and .357 Mag that I have on hand in nickeled once fired federal LE or state police stuff. But 9MM, .45, .223, .308, I buy only MilSurp.
__________________
If you think a mighty military force is expensive, wait 'til you see what a weak one costs. |
April 22, 2005, 05:28 PM | #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 14, 2001
Location: State of Confusion
Posts: 2,106
|
Nickeled brass
I thought the original reason for it was to look pretty and shiney and also not corrode, in LEO's black leather pistol belts, back when they carried revolvers and a waist-circling band of cartridges.
Hadn't thought about lubricity. Hmm. HAVE heard all the usual horror stories abt splitty nickeled cases, and free range brass is easy to get in my neck of the woods so I just recycle the nickeled cases I pick up. People who actually pay money for super-high-grade factory ammo rather than rolling their own don't have to consider the brass re-use factor. So the hi-velocity ammo is put in nickeled cases just for looks, I bet.
__________________
God Bless America --Smokey Joe |
April 23, 2005, 07:48 AM | #14 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 20, 1999
Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country)
Posts: 14,324
|
for myself, bet yer wrong.........
I use(d) nickeled cases to improve the quality of my ammunition; I could care less about superficial distractions........
__________________
. "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo" |
April 23, 2005, 07:57 PM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 27, 2005
Location: savannah
Posts: 758
|
I loaded some rounds for the .270 with Winchester "combined technology" bullets. They were coated with some kind of black coloring.
They looked SEXY in the nickle cases, and "ho hum" in the brass. But I too, have noticed that nickel cases seem to split at the neck after a few reloads. They still look sexy for a few shots. |
April 23, 2005, 09:37 PM | #16 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 6, 2004
Posts: 405
|
Nickle cases
I have some .45-70 nickle cases, R-P, after only 3 reloadings, a case started to peel and left some particles in the sizing die.
I cleaned the die and tossed the rest of the cases in the melt down bucket. Don |
April 24, 2005, 05:56 PM | #17 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 10, 2004
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 302
|
I believe the nickel plate was originally for corrosion resistance, brass cases in a duty belt cartridge loops don't last very long. Nickel plated brass isn't very good for reloading, it is brittle, and that's not an old wives tale. The process for nickel plating the brass includes an acid wash to etch the brass, the entire process weakens the brass and en brittles it to a certain extent, it is fine for the original loading, but tends to split quickly in reloading. I've been reloading for around 40 years, I first observed the problems with nickel brass at least 35 years ago.
__________________
John |
April 24, 2005, 06:35 PM | #18 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 18, 2004
Location: Minden , Nebraska
Posts: 1,407
|
I think that Remington has the worst nickel plating and I think the Federal is the best. Winchester and Starline are in second place
|
April 25, 2005, 10:01 PM | #19 |
Member
Join Date: February 27, 2005
Location: Alabama
Posts: 35
|
I get all my nickel plated brass either from the range or my son, who gets these high- dollar Winchester cartridges and just shoots them once. Well, he did until this spring, when he asked his brother to load up some rounds for him. He was a bit leery of handloads until he saw that my rifles and handguns were still intact....
__________________
TOM |
April 30, 2005, 10:21 AM | #20 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 19, 2005
Location: dar al-harb
Posts: 240
|
I just got 100 each of Starline brass for my 32 H&R. Loading it side-by-side, the nickel is definitely more slippery when is comes to sizing and priming. I plan to keep reloading them side-by-side to see if the nickel lasts as long.
__________________
If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage in having a charmer. Ecclesiastes 10:11 |
April 30, 2005, 12:07 PM | #21 |
Senior Member
Join Date: November 28, 2004
Location: Silicon Valley, Ca
Posts: 7,117
|
Nickle plated brass serves two basic functions:
1. Reduces corrosion -- that "green grunge" or "black spotting" on brass cases. 2. Smoother surface allows easier extraction. Nickle cases can last through a lot of reloads IF you don't bell the case mouth very much during reloading AND you fire moderate loads out of them. If your dies get contaminated (e.g. you used case lube on dirty brass before resizing) they can leave scratches in your brass. On Nickle cases this will gouge the nickle off and cause weaknesses that result in split mouths very quickly. Lastly, when reloading, once you find a good load for your firearm, load a few nickled cases and test it (especially if your nickle cases are a different brand than brass cases). Once satisfied, you can make your "serious" loads in nickle cases for easy identification -- that is, all of your defense/hunting reloads are in nickle cases and range loads are brass.
__________________
BillCA in CA (Unfortunately) |
May 1, 2005, 02:32 AM | #22 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 15, 2004
Posts: 934
|
The one place I have found nickled brass to come in useful is in Handi rifles for high pressure cartridges. The Handi has a very poor ejection system (spozed to be changing now) and nickled cases help a bunch with the dreaded stuck case.
|
May 1, 2005, 07:04 AM | #23 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 4, 2002
Posts: 427
|
Do you think the nickel cases are easier to clean, meaning less time in the tumbler?
|
May 3, 2005, 05:09 AM | #24 |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 20, 1999
Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country)
Posts: 14,324
|
Yes
Easier to clean, easier to find, easier to feed-eject, harder to keep forever ('cause they split easier).
__________________
. "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo" |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|