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Old January 3, 2009, 02:49 AM   #1
Tony C
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Join Date: January 6, 2007
Location: Oregon
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Nickle Plated .38 Special Cases...

I remember reading on an earlier thread that nickle plated brass is brittle and hard on reloading equipment. I just purchased used, .38 brass in bulk from someone getting out of reloading, to the tune of 1,500 cases for $30.

About half of them are nickle, should I discard these? Are they going to harm my equipment?

Thanks for your advice,
Tony C.
Willamette Valley, Oregon

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God” Job 19:25-26 NASU
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Old January 3, 2009, 03:27 AM   #2
joneb
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Quote:
About half of them are nickle, should I discard these? Are they going to harm my equipment?
My .38spl/.357 mag dies have a carbide resizing die, I have not had any trouble with nickel plated .38spl or .357 mag brass, I sometimes prefer it. Nickel plated brass is shorter lived than unplated, and when the plating begins to flake off I retire it to the recycle bin.
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Old January 3, 2009, 06:28 AM   #3
Mat, not doormat
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I reload a lot of .38 spl. As in 20k + per year. The nickel plated cases will not harm your press or dies. In fact, nickel is slipperier than is unplated brass, so it might actually be a smidge easier on the size die.

However, it is brittle, so with even with my light cowboy loads, I only see an average of 3 or 4 loadings from nickeled cases, as opposed to 7 to 10 from unplated. The cases start to crack, generally around the mouth, where it is worked the most.

~~~Mat
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Old January 3, 2009, 12:29 PM   #4
pmeisel
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I have had no trouble with nickel cases -- have reloaded lots of them.
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