Cracked Nickel .45 acp Case Mouths

chris downs · April 10, 2021, 06:18 PM

So I come across some cracked case mouths from time to time. Though my nickel plated .45 acp cases amount to less than 5% of total .45 acp cases, almost all the cracked case mouths are nickel plated cases.

Jim Watson · April 10, 2021, 06:32 PM

Yup.
Scrap brass box, move on.

gwpercle · April 10, 2021, 07:14 PM

For some reason , I'm not sure why , but nickled cases seem to crack sooner than plain brass . It may have something to do with the plating process and I've noticed the newer nickled cases don't last as long as the old nickled cases .
For maximum case reloading life ...stick with plain brass . I have some old brass Military Match cases that I have been reloading target loads with for 25 years .
Gary

Nick_C_S · April 10, 2021, 07:48 PM

Quote:

For some reason, I'm not sure why, but nickel cases seem to crack sooner than plain brass.

That has been my experience over the decades as well. I don't know why either.

**44 AMP** · April 10, 2021, 10:25 PM

I have seen a lot of nickeled cases crack at the mouth over the years. I also have some nickeled brass that has been loaded so many times the nickel is worn off in stripes and they have not cracked.

These are cases I got in the 70s and many probably date from the 60s or even earlier.

I guess they just don't make them the way they used to!

Big Wes · April 11, 2021, 06:11 AM

I believe that the nickel coating makes the case more brittle but also makes for easier extraction especially from revolvers.

NoSecondBest · April 11, 2021, 07:43 AM

I have some very old nickel cases that have been loaded many times. Nickel cases can crack/split easier than pure brass but it’s almost always from having too much expansion. Way too many loaders seem to over expand the case mouth and I don’t know why.

chris downs · April 11, 2021, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoSecondBest

Way too many loaders seem to over expand the case mouth

I bell enough so the bullet will stay on the case while I ram. If I am seating lead and the lead is scraping, I bell more.

Is there a way to determine best bell?

NoSecondBest · April 11, 2021, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Is there a way to determine best bell?

As little as possible is best in my experience.

Jim Watson · April 11, 2021, 09:26 AM

Brass is expendable, scraped up lead is poor practice.

When I was new in loading, I had some nickel plated .38 Special cases that did well to last 3 or 4 uses; I had some nickel plated .45 ACP that was so thin it would not give good bullet pull. On the other hand, I have had nickel plated cases that lasted so long, the nickel was wearing off and the underlying brass was keeping on.

dahermit · April 11, 2021, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoSecondBest

I have some very old nickel cases that have been loaded many times. Nickel cases can crack/split easier than pure brass but it’s almost always from having too much expansion. Way too many loaders seem to over expand the case mouth and I don’t know why.

You are making a conclusion not congruent with my experience with .38 Spl. cases. I started with a mix of Nickled and plain Brass .38 Spl. once fire mixed head-stamp cases. Over a period of time and many reloads of those cases, the Nickle cases would split at a greater rate. When a case showed a minor crack at the mouth, it would be replaced with another once-fired case in that batch and in effect, sorting out the Nickeled cases. My point being, the belling and crimping were the same for both Nickeled and solid Brass cases. The only variable was that some were Nickeled, some were not.

**Unclenick** · April 12, 2021, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

I guess they just don't make them the way they used to!

They probably aren't allowed to. A lot of plating chemicals are pretty toxic (cyanides, chromates, and other heavy metals salts) and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if some chemicals used either in the plating or in the prep of the brass for plating have been regulated out of use since the '70s. But I've still got a few 357 Mag and 45 Auto cases from back then than the nickel simply wore off of.

MarkCO · April 12, 2021, 10:27 AM

When I come across Nickle cases in any caliber, I inspect them and set them aside. When I have enough, like 200 or so, I load them with XTPs at near max loads and put them on the shelf with a desiccant pack in a small container. I have about 2000 rounds loaded that way now.

I will also put them into 2" mini buckets with a few silk leaves and Gold Dots fired into Water to make bullet bouquets. My wife has one on her kitchen windowsill and next to her computer monitor. My Mom and MIL have them. A few of our friends and even a few of the boys teachers have them on their desks.

But yes, they do crack sooner. Nickle is not as malleable as brass, so they work harden faster.

**Bud Helms** · April 12, 2021, 10:55 AM

I wonder if the annealing process of at the time of plating is part of the problem. A bi-metal case would present some possible challenges. The fact that some of these cases last through years of reloading tells me that the industry knows how to do it.

Ha! ... I found a Nov 9, 2009 discussion on Rugerforum.net that addresses this very problem: https://www.rugerforum.net/threads/h...d-cases.17335/

'Sounds like "Iowegan" knows what he's talking about.

April 10, 2021, 06:18 PM	#1
chris downs Member Join Date: January 6, 2005 Location: MO Posts: 91	Cracked Nickel .45 acp Case Mouths So I come across some cracked case mouths from time to time. Though my nickel plated .45 acp cases amount to less than 5% of total .45 acp cases, almost all the cracked case mouths are nickel plated cases.

April 10, 2021, 10:25 PM	#5
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,832	I have seen a lot of nickeled cases crack at the mouth over the years. I also have some nickeled brass that has been loaded so many times the nickel is worn off in stripes and they have not cracked. These are cases I got in the 70s and many probably date from the 60s or even earlier. I guess they just don't make them the way they used to! __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

April 11, 2021, 06:11 AM	#6
Big Wes Member Join Date: November 18, 2008 Location: Virginia Posts: 45	I believe that the nickel coating makes the case more brittle but also makes for easier extraction especially from revolvers. __________________ " Hollow Points.....From Those Who Care Enough To Send The Very Best"

April 12, 2021, 10:27 AM	#13
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,308	When I come across Nickle cases in any caliber, I inspect them and set them aside. When I have enough, like 200 or so, I load them with XTPs at near max loads and put them on the shelf with a desiccant pack in a small container. I have about 2000 rounds loaded that way now. I will also put them into 2" mini buckets with a few silk leaves and Gold Dots fired into Water to make bullet bouquets. My wife has one on her kitchen windowsill and next to her computer monitor. My Mom and MIL have them. A few of our friends and even a few of the boys teachers have them on their desks. But yes, they do crack sooner. Nickle is not as malleable as brass, so they work harden faster. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

April 12, 2021, 10:55 AM	#14
Bud Helms Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 1999 Location: Middle Georgia, USA Posts: 13,198	I wonder if the annealing process of at the time of plating is part of the problem. A bi-metal case would present some possible challenges. The fact that some of these cases last through years of reloading tells me that the industry knows how to do it. Ha! ... I found a Nov 9, 2009 discussion on Rugerforum.net that addresses this very problem: https://www.rugerforum.net/threads/h...d-cases.17335/ 'Sounds like "Iowegan" knows what he's talking about. Last edited by Bud Helms; April 13, 2021 at 01:48 PM.

April 10, 2021, 06:32 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	Yup. Scrap brass box, move on.

April 10, 2021, 07:14 PM	#3
gwpercle Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2012 Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Posts: 1,752	For some reason , I'm not sure why , but nickled cases seem to crack sooner than plain brass . It may have something to do with the plating process and I've noticed the newer nickled cases don't last as long as the old nickled cases . For maximum case reloading life ...stick with plain brass . I have some old brass Military Match cases that I have been reloading target loads with for 25 years . Gary

April 11, 2021, 07:43 AM	#7
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	I have some very old nickel cases that have been loaded many times. Nickel cases can crack/split easier than pure brass but it’s almost always from having too much expansion. Way too many loaders seem to over expand the case mouth and I don’t know why.

April 11, 2021, 09:26 AM	#10
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	Brass is expendable, scraped up lead is poor practice. When I was new in loading, I had some nickel plated .38 Special cases that did well to last 3 or 4 uses; I had some nickel plated .45 ACP that was so thin it would not give good bullet pull. On the other hand, I have had nickel plated cases that lasted so long, the nickel was wearing off and the underlying brass was keeping on.