Nickel plated brass ?

Hammer1 · February 20, 2009, 10:35 AM

What are the advantages and disadvantages of nickel-plated brass in semiautos ?

In the process of shooting ?

Does it feed smoother ?

Advantages and disadvantages in the process of reloading ammunition ?

Is its shelf-life longer ?

For the most part, I have used nickel-plated brass just as a means to rapidly distinguish one load from another.

.

FlyFish · February 20, 2009, 10:53 AM

Nickel-plated brass was originally intended for cartridges that were carried for long periods in leather belt loops, a situation that corrodes brass badly but doesn't bother nickel. There is no particular advantage in either shooting or reloading nickel-plated brass, and I use them interchangeably with plain brass cases.

There are those who claim that plated brass will develop neck splits more quickly, but I can't say that I've noticed that. I have one lot of nickel-plated Super Vel .357 brass that I've been loading for about 35 years with very few splits or other problems along the way - in most cases, the nickel is finally starting to wear through to the brass underneath.

Another claim is that the nickel plating will flake off and, because it's claimed to be harder than steel, will damage your reloading dies and/or gun barrel. I had never seen this flaking problem (having handled many thousands of pieces of nickel-plated brass) until recently when I ran across a bunch of cases, Remington as I recall, that were very obviously flaking. I don't know if the possibility of die or barrel damage is a real issue, but I didn't want the nickel flakes around anyway, so I just discarded those cases.

**Mike Irwin** · February 20, 2009, 11:07 AM

"There are those who claim that plated brass will develop neck splits more quickly, but I can't say that I've noticed that."

My experience is that it depends a LOT on how much you roll crimp nickled brass.

The heavier the roll crimp the faster the mouths will split.

That's true with any brass, but when I used nickled brass it happens a lot faster when I'm shooting heavy magnum loads than when I'm using unplated cases.

I've not seen any of my nickled cases flake, either.

AlaskaMike · February 20, 2009, 03:01 PM

I've actually had more nickel .45 auto cases split than any of my roll-crimp cartridges, oddly enough, and it doesn't seem to matter how heavy the load is. Haven't seen any flake at all.

Mike

**Mike Irwin** · February 20, 2009, 04:02 PM

Are they splitting or are they getting smacked against the edges of the ejection port and tearing or are otherwise being physically damaged?

I lose anywere from 1 to 5% of my .45 brass in a given range session because of that.

If my 1911 gets really dirty, that figure goes WAY up.

AlaskaMike · February 20, 2009, 05:33 PM

It's typically split case mouths, and I don't normally find any dings. It seems to be the same whether I'm shooting my Springfield Mil-Spec or my P220.

Mike

Sevens · February 20, 2009, 06:10 PM

I can't believe you guys have never seen nickel plating flake off of brass. I use a bunch of R-P and Winchester .38 Special brass from the 80s and early 90s and it flakes.

It could be that TODAY'S new nickel brass is different or of a higher quality, or a better process, I don't know.

But I can tell you that I have never seen any nickel in .44 Mag, and I wonder if there's a reason for that?

**Mike Irwin** · February 21, 2009, 12:23 AM

Generally I have avoided nickle plated brass over the years, but I do have some that I have reloaded quite a few times.

Elerius · October 17, 2013, 08:44 PM

I figured I'd revive this thread instead of starting a new one, and I know Sevens is still around.

I'm interested in particular about the nickel plated brass from Starline. The threads I've Googled, like usual have to do mostly with rifle brass and I'm not sure how many comments were regarding that directly. I only reload pistol so I'm not as concerned with case splitting.

Starline is supposed to be one of the best manufacturers of brass, so I always hear. Has anyone had any problems with the nickel plating from them flaking in the dies or splitting the brass on pistol cases in particular?

I think I would like to buy batches of it for my autos, when I shoot steel plates outside it is a bit easier to spot the silver than the gold. I was given a few hundred 44 mag cases that have been used extensively and (presumably because of age and use) the case lengths are giving too many consistency problems with seating depth so I figured I might get 500 of the nickel in 44 to replace them and see how they work.

Sevens, several of the cases I was given are nickel plated Speer. You hadn't seen them before 4 years ago, and maybe they didn't exist then but at least the old question is solved

johnjohn · October 17, 2013, 08:56 PM

Mine seems to split sooner than the plain brass. Never seen it flake, but some seems to wear through to the brass.

boondocker385 · October 17, 2013, 09:20 PM

I got some reloads in the 80s that had a little flaking but haven't seen it in past 10 years and I reload a LOT of nickel plated brass. From what I have read on various threads, the current process doesn't cause flaking

Elerius · October 17, 2013, 09:56 PM

Sounds good then. Is any of the brass your using Starline in particular?

And also, I swear I looked down the current thread list and didn't see that there happens to be another nickel case thread literally within 2 spaces of this one now. I had to go and bring this one back and bow I have to get my head checked, apparently

Sevens · October 17, 2013, 11:06 PM

Actually, I occupy a RARE spot in handloading in that... I am not one of the zillions of folks that is wildly in love with Starline brass.

I think it is fine brass. I think it is good brass. I wouldn't hesitate to use Starline brass and I'm more than happy to trade for it. I don't too often find myself having ANY desire to send those guys MONEY for their product, because I think it costs too much and I get annoyed a bit that nobody (for the most part) has even attempted to compete with them. They seem to have quite a monopoly. (that's not their fault, I don't blame them for that)

Thing is, I've used a fair share of *new* Starline brass and I've never found any evidence that it's any better than some of the more familiar stuff I've used over the last couple decades. And when I do open some *new* Starline brass (I've got 10mm, .41 Mag, .44 Mag and .460 Rowland) and I find a couple examples of obviously flawed and NOT usable brass, I simply chalk it up to a production anomaly, just as I would out of Winchester or Federal.

But I do see it, it does happen and it's no less common. And I do -NOT- hate Starline or their brass because of it (miles from the truth!) but it annoys me a little bit that the other 99% of the handloading community believes that Starline craps gold nuggets on their coffee breaks and that their product is a dripping from the Gods that we should gather on Sundays to preach to the masses.

It's not. It's brass. It's far better than R-P's junk (these days) and it's way better than A-Merc (worst in the history of time & space) and it's better brass than S&B (usable, but on the craptastic side) But Starline brass isn't better than Winchester or older Federal or the 85 megatons of extruded pistol brass that ATK just pinched off 10 minutes ago.

Nick_C_S · October 18, 2013, 12:24 AM

Quote:

I can't believe you guys have never seen nickel plating flake off of brass. I use a bunch of R-P and Winchester .38 Special brass from the 80s and early 90s and it flakes.

^^ Right there with ya. ^^

Hammerhead · October 18, 2013, 02:45 AM

I like nickel for auto pistols with jacketed bullets where I really don't flare or crimp the case mouth, so they last as long as anything else. I won't pay extra for them, but if I find them, great.

You can find them easier in the grass and they can spend a winter in the snow/mud/ice and when you find them the next year they look great. Clean in a snap.

Elerius · October 18, 2013, 08:44 AM

Thats why I bought the revolver when I had the chance, so I could use it outside in the winter and just eject my cases in a can.
What I'd really like is to be able to shoot steel indoors somehow. Sweep up my cases and more fun then shooting paper. Is there such a place?

February 20, 2009, 10:35 AM	#1
Hammer1 Senior Member Join Date: July 17, 2004 Posts: 214	Nickel plated brass ? What are the advantages and disadvantages of nickel-plated brass in semiautos ? In the process of shooting ? Does it feed smoother ? Advantages and disadvantages in the process of reloading ammunition ? Is its shelf-life longer ? For the most part, I have used nickel-plated brass just as a means to rapidly distinguish one load from another. .

February 20, 2009, 06:10 PM	#7
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	I can't believe you guys have never seen nickel plating flake off of brass. I use a bunch of R-P and Winchester .38 Special brass from the 80s and early 90s and it flakes. It could be that TODAY'S new nickel brass is different or of a higher quality, or a better process, I don't know. But I can tell you that I have never seen any nickel in .44 Mag, and I wonder if there's a reason for that? __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

October 17, 2013, 11:06 PM	#13
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	Actually, I occupy a RARE spot in handloading in that... I am not one of the zillions of folks that is wildly in love with Starline brass. I think it is fine brass. I think it is good brass. I wouldn't hesitate to use Starline brass and I'm more than happy to trade for it. I don't too often find myself having ANY desire to send those guys MONEY for their product, because I think it costs too much and I get annoyed a bit that nobody (for the most part) has even attempted to compete with them. They seem to have quite a monopoly. (that's not their fault, I don't blame them for that) Thing is, I've used a fair share of new Starline brass and I've never found any evidence that it's any better than some of the more familiar stuff I've used over the last couple decades. And when I do open some new Starline brass (I've got 10mm, .41 Mag, .44 Mag and .460 Rowland) and I find a couple examples of obviously flawed and NOT usable brass, I simply chalk it up to a production anomaly, just as I would out of Winchester or Federal. But I do see it, it does happen and it's no less common. And I do -NOT- hate Starline or their brass because of it (miles from the truth!) but it annoys me a little bit that the other 99% of the handloading community believes that Starline craps gold nuggets on their coffee breaks and that their product is a dripping from the Gods that we should gather on Sundays to preach to the masses. It's not. It's brass. It's far better than R-P's junk (these days) and it's way better than A-Merc (worst in the history of time & space) and it's better brass than S&B (usable, but on the craptastic side) But Starline brass isn't better than Winchester or older Federal or the 85 megatons of extruded pistol brass that ATK just pinched off 10 minutes ago. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

February 20, 2009, 10:53 AM	#2
FlyFish Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2009 Location: Overlooking the Baker River Valley Posts: 1,723	Nickel-plated brass was originally intended for cartridges that were carried for long periods in leather belt loops, a situation that corrodes brass badly but doesn't bother nickel. There is no particular advantage in either shooting or reloading nickel-plated brass, and I use them interchangeably with plain brass cases. There are those who claim that plated brass will develop neck splits more quickly, but I can't say that I've noticed that. I have one lot of nickel-plated Super Vel .357 brass that I've been loading for about 35 years with very few splits or other problems along the way - in most cases, the nickel is finally starting to wear through to the brass underneath. Another claim is that the nickel plating will flake off and, because it's claimed to be harder than steel, will damage your reloading dies and/or gun barrel. I had never seen this flaking problem (having handled many thousands of pieces of nickel-plated brass) until recently when I ran across a bunch of cases, Remington as I recall, that were very obviously flaking. I don't know if the possibility of die or barrel damage is a real issue, but I didn't want the nickel flakes around anyway, so I just discarded those cases.

February 20, 2009, 11:07 AM	#3
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	"There are those who claim that plated brass will develop neck splits more quickly, but I can't say that I've noticed that." My experience is that it depends a LOT on how much you roll crimp nickled brass. The heavier the roll crimp the faster the mouths will split. That's true with any brass, but when I used nickled brass it happens a lot faster when I'm shooting heavy magnum loads than when I'm using unplated cases. I've not seen any of my nickled cases flake, either.

February 20, 2009, 03:01 PM	#4
AlaskaMike Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Posts: 941	I've actually had more nickel .45 auto cases split than any of my roll-crimp cartridges, oddly enough, and it doesn't seem to matter how heavy the load is. Haven't seen any flake at all. Mike

February 20, 2009, 04:02 PM	#5
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	Are they splitting or are they getting smacked against the edges of the ejection port and tearing or are otherwise being physically damaged? I lose anywere from 1 to 5% of my .45 brass in a given range session because of that. If my 1911 gets really dirty, that figure goes WAY up.

February 20, 2009, 05:33 PM	#6
AlaskaMike Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Posts: 941	It's typically split case mouths, and I don't normally find any dings. It seems to be the same whether I'm shooting my Springfield Mil-Spec or my P220. Mike

February 21, 2009, 12:23 AM	#8
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	Generally I have avoided nickle plated brass over the years, but I do have some that I have reloaded quite a few times.

October 17, 2013, 08:44 PM	#9
Elerius Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2013 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 365	I figured I'd revive this thread instead of starting a new one, and I know Sevens is still around. I'm interested in particular about the nickel plated brass from Starline. The threads I've Googled, like usual have to do mostly with rifle brass and I'm not sure how many comments were regarding that directly. I only reload pistol so I'm not as concerned with case splitting. Starline is supposed to be one of the best manufacturers of brass, so I always hear. Has anyone had any problems with the nickel plating from them flaking in the dies or splitting the brass on pistol cases in particular? I think I would like to buy batches of it for my autos, when I shoot steel plates outside it is a bit easier to spot the silver than the gold. I was given a few hundred 44 mag cases that have been used extensively and (presumably because of age and use) the case lengths are giving too many consistency problems with seating depth so I figured I might get 500 of the nickel in 44 to replace them and see how they work. Sevens, several of the cases I was given are nickel plated Speer. You hadn't seen them before 4 years ago, and maybe they didn't exist then but at least the old question is solved

October 17, 2013, 08:56 PM	#10
johnjohn Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2009 Location: Baton Rouge La. Posts: 122	Mine seems to split sooner than the plain brass. Never seen it flake, but some seems to wear through to the brass.

October 17, 2013, 09:20 PM	#11
boondocker385 Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2013 Posts: 640	I got some reloads in the 80s that had a little flaking but haven't seen it in past 10 years and I reload a LOT of nickel plated brass. From what I have read on various threads, the current process doesn't cause flaking

October 17, 2013, 09:56 PM	#12
Elerius Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2013 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 365	Sounds good then. Is any of the brass your using Starline in particular? And also, I swear I looked down the current thread list and didn't see that there happens to be another nickel case thread literally within 2 spaces of this one now. I had to go and bring this one back and bow I have to get my head checked, apparently

October 18, 2013, 02:45 AM	#15
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	I like nickel for auto pistols with jacketed bullets where I really don't flare or crimp the case mouth, so they last as long as anything else. I won't pay extra for them, but if I find them, great. You can find them easier in the grass and they can spend a winter in the snow/mud/ice and when you find them the next year they look great. Clean in a snap.

October 18, 2013, 08:44 AM	#16
Elerius Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2013 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 365	Thats why I bought the revolver when I had the chance, so I could use it outside in the winter and just eject my cases in a can. What I'd really like is to be able to shoot steel indoors somehow. Sweep up my cases and more fun then shooting paper. Is there such a place?