Nickel vs Brass whats the difference?

[LilPewPew]

So all the 357 mag ammo I have are all reloads I got from my late grandpa... All of them are in nickel cases. So my question is, is there an advantage to nickel cases also whats the difference (other than one's nickel and one's brass).

[uncle.45]

They are both brass, but one is nickel plated.
Nickel cases work fine. They usually last many reloads.
If they lack overpressure signs, etc., shoot them til they split.

[LilPewPew]

Alright. Thanks!

[TailGator]

As said, no major difference. IIRC, nickle plating originally was used for LEOs who wore ammo on their belt. It was a solution to the discoloration of naked brass. Functionally the same.

[mete]

Nickel plated brass is sometimes used to differentiate special loads , premium bullets etc , from standard factory loads.

[Emerson Biggies]

There is a disadvantage with nickel brass. After many re-loadings, the nickel may start to flake off in your steel sizing die. It may become permanently imbeded and cause scratching of the cases that follow the flaking.

[Machineguntony]

People say that nickel brass cases and brass cases have no practical difference. This is absolutely not true.

I used to love nickel brass, and would use it just for the look. Also, if you go to a range that doesn’t like/allow reloads, then nickel brass looks cleaner and newer than brass cases. It’s way easier to make nickel brass look ‘new’.

The main downside with nickel brass is that the nickel is just electroplated onto the brass. Electroplating means that there may be as little as a few molecules worth of nickel on the brass. After a few reloadings, it will flake off into your dies and also your gun chambers, potentially scratching your dies and chambers. Electroplating is very easy to rub off, just carry around an electroplated trinket on your keychain for a couple of weeks and watch it wear off. Now imagine that material being pressed into your dies or blasted into your chamber.

But it makes for a pretty round, though.

[locknloader]

Do they only start flaking in the die/chamber of gun? Would it be noticeable during wet tumbling? I have a bunch of nickle 9mm cases and don't want to toss them unless they are going to cause damage.

[TailGator]

I haven't experienced the flaking, so I stand corrected by those with greater experience. I will keep an eye out for it. Thanks for the heads up.

[F. Guffey]

I have never got nickel to peal, I have tumbled it to the point the brass case was visible.

And then there was case forming. I wanted test cases that maintained that new case look so I formed 280 Remington nickel plated brass to 35 Whelen, 338/06 etc.; when necking and forming I never experienced pealing.

BUT! 50% if the cases split when necked up when using new cases as opposed to using new over the counter never fired 30/06 cases.

F. Guffey

[T. O'Heir]

Difference is about $20 per thousand more for nickel plated. Literally. Midway wants $149.99/1,000 for Starline brass .38 Special. $169.99 for plated.
Like Emerson says, plating can come off. I've found the case mouths crack faster than brass too. Otherwise, they're both loaded in exactly the same way.

[RickB]

Nickel is easier to find when it's on the ground.

I have nickel cases that have been loaded many times, the plating becomes thin and dull and bare brass will show through, but I have not seen plating flake off.

[hdwhit]

LilPewPew asked:
...is there an advantage to nickel cases also whats the difference...

The advantage of nickel plated cases is that they do not as readily tarnish as un-plated brass. And don't overlook the fact that they look cool. All of my 45 ACP self-defense loads are in nickel plated cases loaded with Hornady XTPs. I reserve the plain brass stuff for the lead semi-wadcutters.

Straight-wall cases have a very long life when reloaded carefully and since the nickel plating is added onto the brass case, it may start to crack or the nickel may start to flake off sooner than an un-plated brass case will start to split.

[chris in va]

I have found they split quicker than brass after a few reloads.

[Mobuck]

nickel plated don't turn green (as quick) in your "shootemup" gun belt

[USSR]

I have found they split quicker than brass after a few reloads.

+1. Brass cases typically will provide you with more reloads before splitting.

Don

[RC20]

I tried to resize some 9mm nickle coated. Setup was not at all happy.

Not worth it.

[mikld]

I started reloading in '69 using brass I scrounged from the local Police range. About 50% were nickel plated. I reloaded them just like I did nekkid brass because this was pre web and I only used common sense and my reloading books rather than relying on a forum for information. I started reloading "heavily" in '88 and processed/sized some of those nickel plated cases so much the nickel wore thin enough for the brass to show through. The 38 and 357 cases did not split any sooner than the plain brass and I haven't seen a "flaking" nickel case I can remember. I understand older cases were electroplated and newer ones are a "chemical wash", but I have some newer plated cases that seem to be holding up pretty good. I have a box of Federal 44 Magnum nickel plated cases that have been used only for my heavy 44 Magnum loads (265 gr. LRNFP over near max loads of WC820) and so far I have about 10-12 reloads on them and they look like new.

Just my experiences, no speculation or online hearsay...

[FlyFish]

I started reloading in '69 using brass I scrounged from the local Police range. About 50% were nickel plated. I reloaded them just like I did nekkid brass . . .

This has been pretty much exactly my own experience with nickel-plated and brass pistol cases over about 45 years of reloading. I did have one small batch of Remington cases that started flaking around the case mouth on their first reloading, so I tossed those and haven't had any problems with any others. I hear the comment about cases splitting so often that I have to believe it's real, but I just haven't experienced it.

[oley55]

I too have seen (at least I think) nickle cases split before brass, or is it that the splits are easier to spot on the nickle coated cases? Just a thought with zero data or study to back it up. Guess I'm just wondering out loud.

[Marco Califo]

If you have ever carried a sidearm for work, and especially with autoloaders, the nickle resists tarnishing much better than brass. With a semi-auto, I had to load (round in chamber) when arriving, and then unload at the end of shift.
If you look at available factory performance/duty/hollowpoint ammo, you will notice almost all are nickeled brass.

[Mobuck]

I don't have any problems reloading nickel plated brass. In fact it makes some nice looking loads when matched with Montana Gold HP's. Yes the nickel plating makes the case mouth a little more brittle causing it to crack/split sooner but I lose most of my 9mm brass anyway.

[RC20]

I never figure it out, not worth messing with (9mm reloading is fiddly enough)

On the other hand, I full agree that Nickle cases are by far the best for the carry loads.

I don't created enough to muck with, I don't find that many, so not an issue. I have about 1000 I have only cleaned so I am lifetime (for me) practice rounds.

[JeepHammer]

Unless the process has changed, you will find nickel plated brass harder.
It's not the nickel plating, it's electro-chemical hardening of the brass.
This is about ZERO issue with pistol brass, but it might be an issue for hyper accurate rifles where you want absloute consistent results.

Keep in mind, 'Nickel Plate' ISN'T!
It's nickel-chromium and harder than your chamber or brass.
Since it's harder than the brass, it flakes off as the brass expands, contacts & is resized.
Since chromium is harder than most chambers (harder than all common barrels/chambers) it very well CAN imprint in your chamber, and even your dies. (Like the guys told you)

Nickel-Chromium IS hard enough to scratch/imprint the necks of chambers, and the necks of sizing dies.

I reload plated & coated brass, but I won't use my best dies, and I won't shoot it through my best rifles.
A .02 cent piece of brass isn't worth scratching up high dollar competition dies or match/bench chambers.
If they sneak into pistol ammo, I don't care since chamber pressure in most popular handguns won't cause issues even with flaking plating.
It *Might* scratch a pistol die, but I don't own high dollar pistol dies, and considering the circular size of most pistol chambers, I just don't get excited about it...

[Bottom Gun]

One advantage of the nickel plated brass is its natural lubricity. That's why I prefer to use nickel brass in my semi auto pistols.