Nickel plated brass

[Turk]

Has anyone ever done a test to see how many times nickel plated brass can be reloaded before the plating starts to flake?  I’ve always heard don’t buy it because if flakes so over the years I’ve stayed away from it.  I would like to see some data.  I’ve got some 45 ACP case ( brass)  I’ve been shooting since the late 70’s and they’re still going strong.  The flaking plating story is something like a war story you know that it came from your brothers, uncles, grandfathers girlfriend

Have a good day.

Turk

[KansasPaul]

I've reloaded a lot of nickel plated brass the past couple of years.  A friend of mine gave me a large supply .357 and .38 spl cartridges and once fired nickel coated brass to reload and I have never had any of it flake.  However, with out a doubt, nickel plated brass will not hold up to reloads the way non-plated brass will.  I have experienced split case mouths after just one reload.  Typically I can only get 3 reloads out of nickel plated brass before it gets thrown away - way too many issues with split cases, split mouths and other integrity concerns. This happens with relatively mild loads.  I find that I can reload non-plated cases almost endlessly - just have to check case length and once they grow too long I pitch them (I find no reason to trim pistol cases). A few years back I remember reading an article in guns & ammo (?) regarding reloading .357 and the author commented on the longevity of nickel cases, which was the same as my experience.  I presume that the nickel causes the brass cases to be more brittle which accelerates case breakdown and which shows defects much sooner.

Paul

[huntswithdogs]

I'm still shooting some of the 100 243 cases that I bought on close out about 15 years ago. Never had any flaking problems with them, just split necks much like all my other brass cases. I have no idiea how many times they've been loaded but it's bunch. Somehow, somewhere I lost the paper that had that info.
I loaded a lot of 300 WM cases that were plated, mostly Fed. The brass was still in good shape but for the primer pockets. They'd started not to feel right when priming, so I tossed them after I shot them. No split necks and again no flaking.
Currently, I'm working my way back thru a lot of 500 pieces of Starline 45LC. I think I've loaded them 4-5 times now with no problems.

My youngun had some 7 Mag brass, made by Win, that was kinda flakey when he removed them from the box. These were factory loads. After shooting them, they got tumbled for a while and he's still loading them. Whatever was flaking must have been surface stuff because they're still looking good. I think he's loaded them about 3 times now.

HWD

[zeke08]

I have loaded lots of nickle plated brass an like the others split cases or mouths on mild loads. They just don't hold up as well as brass except for some Hornady 7mm cases, they have been reloaded probably 6-8 times with no signs of cracks splits or flaking. They also seem to hold more powder and primer pockets holding up just fine.

[Flint]

As the others have mentioned, nickel plated brass will split or crack long before it flakes.  The plating process apparently makes the brass more brittle.

I have had brand new nickel Remington 357 brass crack on the first shot....

Nickel brass was introduced to prevent verdigris (green oxidation) of brass from being stored in leather, as police used to do when they carried revolvers.

[Dill45]

As the others have stated here, it will split before the plating comes off.  I use Nickle plated cases for only light loads, they don't see any mild or hot loads, and I've found that they last quite a while that way.  I've been loading the same batch of Nickle 500 S&W cases for around 10 reloads.  But all of the loads I've shot through them have been very mild.  11gr's of TB under a 400gr Hard Cast bullet.

Nickle is really there to protect that ammo from unwanted oxidation.  One of the reasons I heard was to prevent corrosion of the cases from being stored in a case for extensive period of time, or while hunting in very wet/humid climates.

[Lloyd Smale]

I wont even use nickle brass anymore unless its given to me. Only exception is caliber identification. When i make say a 730 case out of a 3030 or a 2506 out of a 270 ect i like to use nickle brass. It tends to at least make people take a closer look at it. Nickle handgun brass for the most part is junk.

[HAMMERHEAD]

In auto pistol calibers I like nickel plated brass. I've shot the same nickeled .38 Super brass over and over again for years without trouble, cheap CBC brass from Mag tech ammo. No flaking, no splitting.
It's much easier to find in the grass and if it spends the winter under the snow, it's still in good shape when you find it in the spring.
Revolver and rifle I use plain brass.

[Catfish]

I cannot believe that Lloyd is the only one that does not like nickel brass. When loading cast bullets in straight walled cases where you have to open the case mouth to seat the bullets, or in rounds you put a heavy crimp on they only load acouple of times. I stay away from nickeled brass as much as posible. I do get some in range brass ect. , but sure don`t go out of my road to find it.

[gypsyman]

I'm not a fan of the nickel plated brass. My experience's seem to concur with others. The necks seem to split without that many reloads. It is alot easier to find in the grass. I'll use it if I find it, but will not buy it at any price. gypsyman

[gandog56]

Has anyone ever done a test to see how many times nickel plated brass can be reloaded before the plating starts to flake?  I’ve always heard don’t buy it because if flakes so over the years I’ve stayed away from it.  I would like to see some data.  I’ve got some 45 ACP case ( brass)  I’ve been shooting since the late 70’s and they’re still going strong.  The flaking plating story is something like a war story you know that it came from your brothers, uncles, grandfathers girlfriend

Have a good day.

Turk

And I have 38 special cases from the 70's that have probably been reloaded 30-40 times. But these are low powered DEWC loads.

[jhalcott]

 I think handgun  brass gets a different plating then rifle brass. I have had neck flakes on factory duplication rifle loads when reloading .270 and .280 nickel plated brass. I had one gun with a slightly over sized chamber that caused a couple 270 case plating to separate in the body area after 3 reloads. I know the flakes are hard enough to scratch your dies! That makes ME worry about my chamber walls if I get a flake in there!

[Turk]

Thanks for the input it looks that the high pressure brass maybe the main problem so I went ahead and did a test using brass 45 ACP.  I stopped at 10 times reloading and had zero failures.  I’m loading up a 1000 of nickel and 500 regular and will shoot the 5 brass a couple more time.

Turk

SUBJECT:  NICKLE PLATED 45 ACP BRASS, NUMBER OF LOADINGS BEFORE FAILURE

DATE:   9/8/2010

BY:   Turk

Components and equipment used.

Weapon:      Colt Series 70 Government Model

Brass:      45 ACP, Remington, Nickel Plated, Once Fired

Powder:   Winchester 5.3 grains

Bullet:   224 grain, Hand Cast. Lee 452-230-TC with SAECO Green Lube.  Bullet sized .451 diameter. 

Primer:      Winchester Large Pistol

Loader:  Hornady LNL auto press.  Using a Powder Through Expander .451 dia.   Dies:  Redding Titanium Carbide with a taper crimp die.


Test was done using 5 cases from a lot of 1000 rounds once fired.
8/29/2010   
1.  Sized   5 rounds      Visual OK
2.  5 rounds      Visual OK
8/30/2010      Visual OK
3.  Sized   5 rounds      Visual OK
4.  5 rounds      Visual OK
5.  5 rounds      Visual OK
8/31/2010
6.  Sized    5 rounds      Visual OK
7.  5 rounds      Visual OK
9/4/2010   
8.  Sized   5 rounds      Visual OK
9.  5 rounds      Visual OK
10.  5 rounds      Visual OK