Nickel 45 auto brass hard to load

[JimHartman]

I got 1000 new Starline 45 auto brass from Midway last week, and loaded some 200gr lead swc tonight .A first for me with nickel 45 brass, man was this stuff allot more difficult than regular brass case. I have a Dillon 550 the bell / powder drop die digs into the inside of the case and it's really hard to pull out. Is this just the way it is with nickel brass? I was going to try and polish the bell fitting and see if this helps, I think I'm done with nickel. I have loaded 1000's of brass and never this problem.

 

[Alk8944]

New brass, plated or not, will do just what you have observed. The fouling left from firing has sufficient lubricating properties to prevent galling on the expander, but new cases are completely clean. The brass galls onto the expander because of the lack of lubrication.

With new cases you need to lubricate the necks very slightly to avoid this. A Q-tip with just a drop or two of case lube wiped just inside the case mouth of every 3rd-5th case is adequate. It will do a hundred or so.

 

[Nframecollector]

I have never had any problems with nickel-plated brass. I have a few 1000 357's I've been loading for years. A few 100 45 a.c.p.'s also and a few 100 45/70's with nary a problem!

 

[JimHartman]

I found an old can of powder Mica and dipped the mouth in it very slightly and it slid up and out with ease. Looks like I found an easy solution.

 

[growr]

spray it with one shot spray lube.........

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I keep all the 45ACP brass I can find. I separate the nickle plated cases to use for an indicator of a different load than standard. Ivan

 

[dickttx]

The mica should take care of it. Or graphite. I would also try polishing them with corn cob and Nu-finish before you load the next batch.

 

[zonker5]

Did you chamfer the inside edge of the case to remove any burrs left behind? I do that on all brass being reloaded for the first time, new or once fired.

 

[DWalt]

I've never noticed any difference in reloading nickeled vs. plain .45 ACP cases.

 

[SMSgt]

The only difference I've noticed is nickel cases have a much shorter lifespan.

 

[chief38]

Nickel cartridges are ever so slightly thicker than the plain brass ones. They have to be because they have more material on them. I can always feel a Nickel cartridge in the sizing die - it's not difficult or "hard" to size, but it does have a slight bit amount more resistance.

Nickel will also not last as long as the plain brass variety because it make the cartridge more brittle. Certain Nickel will last longer than others depending on the caliber. For example, 38 Specials Nickel shells will last longer than .45 Colt or 45 acp nickel will. This is primarily because the 38's I load expand and distort less than the other two do thus you will get more life out of the 38's. If ultimate longevity and ease of loading is desired, then stick with brass only.

In general I do prefer brass, but for carry purposes in any type of leather holster, loops or cartridge carrier the Nickel won't get the green Verdigris that the brass will and so I use Nickel for that. Gotta have Nickel cartridges in your Cowboy Rig - just looks real cool and will never dull or turn green.