Nickel vs Brass Case Question

[Fathergoose1]

Searched this and could not fine anything, but is there any advantage to using Nickel cases vs Brass cases and vise versa. Have always used nickel since that is what I had and was just wondering. Thanks for the info.

 

[FlyFish]

Nickel-plated cases were developed to avoid the corrosion that brass suffers from being in contact with leather gunbelt loops. I load them interchangeably with brass and haven't noticed any real difference. Some say they're easier to resize and others claim they split sooner than brass - I don't necessarily doubt either claim, but neither has been my experience. I did have one lot of plated Remington brass that started flaking pieces of nickel after one firing, so I tossed those, but otherwise I haven't had any issues. I have some old nickel Super Vel .357 cases that I've been reloading for about 40 years - the plating has pretty much worn off some of them.

 

[retired_diver]

If i have a choice i like nickel only because it cleans up faster and "better" in my tumbler using walnut shell media otherwise i have not noticed any real difference in 40+ years of reloading. I have some 44 mag cases that use to be nickel but have been reloaded so many times (not at max or even near max) that they are brass now.

 

[klausinak]

I have had nickel cases split after two or three firings, I've also had them last nearly forever. FlyFish is correct in that they were developed to stop corrosion. For myself, I won't throw away nickel, but as far as buying it, I only use it to help differentiate loads. For example I have 100 pieces of nickel 45-70 that are only used for my 1885 loads, at a glance I can tell that those don't belong in a Trapdoor Springfield.

Just my .02...

-Klaus

 

[venomballistics]

I like either type.
as to plated splitting ... yeah Ive seen it, it does happen.
however, plated shuns dirt, corrosion and most other harsh environment imposed issues better than straight brass.

as a result, the special collection working ammo finds itself in plated when possible.This would be the glove box spare ammo, hunting ammo, dawn patrol ammo... anywhere its carried more than fired.

target, competition, and plinkmeister specials are natural brass.
that is, any ammo likely to undergo ammo to reloading component conversion upon exposure to sunlight.

this seems to do a good job of shifting demands into the type for which it's better suited

 

[mikld]

A lot of "Nickel vs Plain" questions lately. For a new reloader, treat them all the same. Keep the nickel and plain separate and see for yourself if there is a noticeable difference. (I have some nickel cases from the late '60s that are still reloaded occasionally and some .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum "hot" loaded cases. No noticeable difference in case life).

 

[Neumann]

Plated cases stay bright longer, especially in leather holders. Since nickel is harder than brass, it tends to wear steel dies faster. Carbide doesn't matter. It's also a little slicker, easier to resize.

Some find that nickel cases spit sooner than brass. It's hard to say with any certainty. Avoid over-flaring the mouth and you're probably okay. Like another poster, I have used nickel cases to distinguish "hot" rifle loads from those that can be used in some handguns or actions, like .45 Colt. In retrospect, that's a dangerous practice. Rather than a "hot" .45, I use a .44 Magnum.

 

[RussellD]

I like nickel of you are carry the ammo outdoors for any length of time. Other than that I prefer brass. Nickel cases seem to split faster than the brass equivalent and they can scratch your dies if there is any grit or dirt on them.

I wouldnt pay extra for nickel cases for my type of shooting.

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

I segregate and load separately my 38 special "Wadcutter" brass(double cannelure around the center), most of which I bought very well used. About half of it is brass, a quarter nickel, and a quarter brass that was once nickel(the only remaining nickel plating is on the head). Most of it is R-P or W-W headstamped, but I get an occasionally Peters, W.R.A. or other old headstamp. Most of it keeps plugging along just fine. I get an occasional split(usually in brass W-W cases) but that's it.

I also have a handful of nickel plated cases in other calibers, primarily 357 magnum and 44 magnum. In nickel 357s in particular, I have a pretty wide variety of headstamps, including Starline, R-P, W SUPER W, Winchester, Speer, and probably a couple of others I'm forgetting. I set them aside primarily for load segregation purposes, and usually the nickel cases end up getting maximum loads of "magnum" powders(2400, 296, N110, 300MP, etc) so are probably stressed more than my brass 357 cases that I use for my more moderate 357 loads. I've yet to have a 357 case split, in either nickel or brass.

 

[bedbugbilly]

I load both brass and nickel . . . but I much prefer the nickel . . especially in my 38 spls. Just makes a nice looking round as I'm one of those who doesn't tumble his brass.

 

[Fathergoose1]

Nickel vs Brass

Appreciate all the info on the cases, makes a lot of sense, like I said in my first post, I use nickel since I have them, but will try to pick up a few brass to play around with some. Thanks again!!