Starline Nickel Plated Brass

[jski3]

What are the pros and cons with Starline's nickel plated brass?

It comes at a premium; is it worth it?

I'm primarily interested in reloading for my revolvers + M1 Carbines.

 

[Goblin]

It has the same pros and cons as any other nickel plated brass. If you like nickel, I'd recommend it. Do you have experience with nickel plated brass, or do you need to learn more about it?

 

[rwsmith]

I find nickel...

Starline are sturdy cases and can be a tad harder to work. The nickel plate adds another tad of hardness, but I find the improvement in looks and staying clean and shiny forever to be worth it, especially since Starline cases can last many reloadings,

 

[BLUEDOT37]

For me nickel case have always been more trouble than they were worth (cost). I don't have any more in my inventory.

They seem more brittle, get scratched, & the plating flakes off.

In the long run my brass cases ended up looking better, & lasting longer, than the nickel cases.

.

 

[jski3]

It has the same pros and cons as any other nickel plated brass. If you like nickel, I'd recommend it. Do you have experience with nickel plated brass, or do you need to learn more about it?

I have a few from my Hornady Critical Defense rounds I've shot thru. But nothing extensive.

I've heard they're good with autoloaders but have heard nothing about nickel in revolvers.

Actually this thread has nothing specific to do with Starline. I've just noticed they're extending their nickel plated offerings.

 

[steveno]

many years ago I ordered 500 rounds of Starline nickel 45 acp brass. after looking at a few they had some major quality issues. some of the cases were partially plated and some looked liked they were plated using an eye dropper as there was bubbles on them. I sent a few of them back to Starline and a couple of months later they sent me 100 new cases and the plating was a lot better. I think they changed their process or supplier. from the 500 I probably have about 250 left either to just being lost or splits. the cases that are left have well over 30 loads on them. nickel plated cases are a lot easier to find in the grass also. I like nickel cases as they seem to feed a little better due to the lubricity of the nickel plating. I think that once you get 10 to 15 loads on a case they have paid for themselves so anything over that is just icing on the cake.

 

[JHB51]

Nickel plated case life is shorter due to splitting. It doesn't matter who makes them.

 

[Hang-Fire Hank]

COMPARATIVE THOUGHTS

jski3:

As others have pointed out, nickle cases are more brittle, so when belling the case mouths in reloading, I try to put as little a flare on them as possible. Having done that, I still get some that split full length at every loading just from age.

How long they'll last also has to do with how "hot" you'll load them. Mild velocities will make them last longer.

Upside is that they're easier to spot on the ground, fired from a semi-auto, than brass-brass. I only use nickle .45 ACP, when shooting IPSC with a semi-auto. Several of my shooting friends give me their nickle cases, because of their relatively short life.

If I had to buy cases, I wouldn't get any nickle plated even if they were the same price.

Probably a pretty rare situation, but a rifle I had relined had such a tight chamber, nickle cases even full length sized, wouldn't chamber whereas regular brass would.

Good luck, stay safe when reloading, have a good time!

Hank M.

 

[MichiganScott]

Nickel plated case life is shorter due to splitting. It doesn't matter who makes them.

I'd like to see your data proving that statement. I recently recycled a bunch of .38 special nickel plated cases I received in some commercial reloads purchased in 1972. They had been reloaded enough in the past 45 years that the nickel had become virtually transparent and you could see the brass color underneath it.

Some of them had neck splits over time, but so did some brass cases of the same vintage. I do agree that newer nickel cases require more force at the press. I can't say that I ever had the plating flake off or scratch more than brass.

 

[JBnTx]

I quit using nickel plated brass in the 1970's.
It's more trouble than it's worth.

 

[jski3]

I have read that nickel's surface acts almost as a lubricant and make the cycling process in autoloaders less problematic. And in revolvers, it makes the spent case less likely to stick in the chamber.

Admittedly, different metals have different surface properties and maybe that gives the edge to nickel?

 

[at_liberty]

What are the pros and cons with Starline's nickel plated brass?

It comes at a premium; is it worth it?

I'm primarily interested in reloading for my revolvers + M1 Carbines.

Generally you get enough plated cases in defensive ammo that you buy. Those cases work well for ammo that will rarely if ever get fired, yet are exposed to things that would discolor brass and maybe cause sticky extraction. For cases in your reloading rotation you are better off with brass.

 

[muddocktor]

I'd like to see your data proving that statement. I recently recycled a bunch of .38 special nickel plated cases I received in some commercial reloads purchased in 1972. They had been reloaded enough in the past 45 years that the nickel had become virtually transparent and you could see the brass color underneath it.

Some of them had neck splits over time, but so did some brass cases of the same vintage. I do agree that newer nickel cases require more force at the press. I can't say that I ever had the plating flake off or scratch more than brass.

I can give you my direct experience with Starline's nickel plated 357 Mag brass. I bought 500 of them around 3-4 years ago. I got to around 5 loadings and after shooting them that fifth time, 80% of them had split mouths. My experience with other brands of nickel plated brass manufactured in the 70's and 80's runs along with what you have seen and they last as long as brass cases of the same vintage and I'm still using some of them in fact with dozens of reloadings. But the nickel Starline didn't hold up well at all for me and I will not buy any more in the future either.

Now, Starline's brass (non-nickeled) cases hold up extremely well. I have some brass 357 Mag cases I bought a few years ago also and there are 1 or 2 boxes of them I have run real hard to to see how durable they are and they are around 14-15 loadings on them and are in good shape still.

I think something about Starline's nickel plating process must make their plated brass especially brittle and prone to splitting.

 

[jski3]

It is possible things have changed in 3-4 yrs.

 

[rwsmith]

Since we are getting into this deeper....

During the shortages and .357 cases were very hard to find, Starline finally made a run and I jumped on them. They seemed extra heavy and hard and were extremely difficult to work with. That's the only time I've been disappointed with them.

 

[mtgianni]

Rumors say that nickel cases can flake and damage dies. I have no personal experience but see no reason to doubt it.

 

[jski3]

If nickel's surface does act as a lubricant then it would seem that the nickel plated cases would be easier on reloading dies. In particular the resizing die.

 

[muddocktor]

It is possible things have changed in 3-4 yrs.

Good luck with them then. I won't try nickel Starline cases again. Anyways, their brass cases are some quality stuff and hold up really well.

 

[JHB51]

I'd like to see your data proving that statement. I recently recycled a bunch of .38 special nickel plated cases I received in some commercial reloads purchased in 1972. They had been reloaded enough in the past 45 years that the nickel had become virtually transparent and you could see the brass color underneath it.

Some of them had neck splits over time, but so did some brass cases of the same vintage. I do agree that newer nickel cases require more force at the press. I can't say that I ever had the plating flake off or scratch more than brass.

I load my ammo in batches. As I process the split cases go in a coffee can. At the end of that run the can is emptied in to the scrap barrel I cant remember the last time I tossed a brass case away for a split mouth or body. The can is usually all nickel cases. I have tossed some with the plating pealing. There may be a couple left where the plating was so thin it was worn off and then you get one that you cant read the head stamp any more but those are always brass. This I have doing for 45+ years. But to answer your question I have never seen the need to document my scrap.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

I like to be able to determine what reloads are full bore 357 Magnum vs. a milder "target" load by sight: these Starline cases give me that ability.

In my experience nickel cases are quite durable... And "purty"!

Cheers!