nickle cases suck

jakec · Jul 23, 2014

I have a bunch of nickle r&p 357 cases that keep splitting. About 1 in 20. Just found this one. You can chip it off with your fingers. This one is a 5 time reload and i have been known to run them slightly hot when the mood strikes but still. The brass cases of the same 5 firings havent had one split. All shot in the same ruger blackhawk.

Signal25 · Jul 23, 2014

I though this was going to be a pink case thread.....

Aaronious45 · Jul 23, 2014

Looks like the nickle is just chipping off right?

shootnstarz · Jul 23, 2014

Yep, something in the plating process makes these cases very brittle. Their purpose is to have ammo that won't easily corrode like a brass case would if you keep them in your belt loops or constantly load and unload you pistol, as those in the law enforcement business. They can be frequently handled without tarnishing the brass.

I always loaded my nickel cases with cast bullets and a lower charge, pure brass for higher velocity rounds. Even with that I don't get many reloads out of nickel cases. It's just the way it is with them, everybody has the same issue.

Rick

JohnAL · Jul 23, 2014

What Rick said.

Aaronious45 · Jul 23, 2014

Are they ok to shoot with the nickel peeling off?

jakec · Jul 23, 2014

well damn. i wish i had know that when i bought those 500 nickle cases. i guess 5+ reloads still aint terrible.

Va boy · Jul 23, 2014

Good post. I have a few I've cycled through 2 or 3 times. I'll start watching these closely for coating failure. Do you see any indication prior to loading like before or after sizing?

Calculated steps · Jul 23, 2014

I did some in .45 after the first time being reloaded an shot they showed signs. That was with base load.

gendoc · Jul 23, 2014

just too brittle for re-use for handloading.
that's my output on this subject.

RackinRay · Aug 6, 2014

If shooting them in one pistol, try not resizing. Saves stress on the case and may make the nickle last longer. They will falke eventually, as I found to my chagrin after gather and saving nickle plated for years!

molldog06 · Aug 6, 2014

I try to use my nickle plated cases for loading ammo I plan on storing for longer periods of time or when I know I will not be able to retrieve most of my cases. Might as well leave the crappier cases stacked in an ammo can for awhile/long-term or fallen somewhere I can not pick them up.

joraca · Aug 8, 2014

Starting with new nickel .357 cases for high pressure loads, I mark a stripe across the head with a permanent marker each time it is fired. Once it has been fired after having 3 stripes all the way across (meaning it has been fired four times) I put it in the bin for the low pressure loads. Once it shows the tiniest split there at the case mouth, I pitch it. I get maybe 12 loadings out of them for a Contender.

Joraca

gandog56 · Aug 9, 2014

Well I guess I'm strange because I LIKE nickel. I have some .38 special nickel plated brass I must have reloaded 20-30 times since I started reloading about 35 years ago.

jakec · Aug 9, 2014

gandog56 said:
Well I guess I'm strange because I LIKE nickel. I have some .38 special nickel plated brass I must have reloaded 20-30 times since I started reloading about 35 years ago.

You are strange!! jk. I like nickel too, based solely on looks, i just wish they didnt split so much. Seems like federal is the worst.

gandog56 · Aug 10, 2014

Well, a lot of that nickel I say is over 30 years old is Federal. But I use them in low power DEWC cast loads which is pretty easy on the brass. I mean I probably literally reloaded them 100 times, I bet. I also have quite a bit of Nickel in 10mm. I load them pretty stiff. But it seems like the brass ones split just as often.

Crazydoc68 · Aug 10, 2014

If you are gonna use the nickel cases for long term storage why don't you just use brass and put the large silica packets in with the ammo to absorb the moisture. They work great.

gandog56 · Sep 8, 2014

I like nickel because when my semi's throw them all over the place at the range, they're easy to pick out. Not to mention it's pretty hot and humid where I live. I mean my range is pretty much in a salt water swamp.

gandog56 · Sep 23, 2014

Crazydoc68 said:
If you are gonna use the nickel cases for long term storage why don't you just use brass and put the large silica packets in with the ammo to absorb the moisture. They work great.

Because I liive in a hot humid place where keeping them in ideal conditions is not always possible. But another reason I like them is all my semi-auto pistols. They seem to load better, and the nickel cases are eazsier to see among all the brass and steel casings all over the ground when they get flung everywhere. I recover more of my brass and am almost assured I am not grabbing someone else's brass he may be saving himself. Besides, look how pretty they are with my blue powder coated bullets!

jakec · Sep 23, 2014

gandog56 said:
Because I liive in a hot humid place where keeping them in ideal conditions is not always possible. But another reason I like them is all my semi-auto pistols. They seem to load better, and the nickel cases are eazsier to see among all the brass and steel casings all over the ground when they get flung everywhere. I recover more of my brass and am almost assured I am not grabbing someone else's brass he may be saving himself. Besides, look how pretty they are with my blue powder coated bullets!

View attachment 23952

those do look good. i knew i wasnt the only one on here powdercoating bullets.

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nickle cases suck

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