nickel-plated cartridges

triggerhappy · 05-31-2005, 08:55 AM

There are two parts to this question.

1. Why...? What are the advantages with nickel plated brass over normal brass?

2. What is it? Is it chemically what it sounds like? Is the brass plated with nickel (Ni) or is it some other metal and it is just called nickel plating for some reason?

Steve71 · 05-31-2005, 11:31 AM

Triggerhappy,

From a reloading perspective, don't use them. RCBS informed me that the nickel is much harder than brass and can scratch the dies. I tend to agree and threw out all the nickel brass that I collected from the brass bucket at the range. I didn't want to chance using them. If they can scratch a die, they might just scratch a chamber in a gun as well.

Other than cosmetics, I don't know of any advantages. Good question. Maybe others have some input.

Steve

policeluger · 05-31-2005, 11:48 AM

While 71 is correct, if you are using/carrying ammo in a leather belt, it will not corrode like brass, and yes it is plated brass, but by far the best reason to use it is safety. I know several hunter/shooters who do not want to put the wrong cal in the wrong gun, so say they keep thier .300 win mag in nickle plated and thier .338 in brass...help stop confusing of mixing up ammo while in the field, or at the range and saves a real potential for a gun blowing up with the wrong ammo....as a gun smith I see this all the time...the .270 int the 30-06..bad news.

Rod WMG · 05-31-2005, 11:55 AM

People either like nickeled cases or they don't. I personally like them for at least a couple of reasons: 1) they are easier to size than unplated cases; 2) it makes it easier to identify a particular load if one special load is used for a caliber and the other loads for that caliber are in plain brass.

I've been told by a former Speer employee that they were used because in the leather belt loops of cops they turned green. Can't have police running around looking sloppy.

I've some nickeled .44 mag cases which have been loaded about 20 times. I only use them in .44 mag, .38 Spl., and .357 mag pistol cases and all my pistol dies are carbide so scratching probably isn't a problem with those.

I read an article a few years back which said that .38 Spl. nickel cases split more easily than others (reason unknown) and that they usually did it early on. I have found that to be true. Once the nickel cases have "proved themselves" by being loaded a time or two without splitting, they seem to last well.

I have read that these are brass cases which are plated. I haven't bothered to check that by scraping off the plating or anything, but I assume it's so.

l10 · 05-31-2005, 11:51 PM

Read an article recently about Custer. His men had leather amunition belts and copper/brass cased rounds for their 45-70 Carbines. The article stated that they had very little money budgeted for target shooting. It said that they often used the ammunition slotted for training/target practice for foraging while on patrol. This practice resulted in a decrease in readiness and markmanship. Also, ammunition stayed stored for long periods in the trooper's acidic leather ammo belts versus being rotated . After the battle they found a great number of knives with broken tips. Apparently the verdigris which formed on the ammuniton while stored in the belts baked the cases into the breech when they fired. The report said the broken tips were the result of soldiers using their blades to try and dig out the baked in cases. Again according to the article, that finding was a major motivation in the army switching to canvas looped ammuntion belts.

05-31-2005, 08:55 AM	#1
triggerhappy User Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 9 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	nickel-plated cartridges There are two parts to this question. 1. Why...? What are the advantages with nickel plated brass over normal brass? 2. What is it? Is it chemically what it sounds like? Is the brass plated with nickel (Ni) or is it some other metal and it is just called nickel plating for some reason?

05-31-2005, 11:31 AM	#2
Steve71 User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Sumner, Wa. Posts: 130 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Triggerhappy, From a reloading perspective, don't use them. RCBS informed me that the nickel is much harder than brass and can scratch the dies. I tend to agree and threw out all the nickel brass that I collected from the brass bucket at the range. I didn't want to chance using them. If they can scratch a die, they might just scratch a chamber in a gun as well. Other than cosmetics, I don't know of any advantages. Good question. Maybe others have some input. Steve __________________ "Hey soldier, don't forget to pick up the Lugers. Someday, they'll be worth a lot of money".

05-31-2005, 11:48 AM	#3
policeluger RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ca. Posts: 2,141 Thanks: 8 Thanked 89 Times in 54 Posts	While 71 is correct, if you are using/carrying ammo in a leather belt, it will not corrode like brass, and yes it is plated brass, but by far the best reason to use it is safety. I know several hunter/shooters who do not want to put the wrong cal in the wrong gun, so say they keep thier .300 win mag in nickle plated and thier .338 in brass...help stop confusing of mixing up ammo while in the field, or at the range and saves a real potential for a gun blowing up with the wrong ammo....as a gun smith I see this all the time...the .270 int the 30-06..bad news.

05-31-2005, 11:55 AM	#4
Rod WMG User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The Edge of Texas Posts: 514 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	People either like nickeled cases or they don't. I personally like them for at least a couple of reasons: 1) they are easier to size than unplated cases; 2) it makes it easier to identify a particular load if one special load is used for a caliber and the other loads for that caliber are in plain brass. I've been told by a former Speer employee that they were used because in the leather belt loops of cops they turned green. Can't have police running around looking sloppy. I've some nickeled .44 mag cases which have been loaded about 20 times. I only use them in .44 mag, .38 Spl., and .357 mag pistol cases and all my pistol dies are carbide so scratching probably isn't a problem with those. I read an article a few years back which said that .38 Spl. nickel cases split more easily than others (reason unknown) and that they usually did it early on. I have found that to be true. Once the nickel cases have "proved themselves" by being loaded a time or two without splitting, they seem to last well. I have read that these are brass cases which are plated. I haven't bothered to check that by scraping off the plating or anything, but I assume it's so.

05-31-2005, 11:51 PM	#5
l10 User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 17 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Read an article recently about Custer. His men had leather amunition belts and copper/brass cased rounds for their 45-70 Carbines. The article stated that they had very little money budgeted for target shooting. It said that they often used the ammunition slotted for training/target practice for foraging while on patrol. This practice resulted in a decrease in readiness and markmanship. Also, ammunition stayed stored for long periods in the trooper's acidic leather ammo belts versus being rotated . After the battle they found a great number of knives with broken tips. Apparently the verdigris which formed on the ammuniton while stored in the belts baked the cases into the breech when they fired. The report said the broken tips were the result of soldiers using their blades to try and dig out the baked in cases. Again according to the article, that finding was a major motivation in the army switching to canvas looped ammuntion belts.