The good, the bad and the pretty... nickel plated cases

[rustybayonet]

Nickel plated case question:

Are they any better than plain brass?

Are they any worse than plain brass?

Are they nothing special or just pretty?

[compshootfl]

They clean easily.

Loading takes a little more effort.

Easy to find, so picking up your own brass is easier (I recover about 90% of my own brass).

Overall...I use and like them...especially since I got a 5 gallon bucket for free.

Edited April 19, 2016 by compshootfl

[dansedgli]

They seem to split easier.

[Sarge]

I trash them or trade them if I happen upon a huge quantity

[Bamboo]

I've heard that they help feeding as nickle is harder and slicker. If you look at the coefficient of friction tables for brass on brass and nickle on nickle you'll find that nickle has a higher coefficient than brass so I think that is just folklore. I agree that they split easier but I've shot nickle plated 38 super and tumbled them so often that the nickle plating has been worn off. I can't tell a difference between brass vs nickle as far as function in the gun, and reloading brass takes less force than reloading nickle.

On the plus side they look great loaded with Montana Gold bullets, so the cool factor is high.

I wouldn't spend a penny more for nickle over brass but if I have them I'll use them.

[herky]

They seem to split easier.

My experience as well, especially 38 special, have not had the same problem with 40 or 9.

[Southpaw]

They seem to split easier.

This

[OPENB]

I was using nickel to load minor, but got tired of sorting them, so now I just use different bullets to tell my loads apart.

[314shane]

I agree with, "they split easier"

[al503]

Agree about the splitting but disagree about the friction/slickness.

Don't know anything about the friction coefficients but if I rub two clean nickel cases together, they feel noticeably slicker than rubbing two clean brass cases.

[FlashAndPoof]

Really? What caliber do you guys notice nickel splitting more?

I don't think I've ever had one split on me before... but then again the overwhelming majority of my reloads are brass case and I probably lose them in the grass too early to notice.

[EEH]

No

No

Yes

[al503]

Really? What caliber do you guys notice nickel splitting more?

I don't think I've ever had one split on me before... but then again the overwhelming majority of my reloads are brass case and I probably lose them in the grass too early to notice.

I've loaded up Starline 38SC brass and nickel more than a dozen times. During that time, I had a few nickel cases split at the mouth but zero of the brass cases. I know its not a huge sample size but it does seem to go with what most seem to report.

[Southpaw]

Really? What caliber do you guys notice nickel splitting more?

I don't think I've ever had one split on me before... but then again the overwhelming majority of my reloads are brass case and I probably lose them in the grass too early to notice.

9mm. I've had a LOT more nickel cases split than brass. I've even had a once fired nickel case split when reloading it for the first time.

[Sarge]

I was using nickel to load minor, but got tired of sorting them, so now I just use different bullets to tell my loads apart.

Same here Bob. BBI's in minor loads and JHP's for Open.

[bfalcon00]

They seem to split easier.

My experience as well, especially 38 special, have not had the same problem with 40 or 9.

Yeah I got a whole bucket of nickel 38 special that just sits in the corner of the basement. Maybe I'll figure out a good use for them one of these days.

[fishsticks]

In my experience both the 9 and 40 nickel split at a higher rate than brass. I just roll with it. Not all of them split and they make up a low percentage of the range pickup I use. They blend in with the rock in our bays, so I probably lose more than I pick up anyway. I wouldn't specifically buy any though.

[warpspeed]

love nickle cases. no spiting issues for me.

[rishii]

Add me to the list of nickel user

I switched to nickel 38 supercomp case a few years back, and have not regretted it

It cost more that regular supercomp brass, but I get more of my brass back than before

In my club we police the brass after the match, and the nickel cases are easier to find in the grass, and in the pile of brass we sort thru

Afterwards

[CZinZA]

Since the nickel cases are just brass cases plated with a microscopically thin film of nickel, there should be no reason for them to split more readily. If this is the case, though, then i wonder which aspect of the plating process is making the brass work-harden faster so as to split sooner. The engineer in me is intrigued

Sent by Jedi mind control

[JohnnyD]

They do seem to split a lil faster but I don't really care as all my brass is range brass (hello free).

If I were to buy brass I would definitely skip the nickel if I had an option.

[EEH]

When I shot revolver I had 1000 Nickle cases and I loaded them for several times with no problem..it was a 625 shooting major.. Mostly jacked bullets,not coated.

[OPENB]

I noticed 38Spl. cases that splitted sooner than brass, but 9mm seemed to last the same. Most duty ammo is plated to resist corrosion better, & supposed better lubricity, & therefore more reliable. But I wouldn't pay a premium for it for our game.

[open17]

I don't care one way or the other for local matches and practice ammo. As long as

it's not split, the primers don't fall out and it fits a case gauge---it's good to go.

Usually purchase a few thousand nickel 9mm for major match ammo. I do believe

it's just a touch slicker, there is a better chance it's actually once fired, and the rims and

extractor grooves are generally not beat up. It seems to feed and extract just a touch smoother.

Load it , shoot it at Sectional/Area matches, walk away.

[wgj3]

I like it!

Anyone who wants to toss nickel cases out, let me know and I will pay for shipping and your trouble to send it my way.

I think it makes really pretty ammo, and when I'm really sucking at a big match, I can look into one of my ammo boxes and think, "Damn, at least my ammo looks awesome!"