Im new to reloading ... Does this sound weird ??
- Thread starter CoadyT
- Start date
Its a .244 ... Fatory nickel is out im sure. Even 6mm would be a rare find i think. But realistically i have like 7 boxes of factory .244 75 gr. And 5 full boxes of once fired brass. So why not try and make some fancy awesome shooting .244 head stamped nickel ammo��.
This has been a thought of mine. And all casings would be done in the same process (box to box maybe even all four) so i think the metal deposit will be the same. I dont plan to start with max loads. It will be imr4831 under 55 gr im leaning toward. And the pretty casings wont end up with 100% loads like noselrs charts say along with all the rest. Real brass maybe. But the pretty ones if all goes well probably finah it with 95% loads or maybe even just say 90%. Although id like to know they will shoot well and yeah im gonna do extras abd shoot a few to make sure they do. This is more a bullet to just have around ...
This is some good info !!! Have you had experience with factory nickel casing cracking. This would be a mojor concern obviously. Id like to think winchester selling this as one of there more expensive shells would have got it right.
You are likely way off for a bunch of reasons you don't even understand.
Nickel plating is going to alter the thickness of every part of the case. A case, which is a specific thickness for a reason. Sizing will not solve this problem. To my understanding, commercial nickel cases are only plated on the outside. I would highly suspect that the case is slightly under sized prior to the plating in order to bring it to correct size and thickness post plating. Incorrect thickness can cause a whole raft of problems from the primer to the neck. Some of those potential problems could cause the rifle to explode in your face.
Brass cartridge cases are a mixture of strength and malleability for a reason. Making the case tougher is very much not a good idea. Heating the entire case beyond a specific temperature is also a VERY BAD idea. Either of these things can cause the rifle to explode in your face.
But once, again, you seem to know better than a bunch of people here who have been reloading for decades, so go ahead, risk your life and your rifle on a shiny vanity cartridge case. I'm sure the risk is totally worthwhile.
Winchester may well have gotten it right but the guy you are going to use knows absolutely nothing about plating a cartridge case or what that case has to endure during the firing process. You also have no idea how or if the case is treated or annealed post plating. You know nothing about how cases are plated and yet you are going to place your face a few inches from a 60,000 psi pressure event? Maybe go look up some pics of what happens to people when a rifle fails. Mostly it involves having pieces of metal removed from their face and eyes.
Because it could result in the rifle exploding in your face.
Ok easy ... I will say again im not an expert in any of these field !!! Use iv been trained in on ... Metal. I have thought about the whole thickness parts too like mentioned. I was hoping that the cartrige rim wouldnt be affcted enough to make extraction an issue. But then again im not sitting here with two cartriges and casing plated and not. I can guarentee you someone out there is probably looking at .280 nickel and brass cassings and could easily look inside. Contrary to belife i use alot of forms to gain info and make educated decisions, get some advice from other peoples experiences !!! Opinons can help in more ways than one ...
Plated cases have been around for a long time... As a minimum, I would think the plating thickness would cause problems on the primer pockets, and possibly the flash hole. An OEM would take this into account by adjusting the case size before plating. Your idea to swage the nickel or chrome out of the pockets might be a tad simplistic.
BTW - Why not plate that Rem 760 to match?
BTW - Why not plate that Rem 760 to match?
The more and more i read. Im actually starting to think its not that big of a deal. Yes is harder i think ... Tough on dies. But i have read that some realoaders actually prefer them. And the same can be said for the removal of nickel in the casing neck. I think a bras brush and that gone. This is obviosly not gonna be a quick process to and end result. But im down to see how far i get too.
Primer pockets might be an issue ... Id be hopfull to just clean before plating and it fits in after. If thats the case, after dimensions are checked and tripple checked. Id feel confident in the fact that wall thickness of the brass wasnt affected by plating ie. Base metals make the finish diffrent. Its super thin !!
Primer pockets might be an issue ... Id be hopfull to just clean before plating and it fits in after. If thats the case, after dimensions are checked and tripple checked. Id feel confident in the fact that wall thickness of the brass wasnt affected by plating ie. Base metals make the finish diffrent. Its super thin !!
If i were to attempt plating on a case i would size the case, insert a spent primer then plug the case mouth with a rubber plug so the inside in not plated.
If you have a common calibre gun i would use that brass for practice runs and see how things go with various thickness of plating. I would think the plating companies have an idea of how thick the plating is based on time spent plating. What ever the stand time is (lets say 30 minutes) i would ask for batches of 20 cases at 10minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes etc up to 30 minutes. Then you can judge if it looks as you want and see how it effects reloads as far as case capacity.
If you have a common calibre gun i would use that brass for practice runs and see how things go with various thickness of plating. I would think the plating companies have an idea of how thick the plating is based on time spent plating. What ever the stand time is (lets say 30 minutes) i would ask for batches of 20 cases at 10minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes etc up to 30 minutes. Then you can judge if it looks as you want and see how it effects reloads as far as case capacity.
Well from what im getting winchester casings and any factory nickeled casing still have the nickel in the neck ... If i was to be able to remove it at all the only real purpose would be to save some barrel life. This being not to important at al being that im not gonna make up four boxes and go blast them all off. I can do that with others. Id try a barrel brush in a drill would do the trick. I might use up a set of dies ... But doubt it. People seem to be reloading nickeled stuff all the time. All the comments are good though its making me really think and come up with possible solutions. Ill come up with a procedure soon. But again as long as my dimentions are matching up things would go forward.
We kind of think alike sir !! I had the same idea of leaving a spent primer in maybe even do all the case primer pockets and all and then insert a dummy spent primer again befor plating. Seat it nice and deep so when its extracted after plating and the real on put in its place the flush serface wouldnt even have a finsh flaw.
As for the other end. I think your right. Ideally no nickel inside the casing would be a lerfect world and just take that much more chance out of the situation. But that something that ill need to discuss with the plated before hand and get his opinion. That fact that factory cases seem to be plated inside and out lead me to belive its not an issue. UNLESS manufatures would go through the hassle of have brass of two diffrent specs for the same cartrige. One for plane brass and one for brass to be plated. I doubt that very much !!
The length of time is a good thought though. Thats how probably all metals build up in this eltro process ... Time. And again from what iv read the nickel cracking not the brass around the neck. If from repeded reloads. And yeah you stretch out the nickel it cracks but the brass being softer stays together.
Awesome !! Whats the inside of the neck look like if you dont nind me asking ? No cracks in the nickel finish even after being reloaded a few times ?
No cracks that I can see . tried scratching the in side of the neck with a dental pick I would say also plated as it does not mark easily .
But it is marking ?? A high spped brass or steel brush will make short work of that if need be im guessing.
