Why Nickle Plated Brass?

[fingers284]

My experience has shown that the life expectancy of nickle brass compared to unplated should be divided between high & low pressure loads (by low pressure I mean .38sp or .45 colt at 700 fps or so, high pressure would be above 30,000 psi).

I have no experience at all with the high pressure usage, just what I've read
but usage in the low pressure area is in the tens of thousands (probably approaching 200,000 rounds now). My .38 sp brass rotation contains both brass & coated on no planned model volume, they get used as they come down the auto feeder out of the hopper. I don't sort brass at all and some of my nickle brass is still from the first 1000 I bought in 1973...so its been through the "hopper" untold times. There are 4 people using these rounds as they come from the press, 3 different rifles & 6 different pistols...so they get around a lot.

I try to keep around 5-7000 rounds in our rotation, some get multiple uses a year. I do throw a few cracked mouth rounds away each year, probably average 6 0r 7 a year is all and the big thing here is I absolutely could not say i chuck more plated then un-plated. Cracked case mouth failures (and I very heavy roll crimp every round) actually are smaller amounts than cases that get loose primer pockets from use ...again I can not say more plated are chucked.

For plated brass use in high pressure rounds I will certainly not disagree with those that have used them but I sure do disagree that plated brass is not a viable option for target/plinking rounds...50 years of testing says they are.

 

[Longwalker]

I completely agree about plated brass being OK for handgun cartridges for target / plinking use. I was referring to rifle cartridges when I wrote my comment above.

 

[Eagleye]

I have no issues with nickle plated brass in my 357 Magnum, or 44 Magnum.
These I am using carbide FL resizing dies for.

However, I automatically delegate all nickle plated Bottlenecked rifle brass to
the recycle bin.

I had a 30-06 FL sizing die scratched by a flake of nickle plating that came
loose during the sizing process. [RCBS, honoring their flawless customer service,
replaced that die, no charge] That was the last nickle plated case I ever resized.
Dave.

 

[cigar]

Nickel plated is for forms of LE. The rounds can sit in a mag for a long time, in a daily carry pistol, in all weather & in rifles etc. It resists corrosion & should be ready to go when needed.

 

[bcsteve]

I have no issues with nickle plated brass in my 357 Magnum, or 44 Magnum.
These I am using carbide FL resizing dies for.

However, I automatically delegate all nickle plated Bottlenecked rifle brass to
the recycle bin.

I had a 30-06 FL sizing die scratched by a flake of nickle plating that came
loose during the sizing process. [RCBS, honoring their flawless customer service,
replaced that die, no charge] That was the last nickle plated case I ever resized.
Dave.

I had the same thing happen with Hornady .35 Whelen dies forming brass out of nickel .30-06 brass. Even though reading on the forums that the nickel plating is softer then the hardened die steel and it can’t happen. I was able to polish the scratches out.

 

[TargetAcquired]

Never once thought about this until I bought a modern PCC, nickle plated ammo feeds more reliably in the semi than regular brass. Feels like it is smoother through the action. And way better than aluminum.
Can't find nickle 45acp brass anywhere though.

 

[ted_dent]

Never once thought about this until I bought a modern PCC, nickle plated ammo feeds more reliably in the semi than regular brass. Feels like it is smoother through the action. And way better than aluminum.
Can't find nickle 45acp brass anywhere though.

They do exist (I have few in my 45 range brass bucket) but are not very common. As some have noted nickel handgun brass is often in the domain of law enforcement agencies and since virtually no police force uses 45 ACP any more the supply seems to have pretty much dried up.

 

[Mikehenrybell]

They are good looking but tend to crack more often in my 357 magnum

 

[VICIOUS]

Hamilton cop walks into gun store ,ask for help to get GREEN brass bullets out of revolver. Loan same a handful of bullets to finish his shift. That why NICKLE cases

 

[ipscgraz]

Nickle brass can be vey useful. I used to have a 280 rem and a 270Win. Both were based on 30-06 brass. The loaded rounds looked almost identical.

I only used nickle brass for the 280. Made ID easy.

I use nickel brass for .44 mag rifle, and unplated for .44 mag pistol. Rifle ammo is loaded substantially hotter.

 

[Battle Rat]

They won't corrode if left in a leather shell belt for extended periods like brass does.

 

[Northernfly]

They do exist (I have few in my 45 range brass bucket) but are not very common. As some have noted nickel handgun brass is often in the domain of law enforcement agencies and since virtually no police force uses 45 ACP any more the supply seems to have pretty much dried up.

Most of my 45ACP casings that are nickel plated are Remington, presumably from their Golden Sabre rounds being purchased at the shop and fired off at the range so one can feel what +P feels like, or something like that.
Any of the nickel plated 9mm or 40S&W casings that I've collected over the years either flake on the first reload or are good for one more then the finish flakes off. Now I couldn't care less about it.
For my purposes of load testing, practice, and competition, brass vs. nickel means virtually nothing. Admittedly though, I love the way my reloads look with nickel plated brass.
For precision rifle shooters, where tolerances and tight chambering might demand a smooth surface, or in instances where corrosion could become an issue, I would probably want that treatment on my brass.
Nothing that hasn't been said already I think, but just my 2c.