fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
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.
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.