I just sized a couple hundred nickel plated cases for my .41 magnum and honestly, I didn't notice any difference.

 

Plated brass does run a little harder and more brittle on average. It will split sooner.

 

:dito:

 

An interesting read, value it as you see fit.

FORGET NICKEL-PLATED BRASS.... I liked the looks and feel of nickel-plated cases, but I don't load them anymore and here is why. The cases are strong and it is easy enough to outside neck turn them. That is not the problem. The nickel-plating on the case neck ID is like sandpaper. The only way you might be able to remove this grit is with a case neck ID reamer if you have a "tight neck" chamber and enough neck wall thickness to work with. If you have a loaded nickel-plated round laying around and don't believe me, just pull the bullet. It will look like you pulled it out of a tube of 180 grit wet/dry sandpaper. If you pull the bullet out of a brass case mouth that has been carefully chamfered and polished with the steel wool process above, it will be essentially like out of the bullet box. Want copper in the barrel? Start by sanding the surface of those nice polished precision bullets. Try it with a Moly Coated bullet and it is even worse; the nickel-plated cases scrape off the Moly. The nickel-plated case neck IDs don't get any better after you reload them a few times. They are still like sandpaper. Think about a few of those nickel pieces of grit imbedding into the copper of the bullet and what they do to your rifle barrel! I have heard that the nickel is hard enough to score some reloading dies and also wear down the expander ball. Any metal that hard, should be kept away from your precision barrel. I have heard that some people have had success in removing the nickel plate from the neck IDs with a stainless steel brush and a drill motor. I haven't tried it.

Varmint Al's Handloading/Reloading Page

 

Well now...that is great to know after you load 50 of them! So I wonder how it affects a hard cast lead bullet diameter after it is seated ?

 

I would like to see an answer to that myself, this is interesting, I don't usually have nickeled cases.

 

I load nickel for every caliber as well as brass however I only reload & shoot straight wall cases. Nickel certainly works harder and doesn't last as many times reloading however it sure do look good........

For hunting I stick with brass, for bench shooting I usually use nickel - just because I can. From 38 Special to 458 Winchester Magnum.

BTW I find Starline brass works harder than any other brand. If I had my way I'd only load Winchester brass.

1895gunner

 

I started with the nickle brass and mine start to flake at the case mouth after the third belling for bullet seating. I just bought 100 Starline brass brass and will go to those exclusively as the nickle ones continue to deteriorate.

 

I have been reloading my 45-70 with Starline nickel cases from day one. I have yet to experience a single problem. I bell the cases as little as possible, just enough to allow bullet seating. All of my cases are chamfered to facilitate an easy start to bullet seating. Most of the time I shoot jacketed bullets. Lead projectiles would require a larger bell and more work to the case mouth when crimping but I rarely shoot lead.

I prefer the nickel cases because the very smooth exterior should facilitate smooth cycling through the action and the cases stay much cleaner IMO. Yeah - they look good too.

On bottle necked cases I use conventional (unplated) brass cases.

 

The only nickel brass I have and use is 45 Colt for my revolver that may sit loaded for a longer time. My feeling is it may not discolor or corrode as fast as brass. Just a hunch, no scientific study done. The other is 357 magnum. The store bought hunting rounds (Rem and Fed 180gr) in that caliber came with nickel cases. I still use them for that purpose for the same reason as the 45 Colt cases. Never had an accuracy issue or copper issue in the barrel of the 1894C with the Rem 180SJHP factory ammo but we didn't shoot a lot of them either.

 

I guess it depends on the reloader. I use nickel plated 45-70 brass with no issues. I bought it specifically as a way to visually tell the difference between ammo loaded for different rifles that should not be mixed! I've reloaded my nickel plated many times....to the point where some of the nickel is wearing off!! Use it, reload it as much as you want.
You can load them lighter if you wish...that always extends the life of any brass.

 

I reloaded them with 40 gr. of IMR 3031 which is a great all around mild load giving 1460 FPS out of my 1895 GS and in the 1100's out of the BFR revolver.

 

fortyshooter -> Your the MAN firing that "big boy" hand gun!! 44mag is big enough for me! :beer:

 

Really it isn't that bad with those loads. Now these were the hotter Hornady 325 gr Lever loads clocked at 1460 out of the
5.5 inch barreled BFR. About as hot as I want to shoot...well with one hand. The last one thumped my knuckle with the trigger guard!

https://youtu.be/7Wh5teFf5lc

 

I found the sand paper necks also.

 

I like the looks of the nickle alot. There wasnt any available when i ibought my last batch though. I but the 250 count of the brass cases. Starline makes quality brass for sure.

 

I have nickel plated and brass Starline 45-70 cases. Since all three of my 45-70s are single shots I just push a 405 gr Laser Cast bullet into the fired case and I am done. I am lucky that all three rifles fired brass interchanges. I only shoot Trail Boss powder any more and only hunt steel gongs. Thanks for the heads up about the nickel cases, I will check them more carefully!
FM

 

What kind of results have you guys experienced annealing and tumbling nickel .45-70 cases?

 

The nickel is good for some things, keeping different loads separated and it stays real slick, no tarnish but it is more brittle, its too bad starline does not offer it direct. I used to really like it till a bunch of 38spl started splitting after several firings

 

I use the nickel brass a lot in 45 colt and 45-70, I like them for hunting. In the fall and winter on the prairie the grass is a brown gold or yellow and when you eject a case they usually fall head down with the black hole up, the regular brass is hard to pick out, but the nickel will usually shine if you walk around it some. The only nickel brass that I have had flake is some of the 357 brass that is cheap and will crack or flake on the first firing. These bullets were loaded with round nose lead and sold very cheap now I know why. I have had nothing but good experiences with the Starline

 

Well, I rec'd 100 nickel plated cases today and loaded 15 with Cast Performance .459 WLNGCs using RCBS Cowboy dies. Variation was .003 (") in length for 3 out of 25 that I measured. Separated the 15 that were exactly the same length. I only weigh for 6.5 / 7mm long range precision ammo. ALL cases were very smooth without dents or dings. A few case mouths were slightly out-of-round from being shipped loose in a cardboard box. Case mouths were very smooth and well plated, but gave them 3 light turns with the large 17-60 chamfer and deburring tool. Primer pockets were easily primed. Expanded case mouths half the bullet length below the crimp. Crimped medium with LeeFC. Chambers smoothly without any scuffing or scratches on the cartridge and extracts and ejects without problems.

Did not encounter any of the negatives that have been noted by various posters on the web.

Final evaluation after shooting them will be results of tumbling and annealing and reloading results.

 

Well, thanks Chigger...ordered 100, today.