rayco3
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 76
|
Post by rayco3 on Oct 30, 2012 15:14:40 GMT -5
Which do you prefer and why? Particularly for heavy (and 5-shot) .45 Colt loads. Thanks.
|
|
paulg
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,420
|
Post by paulg on Oct 30, 2012 18:04:34 GMT -5
The biggest I load if .429 but I prefer nickel. Seems to be slicker in the dies, if that makes any sense. That said I'll load whatever I can get my fat grubby hands on.
|
|
dmize
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 2,825
|
Post by dmize on Oct 30, 2012 22:54:54 GMT -5
In everything I have loaded.45 ACP,357 Magnum,44 Mag and 45 Colt,the nickle plated stuff splits WAYYYY earlier than the straight brass.
If I were you I would order some Starline brass cases and go from there.
|
|
Fowler
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 3,566
|
Post by Fowler on Oct 30, 2012 22:56:59 GMT -5
It seems to me the nickle work hardens quicker causing the necks to crack in far fewer reloads than regular brass does. Now the only nickle plated 45 colt brass I have played with was Remington brass and for my money all of their brass is pure crap. They were splitting and rupturing with moderate loads on the second or third loading of the brass. I have Starline brass that has seen 20 loadings and is still going strong...
|
|
dmize
.401 Bobcat
Posts: 2,825
|
Post by dmize on Oct 30, 2012 23:02:13 GMT -5
I agree with Fowler,stay away from R-P brass at all costs.
My personal experience would be R-P WORST,W-W okay,Federal BEST,Starline BEST that is easily obtainable.
|
|
|
|
Post by toroflow on Oct 31, 2012 10:34:08 GMT -5
In everything I have loaded.45 ACP,357 Magnum,44 Mag and 45 Colt,the nickle plated stuff splits WAYYYY earlier than the straight brass. If I were you I would order some Starline brass cases and go from there. That's been my experience too with nickel brass. |
|
c8101
.240 Incinerator
Posts: 29
|
Post by c8101 on Oct 31, 2012 12:00:15 GMT -5
I use nickle .45 colt cases to help identify my ruger only loads, but I don't load or shoot much of those these days so I only keep a couple hundred around. My experience has been the same as others, case splits after only two or three loadings in same cases, with all cartridges I have loaded for. I was recently given about 500 pieces of nickle 9mm from an LEO friend, I'll load them up for my stockpile, but problably won't keep them in circulation.
|
|
|
|
Post by curmudgeon on Oct 31, 2012 15:27:28 GMT -5
One has to remember that R-P and WW make their money from selling ammo, components are a side line. Nickel always seems to split at the mouth faster, regardless of load. IMNOSO
|
|
|
|
Post by depcon3 on Oct 31, 2012 18:34:23 GMT -5
I had a couple of old time reloaders tell me that they steered clear of nickel brass because it wore their dies out faster. Of course this was with bottle necked rifle cases, but it might transfer over to pistol caliber reloading as well. Come to think of it, I haven't had good case life with the nickel .45 Colt cases either. Mostly Speer nickel stuff is what I ended up with. They did usually last for a couple of runs through the machine, but not much more than that. Use mostly brass now.
|
|
|
|
Post by subsonic on Oct 31, 2012 19:23:49 GMT -5
Use nickle if it's free, but certainly don't go buying it on purpose unless you have a good reason as mentioned above like segregating certain loads.
I can see using it 1 time for self defense loads since it does seem to extract more easily.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 31, 2012 20:29:14 GMT -5
I sell off any nickel brass I accumulate at gun shows. I don't shoot much factory ammo any more, so I don't generate it very quickly now days. I too have had a lot of nickel brass fail prematurely with cracking, and also nickel flaking off at the case mouths. These chunks of nickel are really hard, and could scratch a cylinder throat or the barrel under the right circumstances. Since I've accumulated so much yellow WW brass over the years, I pretty much use it exclusively in most calibers. I've never seen an appreciable difference in performance between it and Starline. RP brass is another story entirely, I don't hold on to it at all any longer. Federal makes some great handgun brass, but I've had enough issues with 223 & 308 brass to shy away from their rifle brass completely.
|
|
|
|
Post by leftysrh on Oct 31, 2012 20:45:39 GMT -5
I reload and shoot a lot if nickel cases for my .38spl loads because the major matches I go to are lost brass matches. They can have that crap.
|
|
edk
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,118
|
Post by edk on Nov 1, 2012 7:59:58 GMT -5
I too have had a lot of nickel brass fail prematurely with cracking, and also nickel flaking off at the case mouths. These chunks of nickel are really hard, and could scratch a cylinder throat or the barrel under the right circumstances. Right on the money! Bench rest shooters won't touch the stuff... |
|
|
|
Post by Ken O'Neill on Nov 1, 2012 8:08:53 GMT -5
Looks like most everyone has had the same experience as me. I'll never buy another nickel plated case.
|
|
groo
.327 Meteor
I yet live!!!!
Posts: 855
|
Post by groo on Nov 1, 2012 12:10:17 GMT -5
Groo here
I use nickle when I can get it!!!!!
Used for hunting or SD loadings as it is slicker and does not turn green in loops.
For plinking or range whatever I grab ....
|
|
