Reloading Handgun Nickel Plated Brass

hunter24605 · Jan 2, 2017

Yesterday at the range the guy next to me ran through 5 boxes of winchester ammo (40 S&W) with nickel cases..He said I could have the cases. So of course I grabbed up 100 free, verified as once fired from new boxes, brass..LOL...In the 2 years I've been reloading, I've never used nickel plated brass before..Are the any FYI's or "heads-up" info I need to know before proceeding? If it matters, my .40 dies are Lee carbide 4 die set with a factory crimp/post-sizing die....
Many thanks!

truck driver · Jan 2, 2017

The only problem with nickle brass is that the nickle will wear or flake off and cause jams in automatic pistols after multiple loadings at least that has been my findings with .38spl nickle brass.
And there are some autos chambered for 38spl since I own one but are no longer commercially made. S&W used to make the M52 which was a full wad cutter only and mine is a 1911 custom .38spl wad cutter only.

hunter24605 · Jan 2, 2017

Good to know! Thanks!

Polaris · Jan 2, 2017

Load them as normal, discard some if they start flaking. I like to segregate NP 9mm for specialty loads to easily identify them. My "bear" sidearm load with 147 gr hardcast is in nickeled range brass.

Darkhorse · Jan 3, 2017

I shoot a .40 S&W also and a lot of my brass is range brass with many nickle plated cases in the mix. For general practice I don't really care if the brass is yellow or silver I just load em and shoot em.
If I want more consistency I will separate nickle from brass.
I have noticed in the past that the nickle cases seem to split sooner than the brass.
My dies are also Lee Carbide 4 die set.

PJGunner · Jan 4, 2017

I wonder about the current form of nickel plating. Once fired nickel plated brass was left not only overnight but for several days because I forgot to remove them from the tumbler. Plating was literally scrubbed off appearing to be more a light wash of "nickel" material.

Brand new factory ammo that has been in the cylinder of my M60 .38 Spl. rattling around also has lost about 90 percent of that "nickel" plating.

I am thinking that it's no longer a true "plating" but a form of wash, just like some of that milsurp 7.62.39 ammo has a copper wash on the steel jackets.
Paul B.

Bruce Mc · Jan 5, 2017

I have no idea about the plating but I load 45acp and 40 s&w nickel cases in a variety of brands, some more than a dozen times with no flaking. I just run the brass through a tungsten die in my dillon. I usually tumble the cases for 15-20 minutes to clean them up a bit. I think using a taper crimp reduces the flaking and cracking.

Bruce Mc · Jan 5, 2017

I have no idea about the plating but I load 45acp and 40 s&w nickel cases in a variety of brands, some more than a dozen times with no flaking. I just run the brass through a tungsten die in my dillon. I usually tumble the cases for 15-20 minutes to clean them up a bit. I think using a taper crimp reduces the flaking and cracking.