Nickel plated brass.....

[DJ]

I've been reloading for a coon's age. One thing I've never done is resize nickel plated rifle casings. A friend gave me a bunch of brass, all once fired. In with this brass is about a box and a half of nickel plated .270's. I use standard RCBS dies and Imperial sizing wax. How much trouble and or grief and I going to get trying to resize this stuff? I've been told that it's a real bytch to resize nickel plated rifle brass. Any advice gratefully accepted.

 

[357ross]

I've never had problems, it just went in and out of the die like any other brass case..

 

[easttex]

I've never had problems, it just went in and out of the die like any other brass case..

+1

I don't think it'll be much of a problem if you follow standard practices and pay attention to detail.

 

[DJ]

OK thanks guys. I'll give it a try.

 

[okiefarmer]

The plating sometimes rubs off after a few cycles, indicating it ain’t very thick

 

[lew]

I've loaded a few thousand nickel-plated pistol and rifle brass. I don't do anything differently with it. Lube it and load it up the same as brass.

 

[L Haney]

... and Imperial sizing wax.

Tried this about five years ago. Opened my eyes like the first time I got laid.

 

[DJ]

Tried this about five years ago. Opened my eyes like the first time I got laid.

I used to use that awful sticky RCBS stuff you put on a lube pad and rolled your brass across it. Nothing short of industrial degreaser would take it off. I said something to my friend Dave Manley owner of Brookville Gun Shop once and he reached back onto the shelf behind him and tossed me a can of Imperial Sizing Wax. He said to try it but be careful and use it sparingly. I used it the first time and I've used nothing since. It's great stuff!

 

[STG_58_guy]

I got a bunch of nickle plated Underwood 300 Black Out and have been reloading the cases. Underwood makes some claim about their nickle plated brass being designed for reloading. The ammo shot great and the stuff reloads like a dream. Super easy to clean. I'll see if I can find the sales pitch by Underwood and post it here.

I also have some nickle plated SIG 300 BO brass I've been reloading. It seems fine too.

I suppose 300 BO isn't as much of a test as 270.

https://www.underwoodammo.com/300-aac-blackout-220-grain-match-hollow-point-boat-tail-subsonic.html

Here is the blurb about Underwood's nickle coating:



Sorry if that is hard to read. Here is where I found it:

Underwood Handgun Ammunition UA732, 38 Special, Lead Wadcutter, 150 GR, 1000 fps, 20 Rds/bx - Able Ammo

Underwood Handgun Ammunition UA732, 38 Special, Lead Wadcutter, 150 GR, 1000 fps, 20 Rds/bx

www.ableammo.com

 

[gw104]

I just ran 2500 nickel plated .223 cases with no problems

 

[TerryN]

The story is that eventually the nickel plating will separate from the brass, and become embedded in your sizing die. This will cause scratches or gouges on your sized brass. I dunno if it's true or just an old wives tale. I can verify that the nickel will eventually begin to flake at the case mouth, but I never experienced the nickel embedding into the steel sizing die.

 

[hkshooter]

Die is much harder than the nickle, can't see it "embedding" no way no how.
I've not loaded a ton of nickle but those I loaded I never gave a second thought, never had trouble.

 

[bill3542]

I just did a 100 Browning nickel plated 6.5 Creedmoor cases, no problems running the dies but trying to trim the flash holes on the inside of the case with that special trimmer is a different story.

I don't know who did these cases for them but around 25% of the cases have burrs so big on the inside you can't remove them.... you can't get the special trimmer to even move.

 

[W.E.G.]

I used to use that awful sticky RCBS stuff you put on a lube pad and rolled your brass across it. Nothing short of industrial degreaser would take it off. I said something to my friend Dave Manley owner of Brookville Gun Shop once and he reached back onto the shelf behind him and tossed me a can of Imperial Sizing Wax. He said to try it but be careful and use it sparingly. I used it the first time and I've used nothing since. It's great stuff!

RCBS Case Lube II is nothing like that.

You must be remembering something from a million years ago. I had some LEE lube that was like that in the 80’s.

RCBS Case Lube II washes off easily in warm water. I’ve been using nothing else since 1994.

 

[W.E.G.]

I’ve only loaded nickel PISTOL brass. Never had a single problem with it.

Scrap yard near me won’t accept it though. They only accept YELLOW cartridge brass.

 

[DJ]

RCBS Case Lube II is nothing like that.

You must be remembering something from a million years ago. I had some LEE lube that was like that in the 80’s.

RCBS Case Lube II washes off easily in warm water. I’ve been using nothing else since 1994.

Yeah, this was the old RCBS Case Lube. You are correct sir, 70s and early 80s. Damn that stuff was nasty. I never tried the Case Lube II or the Lee. Once I found the Imperial I've never used anything else.

 

[DJ]

I’ve only loaded nickel PISTOL brass. Never had a single problem with it.

Scrap yard near me won’t accept it though. They only accept YELLOW cartridge brass.

I've loaded tons of nickel pistol brass and never had a problem. I've never sized nickel rifle brass before, but I've heard horror stories about it.

 

[W.E.G.]

Yeah, this was the old RCBS Case Lube. You are correct sir, 70s and early 80s. Damn that stuff was nasty. I never tried the Case Lube II or the Lee. Once I found the Imperial I've never used anything else.

I wipe it on with my hands.

Usually 200-500 at a time. Application is very fast.

Then full-length resize.

Wash the whole lot 3 rinses in a plastic bucket under hot water.

Pour the wet brass on a towel and swoosh it round.

Finally put the still-damp brass into lids of old copier-paper boxes from a government office job I had a quarter-century ago.

Leave out to final air-dry 48 hours.

Zero case-lube residue on the finished product.

 

[Mebsuta]

RCBS Case Lube 2 is the best but the wax stuff is more convenient for me.

 

[hueyville]

Which "special" flash hole trimmer? Inquiring minds need to know.

 

[Shagnasty]

The story is that eventually the nickel plating will separate from the brass, and become embedded in your sizing die. This will cause scratches or gouges on your sized brass. I dunno if it's true or just an old wives tale. I can verify that the nickel will eventually begin to flake at the case mouth, but I never experienced the nickel embedding into the steel sizing die.

This right here, Starts flaking, Time to toss

 

[lew]

I've never sized nickel rifle brass before, but I've heard horror stories about it.

I've only sized a few thousand nickel .223 and .308, so my experience is slight, but I didn't notice a damn bit of difference between that and brass. If the nickel is starting to flake, chuck it. But then, it's reached it's limit anyway, bare brass or nickel.

 

[DJ]

I got those cases sized this afternoon. I was worried for nothing. That nickel plated brass sized easier than the brass did. I used the same amount of Imperial that I usually use and it was no sweat at all. Thanks guys for all the replies and advice!

 

[hueyville]

Have run tens of thousands of nickle cases till upper half was brass and lower half still nickle. Then reaches point case head is only nickle left followed by recesses or rim and inside markings on case head. Have literally worn dies to point replaced with newer or better sets but never have damaged a die could attribute to nickle plating. Would call it a wives tail.

The firing process has to be much more aggressive than sizing by time round is jammed in chamber, explosion set off inside, expands to chamber dimensions and just as begins to spring back extractor rips case out of hot chamber and flings it off into the dirt. Then you find it, rattles round in bucket till goes in tumbler for cleaning. These two parts of the cycle have to be much more aggressive to plating than sizing in a nice slick die after lubricating.