Posted by Steve R on February 13, 1999 at 13:47:52:
In Reply to: nickel or brass posted by shaner on February 13, 1999 at 08:05:36:
I personal like nickel brass and have had good luck with it. Other have not had good luck with. I use it in 9mm, 40S&W, 223, 22-250, 243, 3006, 7mm Rem. Mag..
1. Yes it will scratch your dies. If you have grit on your cases when you size them it can scratch the inside of your dies. If this is a brass case it will push the grit into the brass instead of the die. This grit also goes into your chamber when this is happens with brass. The fix, easy, clean your cases before sizing (brass or nickel).
2. Yes it is harder. When full length sizing it takes a little more effort to size. No big deal here, even though I mostly neck size. I have found, in my exprience, that nickel case will take higher pressures. I have found this is 9mm, 40 S&W, 223, 22-250, 7mm Rem Mag.
3. Some will say it is too hard and will ruin your cutter on the case trimmer. I have been using the same cutter on mine since I got it 7yrs ago. No problem for me.
4. If you neck turn the nickel will peel off. This is true. I have tried it and don't recommend this.
5. Nickel case will split necks faster and don't last as long. Nicklel cases I have has lasted as long as any brass cases have. I think alot of this is on how you resize. I believe that nickel cases will not take as much moving as brass cases. Example, full length resizing, there again I neck size. As far as spliting necks I will occasionally get one, about the rate as brass. In pistol cases when you expand the necks, if you over expand you have more neck splits with nickel then brass. There again over working. One thing that was the consenses of the shooters at our indoor pistol range was the nickel cases will split in the necks where brass will split in the middle of the cases. Neck spliting is easier to spot.
6. Nickel cases are rough on inside of necks. I have seen this on a few of my 7mm cases. I used an inside neck reamer ot cure this. Some have reported to using stainless Tornado brushes in a drill to smooth them out. I have also gotten some NEW brass cases in Remington and Winchester that were not very good.
7. Nickel is easier to find in the grass, weeds, ground and ect.
8. Nickel does not tarnish and is easier to clean.
9. Nickel is a good way to keep seperate cases if you have 2 of the same caliber. Use brass in one and nickel in the other.
I don't know if I have gotten better lots of nickel brass then what most of everyone has tried, but I have had good luck with it.