Buckshot Bear Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Do you use nickel .38 shells in your rifle or solely kept for your pistols? I've got a 5 gallon bucket of 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom, SASS #54973 Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I'll use them in either at Monthlies. Phantom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Use'em OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I use them interchangeably at monthly matches. First sign of a split (same for the brass cases) into the recycle bucket. They don’t seem to reload as many times as the brass but I don’t keep any form of case that is damaged anyway. Regards Gateway Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 My testing tells me nickel plated .38 specials crack about 5 times as fast as brass cases, in same gun, same loading, same loading equipment. The nickel plating is not applied correctly by the case manufacturer at times. It's hard to tell whether the plating has been done so as to not hydrogen embrittle the cases. A split .38 special case in a toggle link gun makes for a non-recoverable loss of an average of 5 shots for most shooters (those who do not practice whipping out a broken case pulling tool). All that added up to a tactical decision, in major matches, to never use nickel cases in the rifle. We found that to be a pretty wise decision. In a .45 Colt rifle, a split case rarely ties up even a toggle link gun. In those, nickel plated cases get used for any match. But once I started cutting down .45 Colt to Cowboy .45 Special cases for revolver use, I never shot a nickel case in a rifle again. In monthly matches, there was little reason to worry, unless you can't remember to do ammo selection differently for major matches. Your time between failures may vary, and your ability to recover may vary, and your displeasure at losing 25 seconds on a stage may vary, Good luck with your own decision. GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazy Eeyour Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I use nickel on belt for reloads. Helps with load 1 in revolver to find the hot one. Belt storage life of nickel is also much longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 never thought about it - just used them , i like the belt reload logic , brass in my leather needs to be removed to prevent verdigris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I have about 8% nickel cases. They ate more prone to splitting. Hopefully I’ll jet them all culled out sooner rather than later! In rifle I always load them first, first in, last out! I don’t use them in anything but monthly matches. At the ULT I cup the rounds in my hand and shake them. I can nearly always tell when there is a split case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Shapiro Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Not in the rifle. They crack too often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I have found Federal nickel cases to last almost as long as unplated brass. They must bake the hydrogen out prior to loading. Some Federal .38s lasted 25 to 30 loadings. Remington not more than a half dozen loadings and they give up. Imis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G W Wade Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Nickle goes in my practice ammo bucket, Even gives me some jam clearing practice GW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyliefoxEsquire Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Nickle is strictly used in revolver. A split case easily get removed from cylinder at unloading table. We only use checked brass in rifle. Winchester, *-*, federal and RP. Other handstamps are used in revolver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 17 minutes ago, Hoss said: At the ULT I cup the rounds in my hand and shake them. I can nearly always tell when there is a split case. And sometimes a case doesn’t split until it’s belled in the press. I hate those… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Too prone to splits. Pistols only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Revolvers only! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Graybeard Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Range brass ...including all nickled brass ...is handgun only. I only use Starline in rifles. I will not use any brass that has the line knurled into the case in a rifle either. After a few reloadings this becomes a weak spot and cases sometimes break off there in the chamber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I generally don't buy nickeled brass, but I get some occasionally at random. I just toss it in with the rest of my brass in the same caliber and use it until it's not usable anymore. The one exception to this is Winchester made .38 S&W nickel brass. This is unique in that if you put a .360" bullet in it, the case bulges and will not chamber. It is the only brass I have that has this odd quirk. So, if I want to reuse it, I use a .358" hollow based bullet. I also load it hotter than my regular .38 S&W. Basically, I try to replicate .38/200 for use in my Webley Mark IV or S&W Victory Models. (Don't know if my Colt Police Positives/Detective Specials can handle the hotter load, so I don't bother.) Gives me a visual difference from my normal low power stuff for use in everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Spade Mikey Wilson Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Pistols only here also.....and even that is rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I load Nickel'd 38 Brass ONCE. Then it's scrap. Often it splits on the first reload. And I only use it in handguns. OH, PLUS ONE for Garrison Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I would only use it in the rifle on "big match" side match day when it was a lost brass match. At this point, I don't go to big matches anymore and have sold all of the nickel brass. Use it in both your rifle and pistols...just carefully inspect it prior to using it and don't use it at a "big match". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go West Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I've had two separated nickel cases that had a cannelure. They also split faster than brass. Most are now gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michigan Slim Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 I only use nickel for BP and subs. It cleans up really nice. I also minimize my belling and crimping of the cases to try to avoid splitting them on the press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeb Stuart #65654 Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 Only load nickel for my Revolvers. I also mark my brass cases so that I can keep track of how many times I reload cases for my rifle. Being marked, if I get someone else's brass, I put it in the practice pile. Also, I have noticed that the nickel cases that I shoot in my USFA's last a long time as the cylinders are cut to very close tolerances Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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