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Nickel .38 shells in a rifle


Buckshot Bear

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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.  
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Gateway Kid

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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

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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. 

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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

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Nickle goes in my practice ammo bucket,   Even gives me some jam clearing practice       GW

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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".

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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.

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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

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