I didn't want to highjack the thread regarding annealing so thought I would ask this question in its own thread. Can it be done without danger of damage to dies or should it be avoided?

I've reloaded some 38Spcl that was Nickle. It split on about the 3rd reloading where brass seems to last pretty much forever. Think I'll just stick with brass.

I asked JB this question just recently. He said go ahead and anneal the nickel, end result is same-o same-o

Thanks Ingwe. Now you'll have to instruct me on the annealing process.

I have loaded Ni brass forever. Common sense prevails. Twirl each case in your fingers and check for cracks or splits..toss the cracked....pistol rounds. I still shoot old 22/250,243, 280, 30/06, and 7 Mag Ni brass...I do not anneal them.

Check for cracks and rock on!

Yup, I started annealing cause of splitting 270 WSM nickel cases. Still using alot of those cases after annealing.

You reload them the same way you do regular brass cases.
Paul B.

Check Johns book " Gun Gack" he describes it in detail. I use the simple candle annealing method and the only thing Ive dont it on so far is old ( but new) .17 Rem brass.

IN my experience nickel plated cases have two drawbacks, #1 Nickel is porous by nature and prone to carry abraisive particles into the dies and scratch them, #2 Nickel is subject to hydrogen embrittlement thus reducing case life by splitting at the neck. I only use nickel plated cases to load cartridges that will be carried in a leather cartridge belt. The nickel plated cases won't form verdigris from contact with the leather.

Will do. I have all 3 Gun Gack books.
Wizard, you bring up a point that was my concern about loading nickel plated cartridges and that is abrasive materials damaging the loading dies. Thanks for chiming in.

Nickel plated cases being porous enough to carry abrasive particles into the dies causing scratches seems a bit like flyschitt in the pepper to me. But hey, what do I know.

i have used Redding dies and RCBS dies and reloaded Nickel plated once fired cases after i candle`d annealed these Nickel plated cases , then resized these cases and have never had any dies get ruined. dies are much harder metal than any brass case plated or not. i will go along with the flyshitt in the pepper thought !

So I assume, you

and you both have experience in loading nickel plated brass?

yep 257 Weatherby mag. Nickel plated brass alot ,30-06 ,270 and many others i did and do reload this nickel plated brass plenty, i have in the past got plated brass free , i used to get alot of free once fire brass plated nickel and regular brass from Federal cartridge, i live only 35 miles away. my uncle was an engineer at Federal cartridge , my hunting partner was a manager at Federal cartridge and my neighbor shot test rifles in ballistics at Federal cartridge. many friends and relatives worked at Federal Cartridge and some still do. so my supply of old plated once fired brass is alot of boxes of different cartridges plated and unplated . but i like the plated best for reloading. > experience with Nickel plated brass i got plenty do you ? Pete53

Nope, that's why I'm asking.

Have been using a set set of RCBS .270 Winchester dies for over 30 years. Quite a few of the cases used were Remington nickel-plated, and have yet to detect any wear....

I wish that ALL my cartridge brass was nickle.

All the rounds that go through the bolt action 223s are nickel. All the brass rounds go through the ARs.


All my pistol rounds (45, 40,and 9mm) are nickel.

I just love a shiny handgun cartridge.

And if you're worried about particles damaging the die, just tumble before resizing.

Thanks to all for your insights. I can move forward without issue.

OSUSig,
Yes, I have reloaded hundreds maybe a thousand nickel plated brass cases in .35 Whelen, .30-06, 7mm Rem Mag, and .257 Roberts without issues. I don’t reload pistol cartridges so I can’t speak to that.

You, like the others, have been very helpful. Thank you.

Definitely more flyschitt than pepper. I've been using Winchester nickel plated brass for almost 9, maybe 10 years exclusively for my .280 Remington. I use it because it's the easy way to tell my .280 Rem. and .270 Win. brass that get tumbled together when I'm working with both cartridges. My .280 sizing die is working just fine, no scratches, no abrasion, no problems. I anneal on the fifth reload cycle and no necks have split from the get go. Methinks that may have been a problem in years long past, but is most likely negligible with current production brass.
Paul B.

i never have got any Nikel plated 22 Hornet cases if some ammo manufacture ever did plate them but always wanted some , to fireform 22 Hornets to 22 K-Hornets . dang it

I must be the odd guy out.

Have tried the stuff 2x and felt it was harder to size than standard brass. Just a year ago I sized 50 R-P 30-06 brass. Felt like I was trying to size a chunk of cast iron. Maybe the die is a fuzz tight I don't know but that was enough for me. Sized 50 pieces of same except for standard brass at the same time, slick as butter in and out of the die.

Had some peel off as well while cleaning up case mouths years ago which is why I hadn't tried it since.

What sizing lube to you use?

Yes, nickel-plated brass tends to be harder to resize, but have found the job is pretty easy with Imperial wax.

One Shot.

Probably just one of those "burn me once" instances but enough to stick with me, like a Hornady brass issue 20 years ago makes me very leary to mess with it now.

Tend to use One-Shot only on smaller varmint rounds, where FL sizing isn't difficult, and I crank a lot of ammo. Good examples are the .17 and .22 Hornets.

Otherwise I neck-size or use Imperial.

Ballistol is great case lube.

Once you go "Imperial" .....:) love the stuff!

I've always used standard RCBS lube with the pad when FL sizing nickel-plated brass, and it's smooth and fairly effortless.

The RCBS lube is pretty good, and has the advantage of being water-soluble. But Imperial is even more slippery....

Yeah, very true. I've got some Imperial that I use occasionally, as well, but I find the RCBS pad to be a little quicker in lubing 10-12 cases at once, compared to one at a time with Imperial. And because time is often in short supply, I typically default to RCBS lube.