Brass case or nickle plated cases?

Brass

i use both but keep them separate. I don't find that they crack/split any easier than brass. nor do they reload any different than brass. just my experience.

Back when in 1980 and I first started loading 357 for a Model 19 about all I could find were plated shells. As I recall the brass ones were the od ball. Back then seen a lot of R*P, Federal and Speer, all nickel. But that was when Bullseye was still sold by Hercules.

Found this article online. http://massreloading.com/longevity.html Appears to show that for 38 Special loaded with Blue Dot, 142gr jacketed bullets, the pure brass cases lasted on average 33 reloads before failure and the nickel plated lasted 10 times.

Standard disclaimers apply, but the article is a good read.

Nickle cases size easier, especially when you run pistol cases through a carbide die.

748 said:

Nickle cases size easier, especially when you run pistol cases through a carbide die.

Click to expand...

I don't seem to notice a difference between the two and they're both way easier than 9 mm

I use nickel cases also, as long as I make sure to spray them with case lube I don't worry about any thing else with them.

I just don't want nickel galding to the carbide ring in my dies. Case lube stops that. I've loaded thousands of them. Mostly because I'm usually the only one at the range that is loading them so I can pick out my cases among all the brass ones, very easily. I don't like getting home from the range and finding out I have a whole bunch of brass with crimped primer pockets that I now have to deal with.
I'd sooner have my own brass back.

Most of my pistol cases are range pick ups or bought used. I have both nikel and brass. I reload about 300 of each caliber. When I get case that splits at the mouth from being roll crimped to many times I toss them in the recycle bucket and grab a few more cases from my storage containers. It doesn't matter it they are brass or nikel pkated.

I have several nikel.plated cases that have been used so much they are almost to brass again and still going strong.
I run all mixed head stamps as well. I take my eight year old grand son shooting every weekend from spring until winter comes back. He shoots from fifty to a hundred & fifty 38, 357mag and 44spl & 44mag every weekend. So my brass gets a good work out.
Most malfunctions are case mouth splits. Very few side wall splits.
I load about mid range on the powder, NEVER HIGH END.