Brass or Nickel

N

navy gmm

New member
Just getting started in reloading and was wondering what the difference is between brass and nickel besides the color, any pros or cons? Thanks
 
The nickel casing is harder than brass which makes it harder on dies. Also, the plating can flake off, although it does look nice.
 
The nickel won't tarnish and it looks pretty. It is harder so isn't as friendly to reload. I primarily stick to the brass.
 
Years ago when all of police officers carried revolvers and before speed loaders came along they would carry extra ammo in cartridge loops on their duty belt. The tanning agents used in dyeing the belt would attack the brass cartridges to quite a degree sometimes even to a point of glueing the rounds inside the loops making it difficult to pull them out. Not a fun thing in a firefight I think.

Anyway, nickle plating the brass pretty much solved that. And those pretty and shiny .38 Special looked good in those black Sam Browne belts. It became pretty much the standard for cop duty ammo.

Rifle brass....eh, not so much. As mentioned it is much harder than regular brass and not as elastic. I had problems with one particular batch of it once that after firing it all off I tossed it away. Too much of a headache for the likes of me.
 
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