Starline Nickel Brass

[JimTom]

G’day gents

Anyone have any experience reloading with the Starline 357 Mag nickel brass

[Gamerancher]

I've got a bunch of Federal nickel cases in .357. Just treat them the same as brass but don't over-work them. They tend to be more brittle than brass.

[rc42]

Nickel plated are certainly more brittle than brass, if you use roll crimps (as you should for 357) their life will be shorter, with heavy crimps they will start to split after very few uses.

They are great for 9mm with light taper crimp, much easier to clean and stay shiny and pretty for posing at the range.

[LawrenceA]

I use starline nickel for my blackpowder and find them harder to form and size than straight brass.
Supposedly not the best for low pressure as the case does not expand as well to form a gas seal but I have not noticed any real issue.
They do stay shiny and dont need an immediate bath as brass does

[on_one_wheel]

I was advised not to reload nickel plated brass as the brittle nickel plating is prone to flaking away as the brass is worked, the extremely hard shards of nickel can find their way into the barrel and gouge scratches into the barrel.

[JimTom]

Thanks gents, good informative replies. Decision made. I think I shall stay away from it.

[Bill]

Send em my way Jimtom

I'm onto my 7th reloading for 30 x Federal Nickel cases I'm using in my Ruger Carbine, 158gr at 1960fps and 140gr at 2150fps. Primer pockets are still sweet and Im only using a lite crimp. I rate em highly,

[No1Mk3]

I've lost count of the number of reloads on 357 and 38 Spl Nickel cases, they are just mixed in with the brass cases. Same with Winchester 38S&W cases. I have never, in 45+ years of reloading, heard of barrel damage from Nickel cases, and given the millions reloaded worldwide someone would have written about it by now although it has been said that steel reloading dies may be scratched by Nickel cases but since I use Carbide for handgun calibers it is no issue.

[wanneroo]

I've reloaded plenty of nickel brass from various manufacturers including Starline, never had a problem.

I'm about to reload some 38 Special and some of the brass is nickel.

[JimTom]

There we go, mixed results it would seem.

[Bugman]

It is all I can get at present. But have used them before, many times over, but was only loading them with Trail Boss . I guess it depends on what you want to use them for.

[Bill]

The only thing different I do with Nickel brass is I use a little more 1 Shot case lube at the case head which gets wiped off with microfibre or removed in the ultrasonic cleaner. I use 358 Winchester Nickel brass in my BLR and that stuff feed like duck s**t down a ducks leg.

[wanneroo]

Nickel brass is common here in the USA in self defense hollow point ammo for carry guns. The thinking is that it's more impervious to body salts and sweat being carried on the body all the time.

Personally I've just never really given any thought to it, I load it like any other pistol brass. I saw some say in the past, oh the case mouths split and this and that and it doesn't last as long, but again I've never run into that problem.

In the end try it out, see what you think.

[JimTom]

Thank you gents for your input. Sincerely appreciated.

[Blr243]

I never had dramas with it that I can remember. Used to load 357 nickel in my Rossi lever