bigo5552000

ok so there seems to be a mixed opinion on reloading non-brass casings!

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cvhoss

There is nothing wrong with reloading nickel plated brass cases though in my experience, they don't have as long a life as straight brass. The nickel plating makes the case "harder" and the cases tend to split at the mouth after just a few loadings. When I first started CAS, I bought 1000 nickel plated cases from Starline (45 Colt). After only two loadings and firings, several of them were starting to split at the mouth. I gave them all away.

I would never attempt to load anything other than a brass case (or nickel plated brass case). Messing with the steel cases isn't worth the hassle and aluminum, IMO, is just flat dangerous.

Hoss

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Tom G

I've reloaded Berdan primed cases using boxer primers when I couldn't get ammo for a particular gun. As for nickeled cases , they are no good for repeated Loading due to the cases split at the rim.

farronwolf

If they are truely steel, use a magnet to see if they are, you might as well just throw them away. The same goes for aluminium, these would be CCI Blazer ammo as stated earlier, just toss them as well.

If they are discolored brass, the ones you refer to as copper, they should polish up just fine in a tumbler. The nickel plated, shiny silver ones, are reloadable until they start to split like cvhoss refered to. Depending how much the case is worked will determine how long these or any brass for that matter will last you.

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mcp1810

I have reloaded nickel plated cases. They tend to be a little more brittle and more prone to splitting. I have also read that they must be very clean when working them or you have a chance of scratching your dies. I have not scratched a die yet, so either I am cleaning my stuff adequately or that warning may be a bit of an exaggeration.

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Jmac00

okay, heres the deal! Chromed or Nickle plated brass is no big deal. I reload (on average) 400 rounds per week, of that many rounds there is probably 20 Chromed or Nickle plated, and I run my cases through a EGW (Evolution Gun Works) Full length sizing die. I need a full length die because the race gun has a Match grade barrel that must have cases less than .425" at the base, the EGW die makes every case .420 to .424" from top to bottom ( My Glock will take anything up to .437", but the Para is kind of particular)

Most of my casings have been reloaded at LEAST 10 times, many of them probably many more than that.

I use a Dillion RL550, the machine puts out very consistent rounds. I visually inspect every round, but I use a SPC (Statistical Process Control) for Quality control. (Thats a real fancy way of saying~~~if I load 50 rounds, I randomly pick 10 cartridges and check them for consistency.)

If they all check out, I continue to load, If there is a variance, I go look for the problem.

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bigo5552000

thanks guys

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CR2008

I would not... I heard that steel does not obturate as much as brass and many steel loaded cases have "none reloadable" on the box... also I think many wolf type brands use berdan primers and not box primers.

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LSP972

Well said.

Brass cases are a no-brainer... if one feels the need to do steel or aluminum to "save money", then perhaps he should find another, less expensive, hobby.

If he does it just to do it... well, the road to the Darwin Awards ceremony is paved with those who heard, and did not heed...

.

edr9x23super

Blazer aluminum-cased ammo is very specific on the box - it says "NON-RELOADABLE". Heed that message, period. Several years ago, I RO'd in a match where a guy shooting a .40 caliber Para was shooting a bunch of reloaded blazer ammo when the round split just above the case rim, which blew out the bottom plate of the magazine and split the barrel and bulged the slide and cracked the frame at the ramp. His shooting hand also had some pretty bad cuts from escaping gases as well.

That was a brand new gun that ended up in the junk pile. So please, don't try to save a few bucks by reloading steel or aluminum cases, just take them to a recycling station if you must, otherwise toss them in the trash. Reloading machines are designed to reload brass, stick with brass.....

As far as nickel cases go, I reloaded them many times for my .38 super, .38 special and .45 ACP and shot them till the cases cracked. some of the specials I must have reloaded 20 or 30 times. I never saw any more problems with them than any other cases I reloaded.

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