so long nickle plated brass

[EddieHarren]

My point, originally, was if the nickel brass will scratch those dies it will surely scratch your chamber. Even though your dies are not carbide, they are harder than most barrel steels. I think the fear of using nickel brass is an old wives tale. Waiting for someone, who has experienced damage to their chamber or dies, to come forward with the proof.

 

[257ackleyhunter]

my dad and i both have thompson center encores with stainless barrels and frames we use the nickle plated brass mainly while we are hunting because we are always in rain snow and heavy brush. they stay clean year round because we dont waist our ammo it tends to stay in our ammo wallets or on the ammo holders we keep on the butt stock. we havnt experienced any scratching from those anyway. i cant say anything for those that shoot bolt actions regularly because we use normal brass on our bolt actions.

 

[MNbogboy]

I have to agree with EddieHarren, the nickle plating itself shouldn't be hard enough to "scratch" dies or a barrel....Obviously when two materials rub against each other there is always some kind of wear to both pieces but after thousands of rounds of plated cases through a couple of my dies I still don't see or am able to measure any noticeable wear.

One idea ( only an opinion) is that because it is somewhat harder than an all brass case that it offers more resistance to "dirt" and any foriegn substance that may come between the die and case...If the "dirt" doesn't completely embed itself into the case than any amount on the outside of the case may be a contributor to the alleged die/chamber scartching. Many years ago I dropped a freshly lubricated "brass" case on the floor and being "young and dumb" didn't think about it and virtually ruined a 30-30 die....Lesson learned you can scratch dies, maybe not with nickle but definitely with "sand".

Just a thought.
Randy

 

[EddieHarren]

The laps, used by some die makers for lapping bullet swaging dies, are brass, rolled in lapping compound. The die makers tell me the brass allows the compound to embed into the lap. One of the reasons not to use a brass cleaning rod.

 

[barefooter56]

EddieHarran,
Dies, yes. Chambers no, because the cartridge case , even if just neck sized will be smaller in dimension than the chamber.Unless it has been fired to the point where the cartridge case shoulder or case shoulder and body have expanded to the point where the cartridge case chambers so hard that it is close to a "crush" fit.

 

[barefooter56]

MNbogboy,
IF the difference between the dies "chamber" dimensions and the rifles chamber dimensions are very different ( die chamber is toword the small end of SAMMI specs and the rifle chamber is toword the large end of SAMMI specs) is where you are most likely to have an issue with possibly scratching the inside of the die. Admittedly this is a fairly rare occurrence but interaction with reloaders both here with Berger Bullets and Sinclair International have proved it can and has happened. Never say never lol !

 

[EddieHarren]

I'll file this info with the all the info I have on Global Warming.

 

[barefooter56]

That hurt Ed. I have never owned a home with 12 bathrooms, sold a T.V NETWORK sat in a Saigon bar and claimed I was a combat veteran or owned a jet that left a HUGE carbon foot print. lol

 

[EddieHarren]

LOL! Great to have a sense of humor.

Good shooting!

 

[barefooter56]

These days you have to have one! Good shooting Ed !

 

[11 Charlie]

Last year I got 20 Remington unfired nickel plated brass for my .300 WBY. They came in a lot of brass I purchased off Gunbroker. It was the first time I ever used nickel brass and it will be the last.I got 93 cases for 35 bucks but I've gone back to sticking with Weatherby brass as it is considerably more consistent and long lasting in my Mark V.

Anyway, the second time I full length sized it I noticed my case necks were seriously scratched all the way around. I am very meticulous about cleaning brass before sizing but I cleaned them again as well as cleaning the die. Same story on sizing more brass.

As I hadn't read my die instructions in years (RCBS), I got them out and sure enough they warned about nickel cases scratching them. I sent them to RCBS and they polished the scratches out and replaced the internals and lock nut( for free, of course, great customer service!) They sent them back with a little note telling me to "avoid nickel cases if at all possible". It may be a rare occurrence but as my luck would have it, not for me! Good shooting and God Bless!

 

[EddieHarren]

Well, I just threw out all my Global Warming data. "So long Nickel plated brass".

 

[barefooter56]

ED,
LOL !!! I am sure AL will be suitably depressed.

 

[MNbogboy]

That also means I need more "sharpie" colors!