Reloading with nickel plated .308 Brass

[ovenpaa]

Well on the grounds that the internet tells me nickel plated brass is bad for me and I have always been someone who likes to discover things for myself, I will give it a go and see what happens. As Dromia points out, the worst that can happen is I bin the lot after 2-3 firings or it is so inconsistent I change to Lapua just to make sure it is not me having some bad days at the range.

I will report back on the reloading of nickel plated in due course...

[Blu]

Ovenpaa, when I have test cases that I want to keep separate and made easy to identify I usually get a permanent ink marker and blacken the bottom of the case. It doesn't make identifying the case calibre markings any harder either. If I tumble them I just re-ink the bottoms again, only takes a few minutes to do it. I've also reloaded nickel plated rifle cases, mostly for the AR-15's and never had a problem with them.

Blu

[Alpha1]

I normally just buy 100 new cases and two fifty round ammo boxes to keep them in. I label the boxes with the calibre and rifle. The ammo is built and goes in the box they come out of the box and go in the rifle. Once fired they go back in the box to be reloaded simples. All the re loading info goes in my log book easy peasy.
I only use Lapau cases in my Steyr SSG and either A max bullets or Sierra and the reason for this is if you build quality ammo for the SSG 69 and have it set up right you are going to be one happy bunny with the end result.

Last time at the range with my club mates we had a bit of a challenge to hit a 1" thick 8" Round blank flange at 300 yards with our Steyr SSg,s it got very boring. We upped the anti and turned it side ways on at 300yards. They managed to break the chain. All shooting Steyr SSg,s I think on the day there was 5 SSG,s on the firing point as well as some very exotic looking kit and quite a few Milsurps.. We also had a piece of plate next to it 1/4" thick by 10" high by 5" wide I got into trouble for destroying it with my recent purchase the Tikka 6.5x55 with the Shilen barrel before any one else could have a go at it.

[phaedra1106]

Or ............... you could make an early start on this years Christmas presents, buy some key chains and make a load of nice shiny 308 key rings out of them

[dromia]

Dave this is the nickel plated brass thread not the SSG range report thread.

[rox]

Can anyone think of any other cases that are a different colour to Brass and can be reloaded, cases are available in a steel phosphate finish and even copper washed and aluminium however I have not come across colour washed 'brass' before.

Here are about 10 recipes for colouring brass yourself.

http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/handlo ... brass.html

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[ovenpaa]

Rox, that is exactly what I was looking for, many thanks indeed

Now all I need to do is decide on the colour best suited to the project, I suspect it will be the Hardware Green.

[rox]

Rox, that is exactly what I was looking for, many thanks indeed

Now all I need to do is decide on the colour best suited to the project, I suspect it will be the Hardware Green.

Look forward to seeing pics when you are done! I was thinking of trying some of them and maybe just dipping the case head for applications that require better tracability. One of the recipes looked like it could make red or green from the same ingredients, so ideal for making Welsh brass. I suppose it may come down to availability of the chemicals in sensible quanties. Ferric Nitrate seems to be readily available on Amazon etc. Links to suppliers for any other chemicals would be interesting.

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[Jackmanuk]

i saw a link for that yesterday but thought some of the chemicals were alittle tough to come by

[Maggot]

Rox, that is exactly what I was looking for, many thanks indeed

Now all I need to do is decide on the colour best suited to the project, I suspect it will be the Hardware Green.

That's ideal....just dont drop them in the grass :cool2:

Having just read all the doom and gloom and speculation about nickel plated brass what about the following by way of a low cost common sense approach.

1. Bin that Nickel stuff Dave.

2. I will decap and tumble another 100 brass in the same (I have 300+ sitting about here as well as assorted earlier once fired lots of RWS and Fed from work still not used)

3. Forget fannying about with snake oil etc and just keep them in a seperate box/bag/bottle/whatever container is quirky enough :55:

Its not rocket Science. Spookilly I have 500 odd lapua palma cases and I know where they all live and which rifle they go in etc etc.

I know I marked a couple of cases but they were a few for foulers within a weighed batch that were not uniform in neck wall thickness.

Whatever YOU do by way of colouring was not meant by the brass lord and will probably invariably end up all over your dies, chambers, fingers, down the barrel, and everywhere else.

Dont forget that the laquered steel cases are laquered to stop them rusting and crumbling to dust at the first opportunity (Cheap....). There are other coatings (I have seen several anodised finishes on alloy cases) but they are usually there for protection, the bullets usually being colour tipped for ID.

Keep it simple matey