Should I reload this brass?

[Cap'n Crash]

I shot 500 rounds of reloaded .38 special through my J frame. 5 cases split. Ammo is nickel plated brass, according to the manufacturer has been reloaded once. Should I keep the rest of the brass to reload, or should I throw out the whole lot? The pistol has an additional 250 rounds of new ammo through it. No problems with the new brass. I searched the site prior to this post and found no applicable threads. Please point me in the correct direction if I erred. Thanks.

[T2C]

Nickel cases split more quickly than brass cases. Unless you felt escaping gas when you fired the rounds (not likely in a revolver) then I would not be greatly concerned. I would reload light to medium pressure loads with the remaining nickel cases. Bell the case mouths only enough to allow the bullet to enter a case mouth without shaving lead.

What company sold you the reloads?

[Cap'n Crash]

Nickel cases split more quickly than brass cases. Unless you felt escaping gas when you fired the rounds (not likely in a revolver) then I would not be greatly concerned. I would reload light to medium pressure loads with the remaining nickel cases. Bell the case mouths only enough to allow the bullet to enter a case mouth without shaving lead.

What company sold you the reloads?

Thank you! PM sent

[markm]

Reload them til they split too. The plating process makes that brass slightly more brittle. But you can shoot them till they're toast.

[SlimMan]

Reload them til they split too. The plating process makes that brass slightly more brittle. But you can shoot them till they're toast.

Exactly. There is no danger in reloading plated brass, just be sure to inspect each case as you are sizing (actually you can "feel" the cracked case when it is sized--they tend to size more easily). FWIW, if I was buying new or used brass, I would try to avoid plated; they just don't last as long as unplated. The other caution is expand the case mouth the minimum necessary to seat the bullet.

[Cap'n Crash]

Thank you gentlemen. Would you be any more cautious if this lot of obviously fatigued brass was for a semi-auto pistol/rifle, rather than revolver?
From my research, it appears that primer pockets become unusable prior to other forms of brass fatigue. This would seem to negate my first question. Am I wrong?
(Not trying to beat a dead horse here. I'm just trying to get a feeling for indications of the overall usefulness of aged brass)

[SlimMan]

I don't think it is "obviously fatigued" brass, as I don't find 1% rate of failure to be surprising for plated. That seems pretty normal for my reloads. Load it up would be my advice. Re: primer pockets getting loose, they will, but I'll bet most plated will crack before the pockets get loose.

[markm]

From my research, it appears that primer pockets become unusable prior to other forms of brass fatigue. This would seem to negate my first question. Am I wrong?

Primer pockets become stretched out on rifle brass. The rule for pistol brass is shoot it til you loose it or it splits. There's almost no limit on the times you can reload pistol brass.

Now... .38 and .357 ALWAYS split before 9mm or .45 for example. They're just thinner case walls at the mouth, and genereally they're worked harder due to the crimp on .38 and .357 ammo. A 45 just gets the case wall straightened. A .38/.357 gets crimped into the bullet so the bullets don't recoil out of the brass when they're in the cylinder.

This crimping will work harden the brass a little faster than auto loader brass. Now go shoot it.

[Cap'n Crash]

Thank you all!

[JimmyB62]

I used to load A LOT of 38 spec, though it was almost always low pressure wadcutter. The brass lasted forever. I'd keep loading it. As others said, use it til it splits.

[1859sharps]

The rule for pistol brass is shoot it til you loose it or it splits. There's almost no limit on the times you can reload pistol brass.

this has been my understanding and experience as well. however safety first, if you have an doubt about a particular case, toss it. not worth loosing your firearm or you or a by stander being injured over having "squeaked out" one more reload.

[markm]

Unless the case head is softened some how, old brass isn't a risk. And split necks are not a safety risk. You'll catch anything big enough to cause issues when you seat the bullet.