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If you’re in the market for more ammo, you might be considering nickel-plated brass cases, or you might want to add nickel-plating to existing brass ammo cases. You can reuse the casing of a cartridge, provided you clean and prepare the casings first. It’s also possible for a bullet to have a lead core surrounded by a copper coating. Some bullets are made of lead and others of copper. The buildup of gas pressure inside of the cartridge due to the ignited gunpowder pushes the bullet forward. It’s the part of the ammo that actually leaves the gun after firing.
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After you fire a gun, the case drops out of it, or it is removed by the person handling the weapon. New options are made from lighter-weight materials, such as polymers (plastics). Casings are traditionally made from metal, such as brass, aluminum or steel.
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Case: The case or casing of a cartridge is the container that holds the primer, the gunpowder and the bullet.The explosion produces a flame that travels through the casing, igniting the powder. It’s filled with a chemical that explodes when the gun’s firing pin strikes the primer. Primer: The primer is a small circular object at the base of the cartridge.A cartridge typically consists of four parts: In many cases, whether brass or nickel-plated brass is the right choice comes down to personal preference.īefore weighing the pros and cons of nickel-plated or brass ammo casings, it helps to understand how cartridges are put together. Instead, the nickel coats the brass.Įach option has its benefits and potential drawbacks. Nickel-plated ammo doesn’t eliminate the brass material. Although brass has been used for centuries as ammunition casing, in recent years, the ammo manufacturers have begun to offer nickel-plated options, too. If you hunt or shoot at a range, one question you might have found yourself facing is whether to use brass ammo casings or try out nickel cases.
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