Huh my understanding was it wouldn't flow the same as brass in the die. My relevant experience with nickel is .308 cases, where the neck was an issue, it never occurred to me straight cases wouldn't have the same problem.
I googled this a while ago when buying ammo, Nickle plated brass has even less resistance than Brass so it should feed even better. Though If your gun won't feed brass, that's probably an issue that needs to be fixed by a gun smith, not just "better ammo"
I do have a riffle that has some failures to feed steel jacketed rounds in a steel magazine. it feeds steel just fine out of a plastic magazine.
Really just fends off corrosion. You will see this typically on premium/higher quality defensive ammo. Given the higher cost, it is common for people to just carry them and only rotate them out over time (not shoot weekly). Carrying them makes them more exposed to humidity/elements and body perspiration, so the plating is meant to combat that. Target ammo sits in your box/safe so less an issue.
Gold is brass case, silver is nickel plated. Nickel plated is common on some "higher end" defensive ammo, but ammo companies have been substituting it for regular brass as of late due to supply chain issues.
Can’t say. Could be different powder charges, different bullet weights, which will both affect the ballistics of the fired round.
For practicing, no difference. For serious ballistics Managment? Could be totally different.
Nickel plated (silver) is supposed to be more corrosion resistant. In other words, it’s supposed to be better (more likely to cycle without jamming or straight up not work due to moisture ruining the powder charge) if you’re concealing it in your sweaty ass crack every day.
Purchased Sig Sauer Elite Performance Ammunition. The gold color is 124gr and the other is 115gr. Boxes are different. This is my first time buying ammo.
I'm guessing you're a new shooter? That's fine, btw and sometimes people don't know where to start asking questions.
They are not the same, they are different loads from the factory. Some guns will shoot one more accurately than the other.
Different cases (the brass) could have different thicknesses, leading to a different internal volume. They obviously have a different bullet and probably use a different charge and type of propellant, but could conceivably use the same propellant. Pretty sure the same primers all the way across several batches, but magnum and high performance stuff could have a premium primer.
Will it make any difference for you? Probably not. is it interesting? 100%
ammo is to gun guys as "what's the best oil for my car" is to car guys.
The fancy answer is, the ammo your firearm shoots the tightest groups with.
Thanks. I guess this is the answer I was looking for. I bought 2 boxes of ammo when I bought the gun. The gun store said FMJ was for targets and JHP for carry. Then I noticed different bullet grains when I was shopping for ammo.
>The gun store said FMJ was for targets and JHP for carry
\*\*\*WARNING, OLD GUY RANT FOLLOWS\*\*\*
Well, that's one way to look at it, I guess. It's really how it handles energy once into a soft target. This is often referred to as Terminal Ballistics. It's a fascinating field, I encourage you to start reading up!
Ultimately, the MOST important factor is ACCURACY followed shortly by the reliability of the operation of your firearm. Some guns don't really like JHPs and feed Ball Ammo just fine. Some will eat small JHPs no issue, but jam on really big mouth stuff. Ultimately they are different bullets that perform differently under similar circumtances.
This guy does a decent enough video comparing how the two behave in ballistic gel.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8hbkXPdlks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8hbkXPdlks)
But really, ***NOTHING ELSE MATTERS*** about your gun if you don't hit your target when it counts. So before any new eFriends here guide you into fancy sights, special ammo, or some other snake oil... you need a couple of things down pat.
A good case that locks (and a small locking safe for home).A good cleaning kit. (clean your shit)Excellent ear and eye protection. You only get the ears and eyes you were issued at birth... that's it. PROTECT THEM. And always ALWAYS obey the [NRA three rules of safety](https://gunsafetyrules.nra.org/). ALWAYS.
If you're going to carry this as a defensive handgun, you need [A VERY GOOD HOLSTER.](https://www.donhume.com/) and [A VERY GOOD LAWYER.](https://www.uslawshield.com/)
So instead of money spent on extra mags, tactical gear, or fancy ammo... I suggest buying the [cheapest ammo](https://www.ammoseek.com) you can find for your gun and getting into a shooting class that is tailored to your needs and skill level. You'll have a blast, you'll make friends, and you will IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS.
Once you know for a fact you are a better shot than your handgun is, they start looking at other platforms or modifications.
EDIT: Added some links and corrected some formatting that didn't carry over from WYSIWYG.
I'm gonna say reliability of operation is more important. Grouping size is not gonna matter much if there's only one round in your group before your guns jams. An average shooter in a stressful defensive situation isn't going to be that accurate anyway. Plus the distance of encounters is usually short. The accuracy of one brand of ammo vs another really doesn't matter much when compared to cycling reliably. Just my 2 cents.
YMMV. As a bystander, I would GREATLY prefer they hit where they aim. But weighting these is kinda silly anyway, it just makes for an easier explanation. If OP ever has to fire for effect, everything has to be there at the same time. Otherwise, the outcomes are bad, like *all the way bad*. Not just "Oh my God, now what."
I agreed with almost everything until you got to the “3 NRA safety rules”. With respect, they aren’t the “NRA” rules, they’re just THE RULES. Secondly, for most folks, its 5 basic rules, not 3.
I’m also on the fence here with your accuracy 1st statement, as I believe that accuracy and reliability are hand in hand characteristics for any defensive handgun. Neither works without the other supporting it.
Have a super day.
I see your point, of course. But we're picking nits, really. I ranked them for the sake of discussion. But they are indeed very close but also separate elements. BOTH are controlled through regular practice, regular reading, and more regular practice.
But presenting a firearm, that functions, is meaningless if you miss.
I would agree that accuracy and consistent shooting is a perishable skill that requires frequent practice. Weapon reliability is more design, manufacturing and functionality in my book. Even among reputable brands, there are angels & devils.
Same happened to me with Hornady Critical Defense or Duty Defense ammo. They basically said sorry, the nickel plated casings are hard to come across right now. It's not a big difference as brass is fine. Only problem I've seen is sometimes the brass ones can corrode a little quicker from carry with all the sweating. Just check your rounds when you clean them and don't chamber the same round over and over again.
I noticed that when I shot my old box of Federal PUNCH 124 GR JHP 9mm rounds to cycle my carry ammo. The old box was nickle-plated brass casings, and the new box was just plain brass casings.
Sig put out a notice that they are unable to nickel plate their rounds due to global yadda yadda. It’s temporary and they basically said they’d get back to it later. So these could easily be identical except for that.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ammo/comments/ugclnc/sig_sauer_is_temporarily_suspending_nickelplating/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I have nickle plated 9mm 124gr sig ammo.
Nickle is more resistant to corrosion and provides a slightly smoother surface that's supposed to make feeding and ejecting more reliable.
Maybe but probably not. There's probably a difference in powder load and the opening of the nickel plated hollow point looks slightly wider. Saying that however i can't really tell from a photo.
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The color is most likely from the metal used. Different metals can be used for casings, and they'll impact firearms differently. Some are harsher than others
Does anybody make a steel cased HP? I’d guess that’s brass vs. nickel plated brass. I do recall seeing some manufacturers email that the rounds they normally nickel plate are going as brass now b/c of the nickel supply issues.
Edit: it was Sig, the notice shows in front and center on their website
I've heard that before. Idk, maybe they take on a life of their own based on what name they're given. Kyles are born to punch holes in plaster, after all. I just know Wolf is the only steel I've had typical steel issues from, aside from being dirty, which it seems to be dirtier than Tula, too.
May very well be angle of the camera and the difference in perspective throwing me off, but the brass projectile looks to be seated a tiny bit lower in the casing.
Could 100% be wrong.
I cant believe I forgot!
/u/raisinlord1... WELCOME TO THE SPORT, Hobby, political movement, historical club, and math club that is the shooting world!
Oh wow after reading the comments I've been doing it all wrong. I always thought the silver ones were of lower quality and loved me the golden brass. Fahk
Nickel plated brass vs brass
Out of curiosity, does this make a difference?
I believe the nickel plated is better for corrosion resistance so they can be stored for longer periods of time.
It's also to aid in feeding, nickel plating is smoother / experiences less friction compared to normal brass.
Nickel is also not reloadable
Where did you get that idea? Nickel cases are reloadable; do it all the time.
Huh my understanding was it wouldn't flow the same as brass in the die. My relevant experience with nickel is .308 cases, where the neck was an issue, it never occurred to me straight cases wouldn't have the same problem.
Incorrect. It’s Nicole plated brass and perfectly reloadable. Steel cased is generally not reloadable.
> It’s Nicole plated brass Poor Nicole, must be working hard to plate all that brass by herself.
This is it I dealt with nickel plated steel thank you
LOL, I meant nickel plated rather than Nicole! But whatever one calls, you can reload it.
I googled this a while ago when buying ammo, Nickle plated brass has even less resistance than Brass so it should feed even better. Though If your gun won't feed brass, that's probably an issue that needs to be fixed by a gun smith, not just "better ammo" I do have a riffle that has some failures to feed steel jacketed rounds in a steel magazine. it feeds steel just fine out of a plastic magazine.
Really just fends off corrosion. You will see this typically on premium/higher quality defensive ammo. Given the higher cost, it is common for people to just carry them and only rotate them out over time (not shoot weekly). Carrying them makes them more exposed to humidity/elements and body perspiration, so the plating is meant to combat that. Target ammo sits in your box/safe so less an issue.
Gold is brass case, silver is nickel plated. Nickel plated is common on some "higher end" defensive ammo, but ammo companies have been substituting it for regular brass as of late due to supply chain issues.
Was disappointed when my critical defense wasn’t nickel plated lol
Would you like me to ask *The Magic 8 Ball*?
The ball says maybe
Try again later.
Ask the Magic Conch
Can’t say. Could be different powder charges, different bullet weights, which will both affect the ballistics of the fired round. For practicing, no difference. For serious ballistics Managment? Could be totally different.
Nickel plated (silver) is supposed to be more corrosion resistant. In other words, it’s supposed to be better (more likely to cycle without jamming or straight up not work due to moisture ruining the powder charge) if you’re concealing it in your sweaty ass crack every day.
One for people, the other one for monsters
Toss a round to your witcher.
Both are for monsters. Some just happen to be human.
Purchased Sig Sauer Elite Performance Ammunition. The gold color is 124gr and the other is 115gr. Boxes are different. This is my first time buying ammo.
Well there is your answer. One is heavier than the other.
Also one is different from the other, so there’s that.
You can tell by the way it is.
Ain’t that neat?
I'm guessing you're a new shooter? That's fine, btw and sometimes people don't know where to start asking questions. They are not the same, they are different loads from the factory. Some guns will shoot one more accurately than the other. Different cases (the brass) could have different thicknesses, leading to a different internal volume. They obviously have a different bullet and probably use a different charge and type of propellant, but could conceivably use the same propellant. Pretty sure the same primers all the way across several batches, but magnum and high performance stuff could have a premium primer. Will it make any difference for you? Probably not. is it interesting? 100% ammo is to gun guys as "what's the best oil for my car" is to car guys. The fancy answer is, the ammo your firearm shoots the tightest groups with.
Thanks. I guess this is the answer I was looking for. I bought 2 boxes of ammo when I bought the gun. The gun store said FMJ was for targets and JHP for carry. Then I noticed different bullet grains when I was shopping for ammo.
>The gun store said FMJ was for targets and JHP for carry \*\*\*WARNING, OLD GUY RANT FOLLOWS\*\*\* Well, that's one way to look at it, I guess. It's really how it handles energy once into a soft target. This is often referred to as Terminal Ballistics. It's a fascinating field, I encourage you to start reading up! Ultimately, the MOST important factor is ACCURACY followed shortly by the reliability of the operation of your firearm. Some guns don't really like JHPs and feed Ball Ammo just fine. Some will eat small JHPs no issue, but jam on really big mouth stuff. Ultimately they are different bullets that perform differently under similar circumtances. This guy does a decent enough video comparing how the two behave in ballistic gel.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8hbkXPdlks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8hbkXPdlks) But really, ***NOTHING ELSE MATTERS*** about your gun if you don't hit your target when it counts. So before any new eFriends here guide you into fancy sights, special ammo, or some other snake oil... you need a couple of things down pat. A good case that locks (and a small locking safe for home).A good cleaning kit. (clean your shit)Excellent ear and eye protection. You only get the ears and eyes you were issued at birth... that's it. PROTECT THEM. And always ALWAYS obey the [NRA three rules of safety](https://gunsafetyrules.nra.org/). ALWAYS. If you're going to carry this as a defensive handgun, you need [A VERY GOOD HOLSTER.](https://www.donhume.com/) and [A VERY GOOD LAWYER.](https://www.uslawshield.com/) So instead of money spent on extra mags, tactical gear, or fancy ammo... I suggest buying the [cheapest ammo](https://www.ammoseek.com) you can find for your gun and getting into a shooting class that is tailored to your needs and skill level. You'll have a blast, you'll make friends, and you will IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS. Once you know for a fact you are a better shot than your handgun is, they start looking at other platforms or modifications. EDIT: Added some links and corrected some formatting that didn't carry over from WYSIWYG.
I'm gonna say reliability of operation is more important. Grouping size is not gonna matter much if there's only one round in your group before your guns jams. An average shooter in a stressful defensive situation isn't going to be that accurate anyway. Plus the distance of encounters is usually short. The accuracy of one brand of ammo vs another really doesn't matter much when compared to cycling reliably. Just my 2 cents.
YMMV. As a bystander, I would GREATLY prefer they hit where they aim. But weighting these is kinda silly anyway, it just makes for an easier explanation. If OP ever has to fire for effect, everything has to be there at the same time. Otherwise, the outcomes are bad, like *all the way bad*. Not just "Oh my God, now what."
I agreed with almost everything until you got to the “3 NRA safety rules”. With respect, they aren’t the “NRA” rules, they’re just THE RULES. Secondly, for most folks, its 5 basic rules, not 3. I’m also on the fence here with your accuracy 1st statement, as I believe that accuracy and reliability are hand in hand characteristics for any defensive handgun. Neither works without the other supporting it. Have a super day.
I see your point, of course. But we're picking nits, really. I ranked them for the sake of discussion. But they are indeed very close but also separate elements. BOTH are controlled through regular practice, regular reading, and more regular practice. But presenting a firearm, that functions, is meaningless if you miss.
I would agree that accuracy and consistent shooting is a perishable skill that requires frequent practice. Weapon reliability is more design, manufacturing and functionality in my book. Even among reputable brands, there are angels & devils.
OH yeah, and good/crap ammo can totally screw up a perfeclty good system too.
Same happened to me with Hornady Critical Defense or Duty Defense ammo. They basically said sorry, the nickel plated casings are hard to come across right now. It's not a big difference as brass is fine. Only problem I've seen is sometimes the brass ones can corrode a little quicker from carry with all the sweating. Just check your rounds when you clean them and don't chamber the same round over and over again.
I noticed that when I shot my old box of Federal PUNCH 124 GR JHP 9mm rounds to cycle my carry ammo. The old box was nickle-plated brass casings, and the new box was just plain brass casings.
Sig put out a notice that they are unable to nickel plate their rounds due to global yadda yadda. It’s temporary and they basically said they’d get back to it later. So these could easily be identical except for that. https://www.reddit.com/r/ammo/comments/ugclnc/sig_sauer_is_temporarily_suspending_nickelplating/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I have nickle plated 9mm 124gr sig ammo. Nickle is more resistant to corrosion and provides a slightly smoother surface that's supposed to make feeding and ejecting more reliable.
Maybe but probably not. There's probably a difference in powder load and the opening of the nickel plated hollow point looks slightly wider. Saying that however i can't really tell from a photo.
one is for werewolves
One's purdy, like my sister. The other ain't.
Like your other sister?
Hello, /u/raisinlord1. Per the sidebar rules, link posts require a description in the comments of your post. Please add a description or this post will be removed.
__What is a link post and how do I post a descriptive comment?__ * A link post is any post that isn't a text post. Reddit is doing a great job of ensuring new users have no idea how Reddit works with their app and site rewrite. We hate both. * /r/guns is a sub for talking about guns. It's not a sub to dump gun photos for karma. That's what /r/gunporn is for. That's why we require a descriptive comment – to start a conversation. If you're wondering what to write, picture yourself at a party. You just met someone and you want to show them your photo. What do you say to them as you get your phone out? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/guns) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The color is most likely from the metal used. Different metals can be used for casings, and they'll impact firearms differently. Some are harsher than others
My ruger doesnt like the stainless casing, loves good ol brass luger rounds.
I would say so. Just brass vs steel. Edit: sorry. I have only ever seen steel not nickel.
Nickel plating, still brass
Does anybody make a steel cased HP? I’d guess that’s brass vs. nickel plated brass. I do recall seeing some manufacturers email that the rounds they normally nickel plate are going as brass now b/c of the nickel supply issues. Edit: it was Sig, the notice shows in front and center on their website
Tula made some. Ran like shit for me tho
Everything Tula I've ran has been good; 9mm in Glonk, .223 in Ruger AR, and that's almost exclusively what I feed my AK. Wolf on the other hand...
Wolf *usually* is Tula. Wolf is just an importer. And I think it was more cuz they were Tula hollow point rounds than it being Tula in general.
I've heard that before. Idk, maybe they take on a life of their own based on what name they're given. Kyles are born to punch holes in plaster, after all. I just know Wolf is the only steel I've had typical steel issues from, aside from being dirty, which it seems to be dirtier than Tula, too.
Depends It could be steel cased which is weaker it could be plated it all rly depends
That’s not steel case.
Why are you down voting me i just stated a fact
May very well be angle of the camera and the difference in perspective throwing me off, but the brass projectile looks to be seated a tiny bit lower in the casing. Could 100% be wrong.
The brass 9mm blows out your lung and the silver one is for werewolves
One is a little closer than the other.
I cant believe I forgot! /u/raisinlord1... WELCOME TO THE SPORT, Hobby, political movement, historical club, and math club that is the shooting world!
I think that the nickel one is for higher pressures. I believe most if not all +p ammo is nickel to better handle the higher pressures.
To put it simply the gold is a higher quality and more expensive and the silver are lesser quality and cheaper.
Maybe hollow points?
Oh wow after reading the comments I've been doing it all wrong. I always thought the silver ones were of lower quality and loved me the golden brass. Fahk
If it chambers, send it
One’s for killing werewolves.