NAS³™ cases are engineered for performance, but getting the most out of them on the handloading bench requires a slightly different approach than brass. The nickel-stainless steel alloy construction that gives NAS³ cases their durability, consistency, and faster-cooling properties also means a few technique adjustments will pay real dividends. We sat down with Shell Shock Technologies sponsored shooter John Vlieger, a USPSA competitor with years of experience running NAS³ 9mm in both minor and major power factor loads, to walk through the process from collection to crimp.
One of the first advantages NAS³ handloaders notice is case recovery. Because the cases are magnetic, a magnetic broom makes quick work of flat-surface pickup at the range. For grass or uneven terrain, a magnet on a stick gives you the precision you need.
Cleaning intensity depends on conditions. Indoor range pickups may only need a brief pass to smooth things out before processing. Cases that have been exposed to outdoor elements benefit from a tumbler run with walnut media. Vlieger adds a small amount of Nu Finish car polish to the media for a like-new result.
Cleanliness isn’t just cosmetic. Clean cases mean less friction in the dies, and as Vlieger puts it, “minimizing friction is the name of the game” with NAS³ handloading.
Whether you’re running a progressive press with automation or working through cases manually, processing NAS³ cases on a dedicated pass, separate from brass, leads to better quality control and more consistent results. The sizing force required for NAS³ differs from brass, and keeping them separate means you can dial in your die settings precisely for each.
The processing pass for NAS³ 9mm is straightforward: decap and resize. No swaging required. NAS³ 9mm cases ship with non-crimped primer pockets from the factory, eliminating that prep step entirely.
One important sizing note: NAS³ is a two-piece case, and the pressure cylinder sits higher than on a brass case. As a result, the sizing die doesn’t need to be run as far down to size the full case. Check each case in a case gauge as you go, and once you find the right die depth, record it; it’ll save setup time on every future session.
With cases cleaned, decapped, and sized, the loading sequence follows a familiar flow: prime, expand, charge, powder check, seat, and crimp. The sequence is the same as brass, but the details at expansion and crimping deserve special attention.
Consistent primer seating depth is one of the highest-leverage variables in handloaded ammunition quality. Vlieger recommends a hold-down die over the priming station to keep the case from riding up and introducing seating depth variation from round to round. A spring-loaded adjustable version is a smart choice if you run both brass and NAS3 cases. Brass cases can vary in web height from piece to piece, requiring that auto-adjustment, while NAS3 cases are highly consistent with one another and don’t present the same variation. The same hold-down works for both; it’s simply doing different jobs depending on the case.
Expansion: The Friction Principle
Expansion is where NAS³ handloading most often trips up first-time users, and where the right approach makes the biggest difference. The principle is straightforward: minimize friction at every point of die-to-case contact.
If the expander die grabs the case mouth and holds it as the toolhead rises, the base of the case absorbs the tension, which can cause distention—and in significant cases, enough distortion that the case will no longer pass a case gauge or chamber properly. This is precisely why minimizing friction is so critical throughout the loading process. Vlieger uses and recommends the S3 Reload expander for NAS³ 9mm.
Key practices:
The same friction logic applies at the crimp station. Vlieger has found excellent results pairing a Lyman taper crimp die with a tungsten carbide insert for 9mm, a combination he uses interchangeably with both brass and NAS³ cases. The carbide sleeve provides a significantly smoother interaction at the case mouth: less catching, less grabbing, and a more consistent crimp. It’s a straightforward addition to any setup that pays off in both case longevity and round-to-round consistency.
For 9mm minor loads, Vlieger’s powder of choice is Vihtavuori N320, a clean-burning, consistent option that has performed at the national championship level. For major power factor, Accurate No. 7 has long been the competitive standard. Both meter reliably and have delivered consistent results paired with NAS³ cases across years of competition use.
NAS³ 9mm cases are designed for repeated handloading, and in practice, most competitive shooters find they lose cases before they wear them out. Common brass failure modes like cracked case mouths are simply less of a factor with the nickel-stainless steel alloy construction, and primer pockets tend to hold up longer as well.
The primary wear indicator to watch with NAS³ is the case mouth. Over-expanding and crimping back down repeatedly is the fastest way to accumulate wear. Keep expansion conservative, keep friction low, and the cases will last. As Vlieger notes, “I shoot them until I lose them.”
Handloading NAS³ 9mm cases isn’t dramatically different from working with brass, but it rewards precision and punishes sloppiness more quickly. The cases that arrive on your bench are already non-crimped, magnetically recoverable, and built to tighter tolerances than conventional brass. Meet them with clean cases, a dedicated processing pass, a light touch on expansion, a carbide crimp insert, and friction-awareness throughout, and you’ll get the kind of consistency that makes NAS³ worth running at the highest levels of competition.
Insights contributed by John Vlieger, USPSA competitor and Shell Shock Technologies sponsored shooter.
