Project Appleseed

I have a chance to buy some pulled USGI 150 gr bullets at a pretty good price BUT they've been nickle plated - why someone would do this I've got no clue

can't imagine it'll do anything good for accuracy - but will it do any damage to a Garand?

Don't know?  Make them slickery? Display?  Undersized bullets to correct
diameter?  How do you know they are plated?  I have seen cast bullets
with added alloys like tin, antimony, and zinc.   A company in Oregon who
has changed names a couple of times  (I think called Laser Cast, once) used
some alloy that may even included silver to achieve a hard and better formed
cast bullet.   Some of the premium cartridges cases are nickle plated like
Remington as well as many pistol cartridges being nickle plated.

They may be (cupro)Nickle jacket. They will be silver colored and it has been used for jacket material through the years,,,if so, they are probably decades old. Perfectly shootable, though I have read the nickle is tough to get out of the bore.
Times being what they are,if the price is right, I would acquire.
'Nickle' (himself) might want to chime in here.

From Wikipedia:

Quote from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupro-nickelThe cupronickel alloy technology has been known by the Chinese since the 3rd century BC under the name "white copper" (some weapons from the Warring States Period were in copper-nickel alloy [1]).

The Greco-Bactrian kings Agathocles and Pantaleon were the first in the world to issue copper-nickel (75/25 ratio) coins [2] around 170 BC, suggesting that exchanges of the metallic alloy, or possibly exchanges of technicians, were happening at the time between China and the region of Bactria. The practice of exporting Chinese metals, in particular iron, for trade is attested around that period.

Cupro-nickel was not used again in coinage until the 19th century. Cupro-nickel is the cladding on either side of United States Half Dollars (50¢) since 1971, and all quarters (25¢) and dimes (10¢) made after 1965. The United States Jefferson Nickel (5¢) coin is solid cupro-nickel (75/25 ratio).[3]

Beginning around the turn of the 20th century, bullet jackets were commonly made from this material. It was soon replaced with gilding metal to reduce metal fouling in the bore.

Uncle Sam liked them enough to shoot them for a while, but he obviously found a lower maintenance solution in a different jacket composition.  I'd shoot them in a 1903, or sparingly in a Garand, but wouldn't stick thousands of 'em in a gas-cycled rifle unless I were proficient in cleaning the gas system.

I've never shot them (seen them advertised for sail) but I'd think the newer (and rougher) your barrel is the worse it would tend to collect the jacket material.  Not sure if it would be a problem in a chrome lined barrel or not. 

Quote from: Oohrah on December 26, 2007, 12:00:29 AM
A company in Oregon who has changed names a couple of times  (I think called Laser Cast, once) used
some alloy that may even included silver to achieve a hard and better formed cast bullet. 

Silver? He got many werewolf hunters on his client list? 

Not many in my area, as we keep them thinnned down.   Regular
Canadian wolves being reintroduced in Idaho and Montana and reported
that a pair crossed the Columbia and tracks found in NE Oregon.  Werewolfs
not a problem, and not enough of a population to draw Zombies.   Jury is
still out on Bigfoot!   Pretty sure that cast bullet company did claim silver
somewhere.   Name change could be Oregon Trail!   Yep, that be it!!!!
Several alloys including silver.   Supposed to be good stuff even if it doesn't
work on Vamps.   Midway handles them.   Looks like most of them wear gas
checks.

Yeah, I've used LaserCast/Oregon Trail bullets, but only for LSWC loads in a 44mag handgun.  Not exactly an Appleseed weapon.  They do have a small amount of silver in the Lead/Antimony alloy.  I keep one speedloader full in the house just in case of werewolves... and I have some XTP hollowpoints with garlic in the cavities for vampires, just in case.

The silver/lead alloy are thru-and-thru the same material though.  The cupronickel jacket discussed in the OP are a jacket material surrounding a plain lead bullet.  Totally different processes.

I got to look at a sample of these guys and they look like somebody did an electroplate / wash kinda deal over 'regular' USGI bullets - you can scape some off with a sharp pocket knife and find copperish looking metal below can't get it to scrape off with a finger nail 

the fellow selling them has loaded and shot a few 100 through a garand - so I may take a look at the budget and buy 'em  load 'em ans shoot 'em through the 2a enfield

I've used them, they're OK.