how do you mark reformed brass so it dosent get mixed up ?

[badbob454]

i load alot for my e german makarov .. i reform trim and shoot 9mm brass , i paint the base red with a red plastic /metal paint that tends to flake off when it gets fired ... how do you personally mark reformed brass , im looking for a better way i would preffer a bright color to quickly find and distinguish my 9mm luger , from the reformed 9 makarov brass .... is there a chemical one could soak brass in to stain without damage to the brass?... stumped

[Dan Cash]

Check out chemical supply houses that supply patina forming chemicals for the art community. Sorry I can't find my link just now. Such patinas are pretty durable and cheap to create; just avoid any that use an amonia component. Colors range from red to blue to brown and black and green.

[winelover]

Birchwood Casey use to make a solution called Brass Black. Don't know if it's still available. I have used it to blacken the bases of cartridge cases I wanted to keep separate. Holds up to repeated tumbling.

Winelover

[RoyEllis]

Birchwood Casey use to make a solution called Brass Black. Don't know if it's still available. I have used it to blacken the bases of cartridge cases I wanted to keep separate. Holds up to repeated tumbling.Winelover

It's still available, found it here... http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/Finishing/FinishingDetails.aspx?ProductID=d66c82b1-292e-4753-84d7-290d6728fd8f

[badbob454]

thanks ,i noticed the sellers and bellot cases have a distintive red color at the primers that dosent deem to flake off or wear off , does anyone know what that color is , paint ,laquer , etc.

[swamp]

To mark mine I put a light mark across the head with a small triangle file. With my 458 brass formed from 300 win mag it is not necessary.
swamp

[badbob454]

im going to order some ''liver of sulfer'' it is a staining agent for brass and copper , has no amonia and will stain to a charcoal black patina , black is mak. should help the seperating process ,ill just clean with hot water and dish soap , should hold the color that way , thanks for all the suggestions got me in the right direction , i hope

[tchepone]

I have a couple pages of formulas and instruction to color brass. But there seems to be a 19K limit to file sizes one can attach here.

I have tried a couple of these recipes with mixed results. The problem comes from converting the chemical names from what was used years ago to what the same chemical is called today, and just plain access to these chemicals.
Also, if you have or have access to a copy of Modern Gunsmithing, by Clyde Baker, he has a chapter in the book about this subject. That book is long out of print and is hard to find.
Perhaps one of the chemical engineering types on this website will be able to help with name conversion..

If anyone would like the information, please email me at tchepone@hotmail.com

[Mk42gunner]

im going to order some ''liver of sulfer'' it is a staining agent for brass and copper , has no amonia and will stain to a charcoal black patina , black is mak. should help the seperating process ,ill just clean with hot water and dish soap , should hold the color that way , thanks for all the suggestions got me in the right direction , i hope

If you shoot blackpowder, save the water you clean the gun with then use it to discolor the Mak brass.

The leftover sulfur residue will do a number on polished brass.

Robert

[dbosman]

The late George Nonte used an end mill in a drill press. He used a case support block clamped to the table.
He ground the cutting flutes of an end mill down to two thin cutting edges that remove only a shallow band. Just deep enough to take out the head stamp. He'd re-mark the cases using small metal stamps.

He also wrote the original book, on modifying cases.
We're fortunate these days to have access to a lot more sizes of new brass, then in the olden days of the forties and fifties.

[mooman76]

I use if possible, brass that isn't marked with a headstamp. Not always an option but when it is, it makes me think abit to figure out what it actually is.

[dkf]

thanks ,i noticed the sellers and bellot cases have a distintive red color at the primers that dosent deem to flake off or wear off , does anyone know what that color is , paint ,laquer , etc.

I believe it is some type of primer sealer. You can get primer sealer but it is $10 for tiny little nail polish bottle of it.

Dykem layout fluid should stay on the brass pretty good and is fairly cheap. They have it in Blue, Red and I think Green. The red shows up nice. http://itwprofessionalbrands.com/dymon-product.php?product=1139

[badbob454]

tried the liver of sulfur looks terrible like i picked up some 50 year old brass and it is spotty have to experiment more

[country gent]

I have marked brass buy using a center head and scribe scribing an X across the head. I had some I actually cut a light straight Knurl arounf the body at the head. I narrowed a set of knurling rolls to .100 and cut a very light knurl around the case just in front of the extrator groove like LC National Match cases have. A good machinist can set up a pipe cutter to do this. 2 knurl rolls and one smooth roll lightly adjust in till a visible mark is made.

[Skunkworks]

Dremel is your friend!
At one time i shot BP and umpteen of us had Swedish Remingtons.
To seperate my brass i made a quick streak/grind across part of the base.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/Chickenthief/Skydning/Til%20andre/R0011541_zpsd52eaac2.jpg (http://s295.photobucket.com/user/Chickenthief/media/Skydning/Til%20andre/R0011541_zpsd52eaac2.jpg.html)

[geargnasher]

Fingernail polish in the extractor groove wears for a long time and is easy to distinguish from other brass on the ground.

Gear

[RobsTV]

For my cut down Mak cases I stick with nickel, and skip nickel for 9mm. Also a quick swipe of a red sharpie along bases before a range trip makes it easier to confirm range pickups (as well as warning others that might think they are grabbing some 9mm brass). Still need to do a quick eyeball height check when separating, but the nickel 9x19 cut to 9x18 was the biggest help.

[jcwit]

I can tell the difference between 9mm luger and 9mm Makarov just by looking at it.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I use 9mmNato brass for my 9mmMak conversions,
I also use a red sharpie...works for me and my SIL.
Jon

[badbob454]

I can tell the difference between 9mm luger and 9mm Makarov just by looking at it.

yes but this is a warning to other guys ,too i tried spray epoxy but it flakes off liver of sulfer is just black and sooty , think ill just go to a red sharpee,

[wv109323]

You can use a "Magic Marker" on the head of the case or mark the extractor groove of the case to identify the cases on the ground.
Put the rounds in a plastic ammo box with the bullets down. Take the marker and mark 10 at a time. You can change colors and use a black and red stripe. Black horizontal and red vertical.
Markings will last three or four reloads with trips through the tumbler.

[dtknowles]

I use a dremel with cut-off disk and grind the most identifying mark off the case head. For 270's I have converted to 30-06 I just grind away the 270 on the headstamp. On your converted 9 mm cases I would grind off the Para, Luger, 19 and leave the 9 and manufacturer. On most cases I do nothing because with then they could never be mistaken for something they are not.

Tim