permanent marker for brass?

[nekshot]

Is there any potion to make a permanent identification on bottom and side of brass cartridge? As in a 30-06 cartridge resized into a 8mm mauser for a tighter inside neck for a .318 bore gun but you have other .323 bore guns.

[bangerjim]

You can buy liquid brass blackening agents. I have some from years back that I use on antiques with new screws.

You would have to put it in a pen (probably NOT brass) of some kind to be able to write on the cases.

Do a search on the web for brass antiquing or patinating fluids.

bangerjim

[HangFireW8]

Is there any potion to make a permanent identification on bottom and side of brass cartridge? As in a 30-06 cartridge resized into a 8mm mauser for a tighter inside neck for a .318 bore gun but you have other .323 bore guns.

I use the Birchwood Casey brass black for exactly that purpose, I don't have a .318 but I do have '06 headstamps resized and cut down to 8mm. In order to get it to stick, you have to degrease the brass and buff it up a bit first. I found it's best to give it a spin in the Lee case trimmer case holder, and polish it with steel wool right before dropping it in a small cup of the BC Brass Black.

[Tatume]

I use a file and make a notch in the rim. It don't grow back.

[Gtek]

Yep, small triangle file and about 45 degrees down and back.

[williamwaco]

I use a "Sharpie" and fill the headstamp impression.

[NuJudge]

You can buy Sharpies in all sorts of colors. I use them to indicate different lots of the same headstamp brass. So long as I don't tumble them a long time, I can still tell the difference after cleaning.

[Artful]

all the above will work - one other method is to pick a brand of brass and use that only for your cartridge conversion - all WW or RP or whatever is only for you 8mm

[BruceB]

I've used modeler's paints for this purpose.

Mostly I use them just around the primer for load identification, and the paint "goes away" when the case is deprimed.

However..... if a generous amount is used on the entire case head, and then mostly wiped-off with some solvent on a rag AFTER the paint has started to dry, the headstamp letters and numbers will be left full of paint.

I have cases that were treated like this decades ago, and the color is still visible.

It's easiest to do the paint application and the final wipe if the cases or cartridges are all in a cartridge box with the heads upright. Quick, easy, cheap, and at least SEMI-permanent!

[dragon813gt]

I use nail polish for this purpose.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/TimeToMakeAmmo/6BEC15D6-403E-4310-B3DD-A2F836A0C448-36773-000021B8D5BE8C5C_zps8f60c47d.jpg

A long tumble will remove it completely. I tend to use different years to differentiate the conversions. But the nail polish makes it easy to quickly identify which ones they are.

[mdi]

I use a file and make a notch in the rim. It don't grow back.
Yep, won't hurt the cartridge, you can feel it, and it's permanent; won't come off when you tumble it...

[badbob454]

i use a red permenant marker on 9mm reformed to makarov works great , shoot , pick up brass , sort , then polish seperatly .
i mark the whole base, primer and all , tried the blackening agents , ugly ... paint , flakes off when firing .

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yes: I too have been looking for some material to color my 9MM to 9x18 Makarov Conversions. My intent was to make them all black so they would stand out when laying on the ground so I could focus on picking them up and also help to sort them afterwards.

The Birchwood Casey stuff sounds like the ticket.

Randy

[Shiloh]

Jewelers liver of sulphur is what I use.
Or a stroke with a triangle jewelers file or riffler.

Shiloh

[BruceB]

Just a note here...... paint IN the headstamp markings does not flake off.

I make .32 Special cases from .30-30 brass by the simple expedient of resizing the .30-30 cases in a ,32 Special die. That's all there is to it! Then , to differentiate the altered cases, I chuck each one in the Unimat and cut a shallow groove around the head, which defaces the ".30-30" marking and makes the identification very easy.

[nekshot]

Thanks for all the ideas. I am going to try bright color sharpies. I want it to really stand out as the future generation might not catch notches or marks right away although that would be all I need. It really is sobering trying to make things as explainable and simple as can be done for those who will have this stuff in the future.

[Bullwolf]

I use a few different colors of nail polish for this sort of thing.

It's very hard to get it off the head stamp lettering portion of the case like BruceB said. I have to at least use nail polish remover to get rid of it.

Apply some, and then wipe the end of the case with a paper towel after. I find it leaves the nail polish visible around the primer ring, and in the case lettering.

113550

It stays in the lettering even through a corn cob, or a walnut shell media tumble.



- Bullwolf

[dragon813gt]

It stays in the lettering even through a corn cob, or a walnut shell media tumble.


Run it overnight in walnut media if you want to get it all off.