Question on some old brass

I know there's got to be some folks on here who have a good bit more metallurgial knowledge than I have related to brass.

I have some once fired M16 brass I picked up back in 1991 I'd kept in anticipation of the day I'd reload .223. It's all LC and it's all 1991. About three thousand rounds of it.

Somehow, over the years, one container of it got wet and around 30 percent of that container had brass that was corroded to green (I already tossed this brass) and some brass that had mild speckles and some that hard turned brown in appearance, very much lookinglike old copper, rather than brass.

I'm wondering if I should toss any that doesn't appear perfect, if I should anneal the brown brass and try it or toss the whole batch. It's about 500 rounds or so we're talking here.

Your thoughts? And what's going on with the brown brass?


Thanks,


Dave

The brown is the result (I think) of weathering, you see a lot of brass that has been in the grass at ranges and I expect due to dew, rain, and sunshine it turns brown. I've had brass stored in coffee cans in a humid climate turn brown too. I don't think the brass would need annealed, I'd just tumble it to get all the crud off and use it. Remember to trim it after sizing, about all the GI brass I find is over max length right off the bat.

Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phil

Brown in and of itself doesn't raise any red flags-it is just tarnish. If it has cracks or is pitted then toss it

Thanks gents,

In the tumbler for a good long tumble to clean up and back into the resizing/trimming process.

Dave

Given the fact that fired GI brass is so cheap and abundant, and that eye, facial, and hand surgery is so expensive, I think I'd pitch any of it that made me nervous.

1991 is old brass? I am still loading some made in 1902! Just clean your brass and shoot it unless it has obvious visual faults.

1991 is old brass? I am still loading some made in 1902! Just clean your brass and shoot it unless it has obvious visual faults. Throw is away? Perish the thought.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 454PB

Given the fact that fired GI brass is so cheap and abundant, and that eye, facial, and hand surgery is so expensive, I think I'd pitch any of it that made me nervous.

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This, I already did.

Dave

Take used/abused brass to the scrap yard it is worth $$$$$.