Preserving brass shine after loading

[pls1911]

After you spent time cleaning and polishing brass, then reload and clean off the case lube, what are your solutions to maintain/preserve/prolong the "new brass" shine?
This is an old quest, and I'm looking for new answers.

[jcren]

I add a dab of "nu-finish" car wax to my media when I tumble.

[osteodoc08]

Nu-finish is a good one. The wax in it keeps the brass from oxidizing. Generally speaking, cartridge brass is a mixture of 70% copper and 30% zinc. That's why they tarnish. It's also why it has gone up in price due to commodities.

[Nueces]

The auto wax is a good solution. I use 0.047" SS pins in a Thumler's Model B hi-speed rotary tumbler. Phase one is an hour with (nasty, saline, chalky) well water, a bit of Dawn and 1/4 tsp LemiShine. Change water and go 2 hours with ArmorAll WashnWax replacing the Dawn.

Before I started using the ArmorAll, my cases would come out beautifully polished and clean, so clean that tarnishing began in a few days. Now, they have a micro coating of hard wax that preserves the finish. The wax survives carbide sizing and the loaded ammo remains bright.

[Bonz]

it depends on how you clean your brass. When I used to use a vibratory tumbler with corncob/crushed walnut shells, I use to add Nu-Finish car wax (no petroleum ingredients). Now that I use a wet tumbler with stainless steel pins, I use ArmorAll Ultra Shine and Wax as soap which leaves a thin layer of wax on the brass.

[Bzcraig]

I'm by no stretch of the imagination a chemist nor do I play one on TV but is there an effect, one way or the other, with wax being introduced into the chamber?

[Lloyd Smale]

I tumble to clean off lube not shine my shells and I want to tumble junk off them not add it to them. I don't worry about shinny looking shells. they don't shoot one bit better.

[Nueces]

I was a physicist, not a chemist, but my judgment tells me that the trivial mount of surface wax on my cases matters about as much as muttering under my breath. 120 rounds per cowboy match each Saturday.

[Bonz]

I'm by no stretch of the imagination a chemist nor do I play one on TV but is there an effect, one way or the other, with wax being introduced into the chamber?

There are no petroleum products in this car wash. Some members posted about this about 6 months ago, I tried it once and have been doing it ever since. I have a few 100 pieces of prepped .380 brass that I washed about 6 months ago as a test and they are still just as shiny and "untarnished" as the day I washed them. The extremely thin wax coating also reduces the amount of case lube needed for easy loading on the press.

[big bore 99]

I trim and chamfer mine using an electric drill. I then put a drop of Brasso on a piece of scotchbrite and run it around the shell, then polish.
I do 45-70, so maybe smaller shells might not be as easy.

[W.R.Buchanan]

If you break down your brass first, IE size and deprime, then tumble in walnut hulls with Nu Finish or Dillon's case polish, you will then be loading clean brass that won't tarnish quickly.

No need to wipe down after wards as the tumbling cleaned the cases for you.

Randy

[lefty o]

wax wont hurt the powder or primer, the ammo manufacturers use wax on em too. a little goes a very long ways.

[4719dave]

BRASSO has bad stuff in it danger will Roberts danger

I trim and chamfer mine using an electric drill. I then put a drop of Brasso on a piece of scotchbrite and run it around the shell, then polish.
I do 45-70, so maybe smaller shells might not be as easy.

[Bonz]

Just found a YouTube video on the new Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler

http://youtu.be/nuDRzeZAgyA

[John Boy]

New Cleaning Solution - Sparkling Brass in 15 Minutes! Then add free dessicants from the drug store to the container that is used to store the empties ... http://sassnet.com/forums/index.php?...895&hl=bubbles

[rogerstg]

Environmental factors also influence how quickly metal tarnishes. For example, I know that silver tarnishes faster in areas people smoke or burn wood or coal. It may be the same for brass. Humidity affects the rate of tarnishing too.

[sundog]

I used a Frankford Arsenal rotary tumbler for the first time yesterday yesterday. All I can say is , Wow. I cleaned ~500 once fired LC 5.56 that had already been FLs'd. I did not use SS pins, ran for 1 hour, and they came out great. I used the sample cleaning solution that came with the unit and a half teaspoon of lemi shine. There's another 500+ to process yet. These are for NRA High Power this summer, so it will be down into October when some are finally used. Methinks the Armorall wash and wax products would be great - think I'll try some.

[cheese1566]

I may try the ArmorAll WashnWax in my rotary. I have been using the Dawn and Lemi, but then after drying I would tumble in cob and NuFinish in my vibratory to keep from tarnishing.

that would save me an extra step.

[Beau Cassidy]

Pistol brass is rotary tumbled with stainless pins/car wash/lemishine until clean- 2 or 2 1/2 hrs.
I used to lay the brass out to dry but was tired of water spots and the occasional corrosion. Now I put a little dab of liquid polish in clean walnut/corncob median and dissipate it. Throw the hulls in for about 10 or 15 minutes to dry. The results look factory new.

Dirty Rifle brass is cleaned rotary or with stainless pins. After sizing they go back into the stainless pins then the dry media/car wax combo for drying. Then I vacuum pack it.

I like rotary tumbling so much I bought a second FART.

[oldred]

BRASSO has bad stuff in it danger will Roberts danger

Originally Posted by big bore 99
I trim and chamfer mine using an electric drill. I then put a drop of Brasso on a piece of scotchbrite and run it around the shell, then polish.
I do 45-70, so maybe smaller shells might not be as easy.

I learned the hard way that the Ammonia in Brasso will destroy the brass and lead to cracked cases! A couple of years ago I was spinning 45/70 cases using Brasso and sometimes another product that also contained Ammonia (I could smell it) and my case life was way too short, it seemd the brass was becoming hard and brittle. A guy I was talking to at a local gun shop told me I was ruining my cases with that stuff so I asked about it here and sure enough a lot of the folks here were already aware of it and agreed that doing that is a real no-no! I don't do it anymore and while I don't use the 45/70 brass nearly as much since I now mostly shoot a 45-90 I have had no more case life problems in either the 45/70 or the '90. That is one polishing trick I definitely won't be doing anymore!