Would you be OK reloading these?

[stocker1042]

I got over 1000 38 special cases that are older than I am, but are already primed. They look to be in nice shape with one exception..there is this reddish tone inside of them. The older fellow I got them from said he primed them a few years back but never loaded them.

So...what is the reddish tone from, and would you be OK reloading them based just on the red tone?

I tried to get a pic...but it isn't great.

[jsheyn]

I don't know what the reddish stuff is but I would load 5 at a moderate load and see how the case holds up....that is what I would personaly do...does the reddish stuff wipe off at all or is it stained?

[W.R.Buchanan]

The reddish stuff is probably remains of tumbling media with red rouge mixed in to polish the brass. It won't hurt anything.

Stick Qtip in the case if it comes out red you'll see what I'm talking about.

Randy

[stocker1042]

I just checked..it does wipe right out. I just wanted to check that it wasn't the primers going bad or something. Funny thing was...I went further down in the lot and the ones at the bottom did not have the red stuff in them.

[DxieLandMan]

Looks like it was left over from walnut media. They look ok to me.

[No_1]

Load a couple and test them. I think you will find no issues.

[nagantguy]

Had the same thing with very old .44 sp. Cases it wiped right out and they worked fine, still have about 100 of them ready to load.

[stocker1042]

Thanks guys.

[jonk]

I've shot brass from before 1900 with no issue, and reloaded the same- some of it many times. This stuff looks positively new by comparison. Go for it.

[bob208]

it is bad. send it to me for proper use.

[40-82]

I'm still using 38 special brass that was given to my father from the State Police ranges back in the fifties. I concur that the reddish tint is probably walnut media. I would shoot them with one cavet: given that you do not know how long they have been primed or how the primed cases have been stored, I would use them for practice and not carry ammunition. Odds are won't have any problems with misfires at all.

[josper]

I tumble my brass with the walnut media and it leaves this red dust in the case. I use a bronze bore brush in a cordless drill in reverse so the spiral is drawing out and clean out the cases as best I can. I intend to buy a sonic case cleaner in the near future to remedy this problem.

[myg30]

Load em and go if the q-tip takes care of it or not. The powder burn after you shoot them will bring them back to the dirty nasty looking cases we all like and want. Then load em again and again.

Be safe and enjoy, Mike

[josper]

Rouge is an abrasive ,I think it's a good idea to get as much out as you can.

[gbrown]

Take 10 of them, select randomly, go out in the shed or garage and point at a 5 to 10 foot distance, not at a vehicle, and try them. I've done the same to see if old primers or old primed shells functioned. My old polishing media was walnut with rouge, and it left a red film. Never caused a misfire.

[winelover]

Rouge is an abrasive ,I think it's a good idea to get as much out as you can.

Rouge (short for Jewelers Rouge) is abrasive; but it will take more then your lifetime to harm brass casings. It is used, after all, to polish precious metals, so I'm guessing it's not that abrasive!

I use to recharge my media with it. At worst, the red powder is nothing more than nuisance. It builds up in the extractor groove of brass and eventually transfer's over to the firearm.

Winelover

[gwpercle]

I use the treated walnut and it starts showing up inside cases when it gets worn out and is time to change it ( it is said to be "loaded up") . Have reloaded lots with it in there and the rouge is a super fine polishing media and shouldn't hurt a thing....might just polish your barrel a bit.

[gandog56]

I've got 38 special cases I've been reloading for 38 years!

Of course I make very light loads using 148 grain DEWC's as practice ammo for my .357 Mag.