Do You Shoot Tarnished Range Brass?

[ascast]

common stuff sure, not so common stuff YES but when did you see any crudy 577-450 MH lying about/ Work hardening is an issue. Stuff that has been exposed to the sun for years will work hardin on one side and not the other. This can be a real problem when it fails in your chamber.

[Barry54]

I started wet tumbling with ss pins. It cleans so well I decided to see just how old and dirty it could clean up. I sought out some pieces that had been in the dirt for probably several years. It got clean, but there’s a point somewhere of tarnished it heavily tarnished that damages the brass. Like it gets weak and porous. The worst examples looked jagged at the case mouth. These split the neck when going through the full length sizer. I now just send the questionable ones directly to the scrap bucket.

Lightly tarnished will clean up in the wet tumbler, and those get used for plinking and such.

Some friends came out to shoot a few weeks ago in the snow. I picked up their brass and some of it got green overnight. I quickly ran all of it through the wet tumbler. Some of the ugly ones can still be identified, but I think it was caught in time and I still plan to use them.

[lancem]

Topics like this just make me laugh, the whole shiny brass thing. I have my own outdoor range and I pick up the range brass, sometimes I find one that I missed and they are darn near black. They load and shoot just fine. Life is too short to worry about how shiny something is when it doesn't matter.

[Wal']

Have used range brass for 40 yrs, straight into the vibrator & walnut media after a range shoot & reloaded........all works as it should, tarnish doesn't inhibit my shooting in any way....

[rockrat]

I will collect different range brass and take it home and clean it first. Either wet tumble or the vibrator cleaner. I leave the 223 for someone else, but sure looks like no one wants it as its still in the bucket. Got 13 of 45 colt cases the other day and last month, about 60 of '06 cases and the same 308 cases.

[jdgabbard]

It all polishes up. Why not shoot it...

I typically just throw it in soapy water to remove most of the dirt, then rinse/dry, and into the tumbler for an hour or two. If it's heavily tarnished, I sometimes will toss it into a bath of diluted vinegar and soapy water instead, leaving it to sit for a little while before rinsing and drying. Once loaded, all my ammo gets tossed into the tumbler with a little NuFinish. Comes out looking like factory loaded ammo. And the NuFinish seems to give the brass/bullet a little protection from further oxidation.

[pworley1]

I pick up range brass no matter how tarnished it is, most of it comes out of the tumbler as shinny as new.

[Ed_Shot]

It all polishes up. Why not shoot it...

I typically just throw it in soapy water to remove most of the dirt, then rinse/dry, and into the tumbler for an hour or two. If it's heavily tarnished, I sometimes will toss it into a bath of diluted vinegar and soapy water instead, leaving it to sit for a little while before rinsing and drying. Once loaded, all my ammo gets tossed into the tumbler with a little NuFinish. Comes out looking like factory loaded ammo. And the NuFinish seems to give the brass/bullet a little protection from further oxidation.

Totally agree! Soak/wash it in hot tap water with a big teaspoon of citric acid powder ( or Lemishine) and a big squirt of dawn for 30 minutes will usually take off all the tarnish. After air drying over night tumble it in lizard litter for 2 hrs. Looks like it came off the store shelf. After close inspection I may cull a piece but not because it's been dirty.

[bimus]

I have not bought ammo or brass for years the only reason I ever bought guns in 40 S&W was because I picked up so much brass off the ground and with picking up cheap lead where I can . With primers costing what they are and getting over 1000 rounds per pound of powder it's a good deal .

[anothernewb]

as long as it's structurally sound. I don't care what color it is.

[Texas by God]

The one on the left was found a year or two after it was dropped. I washed it off and it’s back in use.
Sun annealing!


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[Recycled bullet]

Hey Texas, is the case mouth broken on the black cartridge?

[gwpercle]

Kind of a loaded question ...
I pick up heavily tarnished ( Brown ) range brass but I inspect it and run it through my Thumler's model B Tumbler and polish it .
As long as the brass is in good condition and clean ... it doesn't have to shine like a new penny ...
Gary

[2TM101]

You are reloading steel and aluminum cases?

Yes. Then I use those in places where I know I am going to lose them

[cwtebay]

Yes. Then I use those in places where I know I am going to lose them

Do you convert them to Boxer?

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[DocSavage]

I pick up brass that I can use and use steel pins soap and citric acid and tumble for an hour or 2 and I'd say 99% come out looking like new. Run them thru corn cob with NuFinish and they stay tarnish free for quite a while.

[2TM101]

I have not bought ammo or brass for years the only reason I ever bought guns in 40 S&W was because I picked up so much brass off the ground and with picking up cheap lead where I can.

Same here - but when I pick up brass now its

85% 9mm
12% .45ACP
3% anything else

If I use my Glock 22 Its a given I will lose some of it. Having picked up probably 10K+ of 9mm I have found

1 32acp
3 32 magnum revolver
16 380
11 38 Super
9 44 Special
22 44 Magnum
4 45LC
3 50 AE
and less than a hundred 40's
Occasionally someone has a lever action and leaves 38 Special but I didn't keep track of those.

[2TM101]

Do you convert them to Boxer?

Stuff I find IS Boxer I don't question why. And honestly there isn't much of it.

[redhawk0]

I've used tarnished brass for decades (It's been just the past 8 years that I started tumbling in pins/citric acid)...for me...it is corroded if I can run my fingernail across the spot and it "feels" rough. Tarnish is still smooth to the touch...corrosion is not.

redhawk

[JustinP]

I haven't picked range brass in years.
But in 35 years of reloading I've never tumbled a piece of brass.
So ... No, I don't really shoot range brass, but all of my brass is tarnished.