View Full Version : Brass cleaning questions
So I just spent my Thanksgiving morning by picking through about and inch of mud and was able to aquire two and a half ammo cans of 223/556 and assortment of 45 brass and a good amount of 45 nickle plated brass. Most of what I yielded today was 223/556.
My questions is, being that the brass was in mud, is ok for me to rinse the brass off with water and let it air dry before I tumble it, as it is heavily coated in mud?
I know all of the brass is once fired and from Tuesday night when an adjacent town's dept had thier night qual. A buddy of mine whom used to be my Sgt (with another dept) called and told me about the brass. So after I got out of work today I went and picked it all up.
Thanks for the info
-DM-
Absolutely. Clean brass in soapy detergent, dry and tumble.
Absolutely. Clean brass in soapy detergent, dry and tumble.
Outstanding! Thank you and have a Great Thanksgiving
-DM-
Yeah. Wash the crap out of it. It might not be a bad idea to inspect each case to be sure all the mud is out.
What I do is soak/wash it, then set it in the bed liner of my truck to dry. If the sun is out the black bed liner gets hot and helps dry out the brass.
What I do is soak/wash it, then set it in the bed liner of my truck to dry. If the sun is out the black bed liner gets hot and helps dry out the brass.
Yeah well has been kinda cold lately here so that idea is kinda shot, it will most likely refreeze. But that is a very ingenious idea!
-DM-
DesertWarrior13
11-27-08, 22:34
Absolutely. Clean brass in soapy detergent, dry and tumble.
That's what I've done with the brass I've found dirty or muddy.
Dish detergent and hot water. Then rinse. If you have a universal decapping die I would use it first because the water will flow out of the brass easier that way. And it may help to clean the primer pockets a bit.
Also you can put the brass on a large cookie sheet (or two), place in oven. Pre-heat oven on a low temp, once pre-heated turn oven off and let the brass dry. Let cool before serving.
I can remember wonder WTF people were washing brass for on TOS.
Then it rained here finally. :eek:
zippygaloo
11-28-08, 10:13
How do you clean the brass on loaded ammunition? I was given some 20 year old Norma and Remington soft point .270 ammunition that was stored under a house (in a kind of storage crawl area). The conditions were dry, but being under a house I cannot say how much moisture has reached them over the years. There appears to be some spotty corrosion or something on some of the rounds.
1. Can I clean old loaded ammunition?
2. How can I know if it's good to shoot?
3. What will happen if the ammo is bad?
You could tumble it. Or clean it up by hand.
If the brass isn't deteriorated to the point of serious corrosion, then I'd shoot it.
zippygaloo
11-28-08, 13:31
What product or method should I use to clean it?
I don't know. I'd have to see it to give an opinion on how I'd clean it up.
DesertWarrior13
11-28-08, 17:57
You might use super fine steel wool (#0000) if its mild tarnish or slight corrosion. But I haven't seen it either. It sounds like its not too bad. Brass can develop dark tarnish spots that are only sightly and not harmful.
How do you clean the brass on loaded ammunition? I was given some 20 year old Norma and Remington soft point .270 ammunition that was stored under a house (in a kind of storage crawl area). The conditions were dry, but being under a house I cannot say how much moisture has reached them over the years. There appears to be some spotty corrosion or something on some of the rounds.
1. Can I clean old loaded ammunition?
2. How can I know if it's good to shoot?
3. What will happen if the ammo is bad?
Really there isn't 100% sure-fire way to tell if that ammo is any good, without shooting it. Yea there are ways to clean live ammo, tumbling would be the way I would go about it. As far as the ammo you are worried about I would inspect each case for a lot of corrosion. If they don't have a lot it I would just shoot it to see if it is any good. Worse case is the powder or primer got wet and the round won't fire. If there is too much corrosin and the case is weak it could go boom too. Just make sure the gun acts like it is soppose to, like make sure a bullet comes out of the barrel before you shoot it again, underpowered sound etc.
The general rule I hear goes as follows:
"If you have to ask.....don't shoot it"
That makes sense to me because it is never worth your gun or fingers or eyes. Really, if you are questioning it you shouldn't take the chance...ever. By the way it sounds they were exposed to something that made them dirty. The question is how dirty and how wet. Post a pic might be helpful.
zippygaloo
11-29-08, 16:13
Here are a few photos of the ammunition. What can you tell me?
*Note the corrosion (or whatever it is) in Photo #1. The soft core tips and brass in Photo #2. I think the brass looks OK in Photo #3, but look at the box in Photo #4, doesn't it look like it's seen water or moisture?
Photo #1
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/3068490629_708a9fb9e4.jpg
Photo #2
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/3068490635_d491b49785.jpg
Photo #3
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/3068490641_215e720d78.jpg
Photo #4
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/3068490651_b7ae3f0220.jpg
the tumbler will clean that up easy using walnut hulls, I don't know about corn cobs, I don't use them.
zippygaloo
11-29-08, 17:39
I don't have a tumbler. What about the condition of the box? Water? Moister?
I would shine one up, then chamber it and pull the trigger. Then I would know for sure.
I don't have a tumbler. What about the condition of the box? Water? Moister?
Don't shoot the box. Just shoot the ammo. ;)
docholliday
12-03-08, 15:59
Lather , rinse, repeat
Use Never-Dull cotton wading. It'll make 'em look like new.
OldNavyGuy
12-04-08, 08:41
the green and yellow Remington box indicates it is fairly new ammo the Norma box is a 1970's vintage, and "YES" both boxes apper to have been exposed to moisture, i would not say "water damaged", just a relatively high humidity environment.
zippygaloo
12-09-08, 18:20
the green and yellow Remington box indicates it is fairly new ammo the Norma box is a 1970's vintage, and "YES" both boxes apper to have been exposed to moisture, i would not say "water damaged", just a relatively high humidity environment.
So should I not use them? Should I trash them? If "no" to trashing them, can I use 00 steel wool to clean them up?
steell wool them puppies, wipe with a rag and pull the trigger
I've soaked ammo in a jug of water for a month, pulled one to inspect interior, was fine, all shot like new.
zippygaloo
12-10-08, 20:13
Would like second opinion on the steel wool vs. trashing. Thanks.
I'll second that. cleanup and then shoot
zippygaloo
12-11-08, 15:54
the green and yellow Remington box indicates it is fairly new ammo the Norma box is a 1970's vintage, and "YES" both boxes apper to have been exposed to moisture, i would not say "water damaged", just a relatively high humidity environment.
What are the risks of firing ammo that has "moisture exposure" and/or "water damage"?
zippygaloo
12-12-08, 03:53
Can shaking a cartridge and listening for the propellant to move give you any indication of exposure to moisture or water damage?
Even though the box for these Remington cartridges (photo below) looked worse than the Norma, when I shook, them I could both hear and feel the propellant moving inside the casing. It had long sounding "sheees" as I tipped them end to end. I could feel a definite transfer or weight. It had a very dry sound to me.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/3068490641_215e720d78.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/3068490651_b7ae3f0220.jpg
Now the cartridges below did not sound the same. I know they are a differnt manufacturer, bullet, etc. On some there were extremely short "sheees" and others did not make any noise at all no matter how hard I shook or tipped them. In either case, I could not really feel anything move.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/3068490635_d491b49785.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/3068490629_708a9fb9e4.jpg
What can I make of this?
Worst case, they go POP, and you Drive the bullet out of the barrel.
Little better, they go Click.
Little better, they go Click...BANG.
Best case, they go BANG.
You are reading too deep into this. If it's a big worry, Circle file the ammo, and forget about it.
I've fired Surplus ammo that looked worse than that.
zippygaloo
12-12-08, 12:57
What do I do with ammo that goes "pop" or "click"?
- How do I handle it?
- Where do I put it?
- How do I transport it?
- How do I dispose of it?
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