brass question for old timers

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Ex

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Use a lot of desert pickup used range brass here. Phoenix area. Some of this brass is VERY sunburned. Even after tumbling, it shines but is still brown.

Would you use it? Mostly .45 ACP. I know that pretty is not a requirement, but for example, polishes with ammonia can weaken the brass.

Will Sunlight and weather also compromise the brass? Have maybe 500 cases I have been hesitating on using because of this.

What do ya'll think?

Thanks in advance!

Ex
 
What do ya'll think?
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I would load it if thats all I had, or save it for a rainy day. 45acp is a low pressure round so it may run just fine.
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I have used brass thats laid buried for 5-6 years...

It is brass that I lost there at home over the years...I bought a metal detector last year and was able to find over 300 pieces of 45acp brass that I had lost in the grass.

I put it in an empty tumbler to shake the dirt out of it (worked pretty good), then tumbled it with media...the brass works fine.
 
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brass question for old timers
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One for RC :D The 45acp maximum pressure is 23,000 PSI. Brown brass would be less likely to come apart at 45 pressure then 223. I would not use it, because ammonia occurs in nature. In nature, ammonia occurs in soil from bacterial processes. It is also produced when plants, animals and animal wastes decay. *Edit/add- Vegetation, decomposing dead plants & moisture produce ammonia. Dont know about a desert environment??
 
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I've reloaded brown brass many times in 45 ACP with no ill effects. They do split more readily however after a few reloadings.

In nature, ammonia occurs in soil from bacterial processes. It is also produced when plants, animals and animal wastes decay.
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Is the really much of an issue in a desert environment?
 
I wouldn't use them. I have been there and decided it wasn't worth the return if they didn't hold up. Some of my sunburn brass is actually dark brown and feels like cheap steel that has too much carbon and could easily rupture. You could always load one up and try it.
 
You can clean them up and restore the brass color with a little citric acid in hot water. The Lemishine they sell in the kitchenware dept. for cleaning dishwashers and coffee pots contains mostly citric acid, and it works well.

Just heat the water and put about two tablespoons of citric acid in and stir it up. Put in the brass and let it set for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then rinse in hot water and spread it out on a towel in the sun and let it dry. That will take the tarnish off and if you then want it shiny, just tumble as usual. I normally deprime before doing this, since it lets the air flow through the brass better and it dries quicker.

I've lived in the desert and brass won't deteriorate for many years in that environment.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
I've used tons of 9mm brass that initially looked like rondog's brass. It was old range pick up from Georgia that had been there ?long. This was before brass was cherished like it is today. Citric acid is a common cleaner/detarnish agent that my father had used since the 70's and has taught me to use. He got it from the canning section I believe. Hot water in a bucket with citric acid and he swirled it around a few times over the course of an hour or so. Put it in a huge strainer and rinse with fresh tap water from the hose. He then let it dry. Then popped in the tumbler for a final clean up. Good as new.
 
Great info and answers all! I believe I'll do the close inspect to look for signs of actual etching, Start a few on the softer side and see how it goes.

Thanks to all for your valued input!!!
 
Unless it has that green corrosion and etching you should be good to go. I have cleaned up lots of it and reused it with good results. But I do toss the really corroded ones into the recycle bucket.:)
 
Look for a canning product called "Fruit Fresh", "kool-aid" also has a high citric acid content. As noted "Lemishine" will work too. Pure citric acid should be obtainable from a pharmacy. Soaking a cast iron item in citric acid makes a great rust remover as well!
 
You guys are hanging around so darn ugly brass......... If the brass looks that bad, I'm looking for another piece of brass. Pun intended. Don't lower your standards guys: come on.
 
I've got a lot of them like that, some almost black. Reloaded many times. No problem.

Ditto .223 brass. No problem. Have to be careful to make sure no cobwebs. Spiders love .223 brass for nesting.
 
The brass should load and shoot just fine. If the discoloration bothers you (it does me). I use citric acid to remove the stains. Citric acid is available almost everywhere and will clean even the most dirty brass without harming it. You might have to treat more than once if it's REALLY filthy
 
I dug ones up out of the ground where I shot in the winter in the snow, cleaned them with vinegar and reloaded them.

I never thought about the metal detector, will have to get one now and let the kids hunt.
 
i agree to inspect it ,but brass can tarnish and if your prepping it like you probably are, it should be fine. i personally dont use brass laying around at my shooting range because one never knows how many times it has been loaded or if someone has tried to anneal or do no telling what to it. but like was said in the other post , if you load them light it would probably be ok.
 
I think this would be a perfect time for a stainless tumble........then you can

really tell how corroded (or not) they are.
 
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