Green bullets!

[Robin]

I left some forgot some bullets left in a leather pistol belt and as usual they turned green! It comes of with a little vigorous rubbing with some ScotchBrite, but what a pain in the ass!


I was wondering if there are some preventive measures that might be taken. This seems to be an age old problem and I figure someone has a way to deal with it. I was thinking maybe some baking soda paste rubbed into the leather loops, let it dry and brush it off(?), any other ideas ?
I'd like to keep ammo in the belt cuz I grab it when I'm headed out back.
Robin

 

[pshift]

just rotate the ammo ever so often...

 

[GTN]

Robin’s going green for NY

 

[dwa12479]

Those are ready for a St Paddys Day range trip.
.

 

[kev74]

I've used balistol to clean green junk off knife sheaths and it didn't come back.

 

[Robin]

Well I washed it down with a thick baking soda past, after that dries completely I'll treat it with some Obenauf leather cream. Rereading the cable, it protects against caustic substances. See what happens.

 

[4WHLDRFTN]

You need nickel case

 

[holdover]

Green bullets, hurts people but not the environment.

 

[Robin]

You need nickel case

I have a lot of .32 long, probably more than I'll ever use and don't want to spend the money. But yeah, that is a good solution. I carry it on my forays out back in case I see a saber tooth woodchuck, this time of year, to put a dent in the squirrel population, tasty little buggers. Sometimes I just do a little target shooting, so the bullets can be in the belt anywhere from six days to six months.
Robin

 

[kev74]

Sounds like @Robin needs to play cowboy more.

 

[4WHLDRFTN]

I have a lot of .32 long, probably more than I'll ever use and don't want to spend the money. But yeah, that is a good solution. I carry it on my forays out back in case I see a saber tooth woodchuck, this time of year, to put a dent in the squirrel population, tasty little buggers. Sometimes I just do a little target shooting, so the bullets can be in the belt anywhere from six days to six months.
Robin

I think thats why they were originally made in nickel .. I don’t think the cowboys were looking for Bedazzled ammo.

 

[Acer-m14]

the 25 30-40 krag rounds i have were like that from being in a ammo belt . i toss them in my brass tumbler for a over night

tumble to clean them up .. not putting them back into the cotton belt .. they got there own little ammo box now ..

 

[Robin]

Sounds like @Robin needs to play cowboy more.

I'm with ya there Kev!

Not too much of our history where I'm not covered!
Robin

 

[FP1201]

"Chrome Tanned Leather" is notorious for turning Brass "green" with a waxy substance and leaving stains on Brass cases including Nickle plated when left in long enough....can't tell you how many rounds I've pulled out of Belts and cartridge carriers over the years that were coated and stained, along with the leather itself...never had a case failure that I can recall from shooting any that were stained.
Chrome tanned leather is a type of leather that's made by treating animal skin with chromium salts to preserve it and give it a reddish-brown color:

• Process
  The chromium salts are used in a chemical solution that draws water out of the skin, preventing it from rotting. The leather is then tanned in under a day.
  

• 
  
  
• Properties
  Chrome tanned leather is soft, flexible, and water resistant. It's also durable and retains its color throughout its life.
  
  
• 
  
  
• Uses
  Chrome tanned leather is often used for outdoor items like boots, jackets, and luggage, as well as for small leather goods like handbags and purses.
  
  
• 
  

• Comparison to vegetable tanned leather
  Chrome tanned leather is softer and more pliable than vegetable tanned leather, but it's also thinner. Some say that chrome tanning is the cheapest and most toxic method of leather tanning.
  

• 
  

• Environmental impact
  The main raw material used in chrome tanning is sodium dichromate, which is a carcinogen that can damage the blood, kidneys, eyes, heart, and lungs.
  
  

 

[Beerman]

“The main raw material used in chrome tanning is sodium dichromate, which is a carcinogen that can damage the blood, kidneys, eyes, heart, and lungs.”

Sounds like the perfect form of tanned leather for an ammo belt.

 

[Getzville 068]

Saber tooth woodchuck - Classic !

 

[Zerex]

I had a custom made cowboy gunbelt made by a nat'l known fast draw champ in Morrisville.............Claude Gaffney.......premium hides..........if I left my .45 brass in the belt it would not only turn green, but corrode almost all the way thru................seriously weakening the brass..dangerous..........I then switched to Nickle plated brass................SAME EFFECT..........

Ever see a gun left in a leather holster for years............pitted on contact points.

Leather tanning chemicals include tannic acid made from bark and other methods...................it is the acids that eat the brass and steel.
Brains used to be used in the tanning process.


Take your brass out.

 

[FP1201]

I had a custom made cowboy gunbelt made by a nat'l known fast draw champ in Morrisville.............Claude Gaffney.......premium hides..........if I left my .45 brass in the belt it would not only turn green, but corrode almost all the way thru................seriously weakening the brass..dangerous..........I then switched to Nickle plated brass................SAME EFFECT..........

Ever see a gun left in a leather holster for years............pitted on contact points.

Leather tanning chemicals include tannic acid made from bark and other methods...................it is the acids that eat the brass and steel.
Brains used to be used in the tanning process.


Take your brass out.

I've had .22 get that waxy-green coating on them, and while they had bleached spots, they shot just fine...same with hundreds of .38 specials that were on Duty Belts...obviously I wouldn't shoot one that was pitted or highly suspect, it's really subjective, but I agree that it can and likely does weaken the Brass...best bet is to not store ammunition or guns in leather, or socks, or hard cases, or soft cases, etc.

 

[Zerex]

I had left my ammo in the gun belt from Sept to the next May......damn brass was terrible..........pitted deeply with the verdigris.... then the nickle plated brass.................same story next year.............it is tedious to remove all 30 from the belt and stuff them in for the next match. I am a lazy man. It was for display as I always loaded from an ammo box during the matches.

Not all leather will be my experience............maybe brain-tanned leather is best?