Tarnished brass

[HighlandLofts]

Last fall I was out in the cascade mountains looking for a new place to target shoot with my grandson.
We found a place to shoot and there were about two hundred pieces of 223 brass and some 9mm brass on the ground that has been there for some time and became dark in color from being out in the elements.

I deprived the brass and tumbled some in the regular tumbler with walnut hull media.
Then I tumbled a batch in the Frankfurt stainless steel wet tumbler.

The brass came out ok. But it is still dark in color.
Any way to get it to look like new again?.

Not that it matters that much, just courious.

 

[Darth]

I left a batch of brass in the tumbler for like a month one time after it got done tumbling. Got busy. THAT will certainly tarnish them. I threw it all out it was so bad. Luckily it was just .40 and I have tons of that.

As for un-tarnishing? No idea.

 

[kev74]

The most recommended recipe is dawn dish soap and lemi shine. The lemi shine is an acid and is supposed to take care of the tarnish. I haven't tried it though.

 

[Darth]

The most recommended recipe is dawn dish soap and lemi shine. The lemi shine is an acid and is supposed to take care of the tarnish. I haven't tried it though.

My above post had the brass sitting in the dawn lemishine solution.

 

[Eddie Gunks]

Dawn. Lemishine. Stainless steel tumbler.

May not be worth the effort. For the amount if work involved with rifle brass why add so much more? Make sure the primers still come out. Sometimes they become corroded in place.

 

[dsdmmat]

I only pick up range brass for scrap just because, there is no way to tell how many times it has been loaded.

 

[Vantrepes]

I only pick up range brass for scrap just because, there is no way to tell how many times it has been loaded.

I do the same, with one exception: Crimped mil brass I will reload. I have found tons of Lake City Nato with the crimp, and primer sealant still on it, so I call those once fired.
Other than that, I agree with unknown source pick up brass.

 

[kev74]

I'm a scavenger. I'll pick up anything I reload for. If its pistol and isn't split, it gets reloaded. If its rifle, if it passes my inspection - overall condition, primer pocket not too loose, and no sign of imminent case head separation - it gets reloaded.

 

[Darth]

I'm a scavenger. I'll pick up anything I reload for. If its pistol and isn't split, it gets reloaded. If its rifle, if it passes my inspection - overall condition, primer pocket not too loose, and no sign of imminent case head separation - it gets reloaded.

Yep.

What is this "scrap" nonsense?

 

[togmaster]

I've picked up tons of tarnished brass. Wet tumble with lemishine and it will come out looking like new.

 

[HighlandLofts]

Tog what tumbler will take it off with limousine?

I've looked for it out in Washington state and never found any. I'll have to pick some up here while I'm back here.

There are a couple of places i go shooting up in the mountains. And find brass that people has shot and left it on the ground.
A few weeks ago my grandson helped me pick up twenty-two pounds of brass, all fresh stuff. I shipped several of the pay one price post office boxes full of brass back here to my oldest son who does reloading.

 

[togmaster]

Frankford Rotary tumbler
Frankford Arsenal® Platinum Series Rotary Tumbler : Cabela's

Lemishine is the key
Dish Detergent Booster Lemi Shine for a Clean Freak Clean

 

[Rondo223]

Or you can order citric acid from Amazon and get a better deal. It is the active ingredient in Lemishine and can be had in larger quantities. I also like to use for cleaning almost anything else. Especially when I do a radiator flush. Makes everything nice and shiny.

This is the tumbler I use. It is the 6lb. model and they are made much better than the cheap ones. I got mine in a box lot of stuff a few years back for almost nothing. No one new what is was. The 12lb. model can do a whole bunch of brass at once.

Lortone, Manufacturers of Tools for Lapidary & Jewelry Artists

 

[kev74]

You could probably use a bit of lemon juice if you can't find the lemi shine. It might be worth a small experimental batch.

 

[HighlandLofts]

That's the tumbler I bought, the Frankfort one. I like how it cleans the primer pockets better then walnut hulls in the other timbler.