The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Reloading Keeping brass shinnyGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| Keeping brass shinny | Login/Join |
| new member |
I was woundering if any one knows of some thing that cases can be dipped into or rubbed on them to stop or slow the tarnishing effects? We go through so much trouble to get them clean if we could keep them that way longer it would be more time effecent. Brian Shoot strait and be safe | ||
|
One of Us |
Hey Duga I use Flitz. It shines up the cases and protects from tarnishing flitzed case / new untouched case  The thing about flitz is that it applies good and cleans good, it is just hard to get all the flitz off and buff it to a shine. I do this by spinning in a Lee Zip Trim   What you need to avoid doing is using Brasso or any cleaner with ammonia cause it reacts chemically with the brass and weakens it. Flitz does not have any. ____________________________________ There are those who would misteach us that to stick in a rut is consistency - and a virtue, and that to climb out of the rut is inconsistency - and a vice. - Mark Twain | Chinese Proverb: When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others. ___________________________________ | |||
|
Moderator |
Keeping brass in a zip lock bag also keeps them shiny. I'd imagine loaded ammo in zip locks would stay shiny for a long time too but that's a bit too tacky, even for me. for every hour in front of the computer you should have 3 hours outside | |||
|
| one of us |
You can also just use fine steel wool or Scotch Brite pads without the Flitz. Place your case holder in a cordless drill or screw driver. Spin your cases and use the steel wool or pad to clean them. | |||
|
| one of us |
Do they shoot better when clean and shiny? | |||
|
| one of us |
Not for me. Most of my brass looks like I picked it up at the range. | |||
|
One of Us |
I think it just gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside that you have clean components going into your gun and it looks better when you show people  I've always polished my brass when reloading, I am going to try the ziptrim and wool or flitz in upcoming weeks though as that looks like another good tool to have "Let me start off with two words: Made in America" | |||
|
one of us |
i dunno but it kinda feel like driving your car after a car wash, its seems to run better or something in times when one needs a rifle, he tends to need it very badly.....PHC | |||
|
| One of Us |
I used to use any ones lube for resizing cases when reloading . In 1995 I started using BoeShield T9 . I now rarely polish cases as they stay MUCH cleaner and very little if any tarnish . I reload wipe the cartridge off place them in my Ammo boxes , use them 0-15 years still look real nice !. I've tried most everything under this planets sun so T-9 for ME !. Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...  | |||
|
| One of Us |
i have a budy that dehydrates brasso on the stove and adds it to pecan shell media. he then tumbles 50 rounds or so at a time in a rock polisher. shit looks like jewlery. doesnt shoot any better, but it looks nice. | |||
|
| One of Us |
I second that !. Making them beautiful won't make Em shoot better . I simply like mine clean , polished is unnecessary IMO . Besides it weakens cases if done to extremes after all one is removing something from the cases . Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ... | |||
|
| One of Us |
Well, I have heard that polished cases can have the same effect as oil in the chamber in that it reduces bolt thrust. Also it could mitigate incipient head case separation in that it would keep the case from gripping the walls during firing. In any case, I mark most loads with a magic marker with the bullet weight and powder load. After firing, the Flitz takes it off in a jiffy. I prefer to clean this way and not worry about media left in the case, abrasive powder and dust in the action and running out of tumbling media all the time. The only thing it does not clean is the case head which is good because I mark the number of firings on the case head. ____________________________________ There are those who would misteach us that to stick in a rut is consistency - and a virtue, and that to climb out of the rut is inconsistency - and a vice. - Mark Twain | Chinese Proverb: When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others. ___________________________________ | |||
|
| one of us |
Indeed, I always wonder about the physical explanation behind this phenomenon. Maybe less resistance to air because of the polish? | |||
|
| one of us |
Woods, do you also mark the case head with a magic marker?? ********************* The rifle is a noble weapon... It entices its bearer into primeval forests, into mountains and deserts untenanted by man. - Horace Kephart | |||
|
| one of us |
If I am not mistaken, Brasso has ammonia in it it and will weaken your brass. | |||
|
one of us |
Just use nickel plated from the get-go!!! It's so much sexier than brass. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Yep, first I engrave another line first thing after I decap   and then I fill in the line with a magic marker. That way it is easy to see and if the magic marker gets rubbed off I can still see how many engraved lines  So far a fool proof way of keeping track. The magic marker would probably come off in a tumbler but not the engraved lines. ____________________________________ There are those who would misteach us that to stick in a rut is consistency - and a virtue, and that to climb out of the rut is inconsistency - and a vice. - Mark Twain | Chinese Proverb: When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others. ___________________________________ | |||
|
| One of Us |
Great googley moogley Woods !. I feel like I've been plowing the south 40 with a Hoe !. I simply Load ,place them in the Ammo box shoot them up . All the while keeping their records in my book as well as on the inside of the ammo box . I do the case prep ,neck size wipe them off with a clean cloth after sizing , Trial loads I have special Ammo boxes for with dividers for 5 rounds each . Along with my little Avery sticky labels I print out of the computer for Data that's always inside the box lid . I simply refer to the Lid label for # of reloads of what was or in my book or on my targets I write on them to !. Because I'm Cheap I print my Own special targets or some times I use masking tape and a ball point pen !. I'm not going to be let into the BIG Shooters Society in the Sky , am I ?. What ever works is my motto there is no Right or Wrong only the results from ones experiments . Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ... | |||
|
| one of us |
Duga Boy, 1. First rule is keep them clean and wiped off. That means I wipe off each case with a slightly oily patch after it is fired- not at the range but withing a few hours to a few days. 2. Later I wash the cases to get any grit off after shooting and before sizing. 2. Lube and size and trim and deburr then wash every thing off with IP alcohol. The wipe down with the oily patch and store unless they are loaded within a few days. 3. When you handle for loading you leave finger prints. After loading wipe them with the oily patch or use a silicone cloth. It is very rare for me to tumble brass. I normally buy new brass or large lots of once fired brass from an indoor range. If it is clean it stays that way. If for some reason I buy brass that needs significant cleaning I use a chemical cleaner first and then a tumbler if necessary. Once clean I keep them clean by wiping them off after each firing and after the reloading process is complete. I have one box of 45-70 brass that might have been tumbled once in 35 years. They have been fired so many times that 4 have been lost to body splits. The cases are sill bright and clean mostly due to wiping them off and the burnishing action of the sizing die. BTW keeping the brass free of anything means your dies will never pick up any grit and scratch your cases. I also avoid ball powders to some extent. Their residue if left on the case neck a while tends to etch the neck black. This normally requires something abrasive to remove. | |||
|
new member |
Well, folks have been known to notch revolvers and rifles, so why not cases? A friend of mine told me today that he puts a label on all his ammo (as we all should) with a dash and a number at the end such as - 3, meaning that this stuff has been shot three times now, or - 0 meaning it has never been shot. Sounds good to me. The Fight for Freedom is Eternal ! | |||
|
Moderator |
one of the best ways for me to keep my brass shinny is for ME to not touch it! opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
|
One of Us |
I would say it prevents excessive chamber wall gripping. (My definition of 'excessive case grip' is when the case cannot progressively stretch, over it's length, in the chamber, resulting in plastic deformation at the web/body junction - insipient case head separation). With my hornet, I have found that that cases 'grow' when dry but do not when lubed. I have resorted to 'fairly well lubed' for my hornet as it has a rough chamber. Even then, progressive elastic elongation signs can be seen on the case. The neck does not move in the chamber at all. Slight movement can be seen at the top of the body and significant movement just above the web. I refer to this movement as 'creep' as the case is sliding under pressure against the chamber wall. Me too!  I photocopy my master print.Another good idea!  Regards 303Guy | |||
|
| One of Us |
Lucky man to have a wife who would approve that! Mine would flip out. She doesn't like me reloading in the garage!!! LWD | |||
|
| One of Us |
actually smooth cases in a smooth chamber would stick best of all... Look up something called the "morse taper principle". But to save you the effort two matched cones will tend to stick together... Rough is counter to this "Sticking" Now reading back there was some discussion of the abrasives from case tumbing...either inside or outside the cases... getting "Blown down the barrel" and causing harm? Bogus worry. because even if your brass is polished and then cleaned to "Clean room standards" there will STILL be grit in your barrel after you fire it... why is this? because priming compounds contain crushed glass as well as aluminum, which BURNS in the ignition process, aluminum oxide is also an abrasive. So every primer blows HARD abrasives into your barrel with every shot. The abrasive in tumbing media is either extreemly fine alumina (aka "White Rouge", but finer than will be generated by the primer) used in corncob. SOME corncob media MAY contain chromium(III) Oxide (aka "Green Rouge") But the nasty dusty red stuff "Red Rouge" on commercial walnut hull tumbing media? is Iron(III)Oxide "Ferric Oxide", or very finely powdered rust. Bon Ami uses Baking soda and finely powdered feldspar (essentially Aluminum Silicate) Which is also used as an anti-caking ingredient in the powdered non-dairy creamer many out there put in their coffee.... BTW there is a purpose to having REALLY SHINY brass... it picks up tool marks from INSIDE your pet rifle so you can SEE very clearly how smooth your chamber is... or isn't. Now, the common Iron Oxide abrasive (red Rouge) or the less common "green Rouge" (that's actually a chromium oxide? they actually are oxidizers and in the combustion stage of firing will provide oxygen to combine with any free carbon, and the resulting oxide is the even finer "black Rouge" Ferrous(II) Oxide Now compare this to those shooting those abrasive coated bullets down their barrels... AD If I provoke you into thinking then I've done my good deed for the day! Those who manage to provoke themselves into other activities have only themselves to blame. *We Band of 45-70er's* 35 year Life Member of the NRA NRA Life Member since 1984 | |||
|
| one of us |
Now class, there will be a short quizz at the end of this thread Nice summary | |||
|
| One of Us |
Now, if you will edit your post so I'm not quoted in entirety TWICE..... thank you. One of my greater peeves is seeing people debating irrelevancies. I was reading back posts yesterday afternoon to find a cheap alternative to Lyman or RCBS tumbling media. And read several replies where people said "don't tumble because it pumps your rifle full of abrasive" or similar nonsense. what prompted this was that a friend dropped by while I wasn't here to tumble some of his brass and he neglected to wash the OIL BASED case lube off of the cases and basically contaminated my last 8lbs of of media in my big Thumbler (vibratory) tumbler. I'm currently duplicating research others have done and I'll say that Rice seems promising... I know it gets stuck in flash holes... but I think that some of the previous research was "incomplete" in that there's more than one kind of rice. I suspect that what has been tried are the skinny grains of "long grain" rice, I intend to use fatter kernels (arborio?) or even possibly pearl barley, to avoid it getting stuck in flash holes, with a teaspoon (or two) of fine alumina (somewhere around here I have 5lb of 0.1Micron alumina made for polishing optical glass) I find the commercial media made by the reloading companies is flawed because it gets stuck in flash holes And as soon as I'm done with that I'd like to find a receipe for homemade water soluble case lube. AllanD If I provoke you into thinking then I've done my good deed for the day! Those who manage to provoke themselves into other activities have only themselves to blame. *We Band of 45-70er's* 35 year Life Member of the NRA NRA Life Member since 1984 | |||
|
| One of Us |
Update, I have my cases tumbling in medium grain rice as I type. 2lb of Medium grain rice with 2 Tablespoons of alumina This alumina is labeled maximum particle size 0.1 micron Type B for metallographic polishing. This stuff is so fine it behaves like liquid and if shaken in the jar the movement is indestinguishable from milk. My media is dry at the moment as my can of mineral spirits is empty. I'm on my second batch of 30-30 brass as I type this and on the last batch I found ONE rice kernel (a kernel of long grain rice) in a flash hole. Though I still need to keep a dental pick handy as kernels get caught crosswise in the primer pocket. I passed on the shorter and fatter Arborio rice grains as that stuff was $2/lb and that was a bit much... AD If I provoke you into thinking then I've done my good deed for the day! Those who manage to provoke themselves into other activities have only themselves to blame. *We Band of 45-70er's* 35 year Life Member of the NRA NRA Life Member since 1984 | |||
|
| Powered by Social Strata |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia