Thoughts on Case Tarnish for Reloading

**Argentum** · January 27th, 2013, 10:18 PM

All,

I've been sorting through some brass, trying to keep myself occupied waiting for the cleaner so I can get my press into operation and I came across a bag of .30-06 cases I'd set aside for later evaluation during my last reloading run of that caliber. I have a number of .30-06 cases, almost all of them Remington, that have what almost looks like scorching around the neck. See the image below for the left and right examples (ignore the middle because I've already decided to toss the ones with the blemishes around the middle of the case like that one). I'm trying to decide if those are good to reload or not as I have probably 50 or so of them. The marks don't appear to be structural - i.e. there's no indentations in the case, there's no ridge where brass has flaked away, no pits, etc. I've tumbled these cases twice and the marks don't come off. If I really pick at it with my fingernail, I can clear a little off but not much. I'm not concerned with appearance and I'm not interest in risks, but I don't want to toss usable brass out of irrational fear either. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

**DucatiRon** · January 27th, 2013, 11:06 PM

Light dab of brass polish probly take that right off. Thats not brass tarnish as much as burnt powder residue. Brass has a green petina when severely corroded. I've cleaned and used much worse looking brass than that. I use a wet stainless media with a mild citric acid as a cleaner. I've got brass burried in the mud probly for years look like new unfired brass. Long as its not green before I clean it or pink after I clean it can be used. Btw if you clean with stainless and citric acid and see pink it is because the brass is degrading into the metals it's made of.

**palabman** · January 28th, 2013, 12:07 AM

The tarnish around the neck just looks like it is due to powder residue. I like my brass shiny so if it still has neck tarnish after tumbling I use some fine steel wool and a cordless drill to remove it. Some non-ammonia brass cleaner should take care of the tarnish on the body.

**Delkal** · January 28th, 2013, 09:11 PM

For badly tarnished cases I use some OOOO steel wool and hand polish them till their good and shiney. You won't take off enough brass to hurt anything.

If you see tarnish similar to picture 2 give the brass a very close look. Your round looks OK but you can see a similar pattern of tarnish on brass that has an incipient case separation (usually closer to the bottom)

**Argentum** · January 28th, 2013, 11:21 PM

Thanks for the feedback. Power burns is what I assumed, but you can never be too careful. I'll try some brass polish.

Originally Posted by Delkal

If you see tarnish similar to picture 2 give the brass a very close look. Your round looks OK but you can see a similar pattern of tarnish on brass that has an incipient case separation (usually closer to the bottom)

Yeah, that middle one I'm going to toss and the few others like it. One of them has a ding in it, perhaps from some type of extractor.

**Lycanthrope** · January 28th, 2013, 11:43 PM

That's just cosmetic. I've shot rifle brass in bolt gun until it was earth brown. Shiny does not equal accurate.

Lycansaveadollarthrope

**Delkal** · January 29th, 2013, 09:40 AM

I wouldn't discard tarnished brass either. You just have to inspect closely to make sure it isn't a small split. You sometimes get these around the neck. I have shot some very UGLY brass.

As long as the brass isn't crushed, moderate dents will straighten out on resizing. Try that before tossing it.

**csmith** · January 29th, 2013, 11:06 AM

I've had that happen to a much greater extent picking cases out of the snow and into a ziplock bag then forgetting about them for a month. They clean up nice with some interesting color patterns. Some of them have been through two reload cycles and are holding up fine.