Black on the brass

[grazefire]

Got some brass and tumbled it for ever. Still has some black color engrained in it. Not sure how to put picts on the board. How do I learn or get somebody to check the hardness of the brass? Not worried about how it looks as long as it will shoot okay. If I got junk brass that is okay. Don't want to go thru all the extra work to unload wasted shells. Scrap sells.
THANKS

[Kali Komrade]

What case head stamp is it??? are we talking .308 30-06 what ya got...

As far as getting the black off unless its impeding the the shell from chambering don't worry about it... I've run across more than one guy that has used brasso on his shells to get them bright and shiney but as we know it may clean them real good but it weakens them... Less is more...
If they are 50's and there just real dark what I like to do is take some 000 steel wool and put the shell in my lee case trimmer and couple pulls of the drill and they usually brighten up...

I'd be more worried about the make of the brass... as for the weakness unless its some of that indian stuff I really haven't had many problems with reloading the majority of brass I scrounge except for one brand of brass and thats the fiochi(I think thats it's F something thats for sure) just make sure you examine them after cleaning for stretching in the brass so you don't have incipiant case separation...

Sorry I'm all over the place this morning I need my injection of Caffiene

[grazefire]

50 cal brass. Headstamps of TZZ 00; LC 01; LC 86; LC 95; WCC 98
Have used wallnut and corncob on them with some Dupont #7 polish in the cement mixer. Some cleaned very nice and some of the cases seem to be stuborn and want to hold on the some the "spotty black stain".
Put a few of the shell cases off in a barrel and they went in fine.
THANKS

[Kali Komrade]

I just use the 000 steel wool and give em a spin on the case timmer... I have some that are just the way you describe... You can always shoot the ugly brass up first...
:headbang:

[Slick]

Still has some black color engrained in it.


Cool! :headbang: I always segrgate those rounds and load them (to max book loads) and lable them" BLACK OPS LOADS" and store them for the rainy day that we all pray will never come...

[50 Shooter]

I would be cautious with this brass, is it just tarnish or is it actually etched into the brass? If it's etched into the brass I would toss the brass as it isn't worth blowing yourself up and your gun.

[Slick]

Seriously - I had some .308 suplus that was "blackened" so I cleaned it using scotchbrite->

http://www.drinkfromthefirehose.com/images/scotchbriteammo.jpg

I come out looking like new... :bounce:

[OldCooT]

Try some Tarn-X,. if it's tarnish,,

[Dan Wilson]

50 cal brass. Headstamps of TZZ 00; LC 01; LC 86; LC 95; WCC 98
Have used wallnut and corncob on them with some Dupont #7 polish in the cement mixer. Some cleaned very nice and some of the cases seem to be stuborn and want to hold on the some the "spotty black stain".
Put a few of the shell cases off in a barrel and they went in fine.
THANKS

The LC headstamp is Lake City ammunition plant in MO I believe
The TZZ headstamp is Israeli Military Industries, Tel Aviv, Israel
and the WCC headstamp is Western Cartridge Company (Olin), East Alton, IL

Dan