Totally tarnished brass.

[Slamfire]

SlamFire 1, What color is your rifle?

Mostly black. Except for the stainless barrel. Maybe I should get some brown spray paint so it will match my good brown brass. Don't want to break a streak.

 

[TWB]

UncleNick is right about using citric acid. It does a good job, and I use it in the mix I described, just 'cause I'm compulsive. I had no idea about this being an old NRA formula. I think I came across it on the internet a long time back, and no source was attributed. I thank you for the information, UncleNick.

Glycolic acid mixed with citric acid works, too, if you run across any.

The reality is that the dark stuff is only color and makes no difference in function. IMI brass isn't ever bright from the factory, as the Israeli's don't want shiny brass to reflect light to an enemy. Seems reasonable to me.

 

[Unclenick]

Actually, I think you'll find no military brass is bright. I think it was Hatcher who reported an experiment done back between the World Wars, in which brass that had been polished and brass that was left as-is after neck annealing was put on the roof of a building in an industrial area that had fairly corrosive air at the time. After a year, all the polished brass was heavily corroded and the unpolished stuff was pretty much just fine. Apparently the oxide layer helps protect it.


Slamfire,

Hmm. Your rifle sounds suspiciously similar to mine. Do you think they just might not be unique? Perhaps a little Rustoleum. . ?

Nick

 

[870pilot]

it works

thanks to TWB for his recipe

"Take 1 gallon of white vinegar, add 2 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp liquid laundry detergent"

i was raking up the 12 ga. hulls from my "range" behind the house and came across some buried .45 acp brass that was literally underground for a year when i shot and didn't reload... these cases were black and some had been adopted by spiders as a fall-out shelter.

half hour in the cocktail followed by a couple of hours in the tumbler with walnut and a cap of Flitz and they are back, ready to reload. i am frugal and hate to see brass in the trashcan

 

[gandog56]

I don't know why ya'll are making this difficult. Go buy some Iosso, cut it in half with water and dip them. They come out like new.

I did, they came out looking like crap. Put them in the vibrator with Flitz, and they were right shiny then.

 

[TATER]

All range pick-ups go for a dip in CLR. Then a dip in hot water.
After they dry, In the vibrator they go.