Extreme brass discoloration after washing

[Swift]

I don't have a tumbler so once my brass is decapped, chamfered and deburred I give it a bath in hot water and Simple Green for a couple hours. I've done this problem free with hundreds of cases but this last batch came out looking a little different. It was a smaller lot, only 34 cases but that shouldn't have anything to do with it.

There are no signs of stress or deterioration and they are still smooth but they look like an old penny. Any idea why? And is it still safe to load?

EDIT: It's Winchester brass, FWIW.

 

[BradfromND]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

Are you sure it was simple green and not Easter Egg die?

 

[zuke]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

You found the recipe for Tacticle Brass!
You'll make a fortune!

 

[Swift]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

Haha if only I knew what I did to cause it we could go into business.

 

[427Cobra]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

I suspect something besides your brass was in the solution

 

[former naval person]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

Like 427 Cobra says...some contaminant in the solution. Did you use an aluminum pot? Simple Green can eat aluminum. Most of the strong detergents are basic in nature and will corrode aluminum, making a solution of aluminum (and other constituents of that particular alloy) salts which can deposit on your sparkling clean brass.

 

[Swift]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: former naval person</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Like 427 Cobra says...some contaminant in the solution. Did you use an aluminum pot? Simple Green can eat aluminum. Most of the strong detergents are basic in nature and will corrode aluminum, making a solution of aluminum (and other constituents of that particular alloy) salts which can deposit on your sparkling clean brass. </div></div>

I always make sure I wash in plastic. The only substance that was on the cases was some oil I used when popping the primers out. Tried Hornady One Shot and got stuck cases, tried Lee case lube and got stuck cases, and this is the only thing I've found so far that works. Again, though, I use the same methods every time and this is the first time this has happened. Maybe there was a higher concentration of oil this time?

I'll try putting em through again and see what happens. Either way, is it still safe to load if it's not showing any stress?

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

Looks like an acid reaction on the brass. was it this color coming out of hte solution or did it discolor as it dried? I've loaded with spots that color, usually caused by sitting in wet grass or having grass stuck on them. a weak citric acid might remove the disoloration.

 

[jlow]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

Are you sure that the "brass" was actually brass? Not kidding you, but wondering if this could be "copper wash" brass which is actually steel. Have not seen any 223 brass made that way, but have seen some 9 mm brass setup this way. What is the source of the brass? Headstamp?

 

[KHOOKS]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

I have had pistol brass do this. It happened to me after tumbling and not felling like serperating from the media so I let it set over night and the brass turned dark.

 

[former naval person]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

They are safe. And "Tacticool". Try a homemade lube that many of us use. Ten percent anhydrous lanolyn (I use the liquid lanolin obtainable at health food stores), Ten percent castor oil (from the drug store) and 80 percent alcohol...the commercial stuff uses Isopropyl, but I've used Solox (denatured alcohol) with just as good results. Put in a spray bottle and shake well to mix. Put 50 to 100 cases in a gallon ziplok bag, spray, seal, and roll around. Dump in a box of some sort to air dry. Never stuck a case with this. First time use with the bag, about 4 or 5 sprays. After that, 2 or 3 because some coating remains in the bag. Best part of this is NO petroleum products to kill primers.

 

[Suasponte]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

Give them a quick bath in hot water and Lemishine! See if that gets you back to your gold color.

It appears that you had some sort of chemical reaction with something in or on that brass. I have had brass turn a gun metal color but that was from carbon rebonding. I have also had pink spots on the brass from acid reactions.

Try the Lemishine bath for 15-20 minutes and rinse well.

If you did not get a good rinse from the cleaning solutuion the acid or colorant in Simple grenn could have casued the discoloration.

MSDS Sheet for Simple Green:

I would bet it was lack of a good rinse and either the sodium citrate or the colorant had a reaction with the brass.

Terry

 

[Swift]

Re: Extreme brass discoloration after washing

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gunsnjeeps</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Looks like an acid reaction on the brass. was it this color coming out of hte solution or did it discolor as it dried? I've loaded with spots that color, usually caused by sitting in wet grass or having grass stuck on them. a weak citric acid might remove the disoloration. </div></div>

It came out of the solution that color. The water was a typical light green shade and didn't have any dark or strange hues, no film on top.

I'm gonna try that home made mixture a few posts down. Simple Green has been good but harm in trying newer and possibly better methods.

 

[cstmwrks]

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