What happened to my brass?!

[USAF1A8]

Have a stockpile of 9mm in an ammo can didnt put silica in it but it was dry when i stowed it or so i thought. Put it up for about 8mo while deployed came home and it looked like this. I have tried polishing a handful of them in a tumbler, this is what i have. The trouble is i have about 300 of these now and I dont plan to pull them all apart. Anyone know if these really need to be disposed of or can they be fired if tarnished?

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

Take them to the range and see if they go bang. That's more than just a little moisture problem. You need to either get some desi-paks or bake some chalk to put in your ammo cans.

Sometimes heat will cause powder to degrade. I have seen that cause much the same discoloration. But I've never seen it spread that bad.

 

[USAF1A8]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

dont think i should worry about the brass failing under pressure?

 

[pacomdiver]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

no just fire them, I had the same thing happen when it was real humid last year, i tried tumbling them like you but just gave up and shot them. the discoloration just makes them harder to find on the ground

 

[Short Round]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

I doubt it as you're likely using carbide pistol dies and no lube but did you perhaps use regular case lube like the type for pads?

If you don't get it off, over a period of a few weeks brass will look just like that. The lube has a percentage of water content.

BTDT with some .308 brass early on in my reloading career.

 

[gnfiter3]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

Very Timely Thread.

I have the same issue with a pile of .223 brass, just add gummy to the discoloration. It was stored in a humid location for more than a minute. I tumbled it and had to wipe the media off the case before resizing. I failed to get all the gummy residue off the brass, resulting in many of the rounds, failing to allow the bolt to lock. I'm reduced to wiping every case.

Just decided to lay the cases out and spray them with gunscrubber, to remove the residue. The brass isn't pretty, but it still goes "BOOM" as it was going, "click" before.

With egg on my face, I have to admit, there's no substitute or shortcut for good brass prep before reloading.

 

[Shrike]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

You're tumbling LIVE AMMO?!!!

 

[padronanniversary]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

I tumble live ammo all the time. Just makes it pretttttty

 

[Grump]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Erik S.</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You're tumbling LIVE AMMO?!!! </div></div>
Quit sitting on that pile of dry corncobs.

I've received at least two firsthand reports that the factories tumble live ammo all the time.

If vibratory tumbling for less than a week really carried a realistic risk of breaking down those tough plastic kernels called smokeless powder, we couldn't SHIP the stuff anywhere. Think trucks. Lots of trucks.

Rotary tumbling carries some very small hazard of pointy bullet noses lighting off a primer, but that's very, very rare, is a low-pressure event,and carries a realistic fire hazard only if you're tumbling in media that's soaked in something flammable.

Relax. It's okay.

 

[300sniper]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

i wouldn't worry about it going off in the tumbler but i would worry about the powder breaking down into smaller granules. pistol or ball powder <span style="font-style: italic">may</span> not have that problem but personally, i wouldn't do it.

 

[Shrike]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 300sniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i wouldn't worry about it going off in the tumbler but i would worry about the powder breaking down into smaller granules. pistol or ball powder <span style="font-style: italic">may</span> not have that problem but personally, i wouldn't do it. </div></div>

Exactly...I've never had a primer go off while reloading, but still wear safety glasses.

 

[Quicky06]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

I tumble my 45 acp hollow points like once a month because they just sit in a box or in a mag. And get taurnish. No problems here

 

[crystalvue]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

+1 more. I tumble all my completed ammo. Takes off the case lube when using a progressive and makes them pretty. Cheers.

 

[USAF1A8]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

Thanks for all the responses, ill load em out and see what happens, althought- yes i use regular lube on the cases in carbide dies, think i read in Modern Reloadig that its not a terrible idea.

 

[colt933]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

A friend of mine with a Dillon 550 uses a single-stage press to do his sizing. He lubes, sizes in the single stage press, then tumbles to get the lube off. He has a universal decapping die in station 1 of the Dillon - to clear any media out of the flash hole.

I also have a Dillon 550. I load progressively, with a sizing die at station 1 and I tumble my loaded ammo to remove the lube. My groups and consistency are as good as his.

We've each been using our methods for over a decade. He swears by his and I've never had a problem with mine.

 

[bfoosh006]

Re: What happened to my brass?!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Short Round</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I doubt it as you're likely using carbide pistol dies and no lube but did you perhaps use regular case lube like the type for pads?

If you don't get it off, over a period of a few weeks brass will look just like that. The lube has a percentage of water content.

BTDT with some .308 brass early on in my reloading career. </div></div>

Ditto, had a friend do that with his .375 H&H, careful though...his first fired round stuck like the dickens in the chamber. Had to smack it out from the muzzle. ( Ruger No.1 )