Brasso

[tony212]

Anyone using Brasso or other copper and brass cleaner for tumbling their cases?  It would be a lot easier to just go to the town hardware store and pick up a can of Brasso then to have to order it, pay shipping, and wait for the real case polish to come.
Tony212

[Lloyd Smale]

ive used it for years. Some say the amonia in it will harm brass but ive never seen it. I cant imagine the small ammount of amonia per tablespoon does a thing to  brass.

[Larry L]

Before this gets outa hand with all kinds of claims, by MSDS, Brasso contains2-3% ammonia Hydroxide CAS 1336-21-6. Ammonia Hydroxide as used in the Brasso formulation is better known as ammonia water and it's not even close to being pure ammonia. By CAS, it contains about 18-20 ammonia. So only 18-20% of the 2-3% liquid is actually ammonia or about a quarter drop per teaspoon or less. A 6oz bottle will have roughly 0.18oz contents of ammonia hydroxide. Of that 0.18oz only 0.036oz will be ammonia. To be more in terms you might understand, a 6oz bottle will be 2625 grains weight. The amount of ammonia hydroxide will be 78.75 grains weight. The amount of actual ammonia will be 15.75 grains......per bottle. Break that down to a teaspoon if you want but it's a darn small amount, probably not enough to weigh even by a grain scale. But if that much bothers you, then don't use it.

[Ranch13]

I use Brasso in corncob media and have seen no harm to any brass.

[anachronism]

I used to use it, and had a terrible time with case loss. Some cases cracked lengthwise from the base up, and the cracks didn't even reach up to the case mouth. This happened with both Remington and Winchester cases, so I know it wasn't a bad lot of brass. Ammonia seems to make brass harder on the sueface, from what I've read. It's not a big deal with a brass doorknob, but brass cases get sized down, necked up, expanded with firing, sized down, etc.

[gr8ful]

I use it in my walnut media and so far so good.
 

[BCB]

I've used it since I was introduced to it during a tour with our Uncle Sam 40+ years ago...

Not one problem at all...

I put a tablespoon or so in my tumbling media from time to time...

Good-luck...BCB

[SHOOTALL]

I have a turbo 1200 and add a cap full when needed . Never had a problem. I use corn cob with it or it with corn cob 

[huntducks]

I don't buy any of this ammonia BS there is so little % wise in brasso it won't make a diff.
 
About 7 years ago I coated 5> 30-06 cases in brasso and left them sit for 3 years on the shelf, then cleaned them and fired them I finely quit with my test after 5 loadings, the cases all stayed in one peice.

[anachronism]

Please excuse me for sharing my first-hand experiences with you. I should have known better than to disagree.

[necchi]

I don't buy any of this ammonia BS

Ammoina degrades Zinc,  Brass is -- Copper and Zinc.
 Cartridge brass is a composite, an alloy of several metals including Zinc. But not all cases are the same, the alloy varies with each maker. Here's a partial list;
 

 
 The ammonia evaporates in hours, the ammonia content of Brasso becomes inert after it evaporates, so a three year test was moot within hours of application.
 A true test would be to apply Brasso too group X of a single lot of brass, then continue loading them with the remaining lot and watch for any early failure,
 
 My take on it is there is simply too many other things to put in tumbler media that's NOT harmfull to cartridge brass even from the start.
 
 So I guess if ya throw some Brasso in your media and run the vibrator for a few hours before adding brass it's not going to hurt much.
 
But why use it? There's tons of other stuff to use.

[SHOOTALL]

Before I had a case cleaner i cleaned each case with Brasso coat a bunch then polish . I commuted to work most days 1-2 hours . Got a lot of cases cleaned. Helper would drive and I cleaned or vis-versa . Never experinced a case failure from it as I loaded max + in 7BR cases 15 -20 loading before necks split .I don't see the problem .

[Lloyd Smale]

no need to get angry. Getting everyones differnt opinions is the most valuable thing about gun fourms. Yours is just as important as anyone elses and you arent the only one with that opinion.

Please excuse me for sharing my first-hand experiences with you. I should have known better than to disagree.

[bilmac]

I used to use it like Shootall, like polishing brass for inspection. I thought it was causing neck splits so I quit. I think doing it that way actually lets the ammonia contact the brass a lot more than putting some in your tumbler. I would think that ammonia would evaporate out of the media pretty fast and leave just the wax and polishing compound.

[fast*eddie]

I put a small amount of Flitz in the tumbling media and that makes the brass look good . Bought it at the hardware store .

[SHOOTALL]

I used to use it like Shootall, like polishing brass for inspection. I thought it was causing neck splits so I quit. I think doing it that way actually lets the ammonia contact the brass a lot more than putting some in your tumbler. I would think that ammonia would evaporate out of the media pretty fast and leave just the wax and polishing compound.

I don't think the splits came from Brasso in my case as they were loaded many times . I think cases split from working the necks when loading.