Reviving OLD/oxidized fired brass...?

[bscman]

Just wondering if anyone has any good tips on reviving that old, left out in the weather, but too nice to throw out once-fired range brass.

I have a large assorment of .223, 9mm, and .45 I've collected over the years, but haven't found a decent way to get the golden lustre of fresh brass back to the cases.

If anyone has any tips, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I've tried walnut and cob media...I can get a smooth shine on the cases, but they don't come out looking much lighter than the dark brown color they had when they went in. Vinegar baths are leaving them more copper colored. Steel wool takes too darn long.

Thanks!
-Brett in WA

[Graybeard]

Just make sure they are clean and don't worry about the lack of shine.

[gdolby]

I have had several cases in that shape not noticed much problem cleaning them. How long you leaving them in the tumbler? What about sand as a media ? Before using sand would check w/ some of the more experienced  re-loaders before using though.

[wncchester]

Soak in vinegar untill the tarnish has been converted, flush, dry, tumble normally and it will look like new.

[necchi]

How long you leaving them in the tumbler?

 I usually leave brass 3-4 hours with walnut, things looked good, then I went to work one day and forgot about the tumbler
( I must be first one that's done that!) (Thumler's Tumbler).
 It was about 12 hours when I finally got the stuff out.    They looked almost new!

[bscman]

I'm not using a vibratory cleaner, its an older tumbler that just spins a drum (think rock polisher).

Doesn't seem to matter if I leave them in an hour...or 4 hours (about the longest I've tried). I fear leaving it unattended because the motor gets awefully warm to the touch with extended use.

Yes, I can get those tarnished, brown cases to get clean and have a bit of a shine...but they are still brownish in color. I just can't get them to look anywhere near "like new."
I wouldn't be too concerned, but picking up brown brass that's been thrown in the dirt/grass/gravel from a semi-auto is a lot harder than picking up shiny, golden pieces of brass.

I've been toying with the idea of buying a Berry's Vibratory polisher, as they're only $45 locally...but I hear they don't really work all that much better (just faster).

Thanks for the advice so far--keep it coming! I'll try just about anything.

[mauser98us]

Product called iosso works pretty well. It's made for tarnished cases. Put brass in a mesh bag and soak em for 10 to 15 mins,let dry throw it the tumbler.

[bilmac]

I used to try to clean them and it took so much effort that I just shot them brown. Then I figured out that they only last a few loadings before the neck splits. Now I usually pick them up to check the headstamp to see if I want it for my collection, if not it goes back where it came from.

[45-70.gov]

i  tumble them  a few hours to protect  my sizing dies

lube, size and deprime,

then tumble again overnight [once for 3 days, i am forgetful]
to clean lube and primer pockets

also  to you add polish  to your medium?

[LaOtto222]

I have a Thumler's Tumbler. They are made to run for weeks at a time polishing rocks. Make sure the motor has been lubed about every month's worth of running (there is a place at both ends to run some in). The motor gets warm; almost hot, that is normal. Put some walnut shell media, treated with polishing compound, in it and let it run until cleaned to a dull finish. Then run the cases in some corn cob media to give them a real polish. I have a Lyman's turbo 2500 for corn cob media.

BTW I regularly run both tumblers while I am away at work, up to 12 hours at a time.

Make sure the vibratory types are on a smooth surface and do not over load them. I put mine on a concrete floor, then it gets good air circulation to keep it cooler and I do not have to worry about it "walking" off a table. It is noisy, so I do not run it over night as the reloading room is in the basement under our bedroom. The Thumler's Tumbler can be run over night with only a low noise being made, not enough to disturb sleep. I put it on an old piece of carpet to help absorb some noise. Do not put the vibratory type on carpet as it will restrict the cooling air flow. As has been said; polishing, it is only for looks, as long as the case is clean (free of grit and corrosion); it will be fine. Good Luck and Good Shooting

[tc scout]

I started adding Flitz polish to my walnut media, works great.

Picked up a bunch of 9MM cases at the range that were stained and oxidized.
Obviously had been lying there for some time. Some were almost black.
 
3 hours in the vibrator and they were like new.

[41 mag]

Just wondering if anyone has any good tips on reviving that old, left out in the weather, but too nice to throw out once-fired range brass.

I have a large assorment of .223, 9mm, and .45 I've collected over the years, but haven't found a decent way to get the golden lustre of fresh brass back to the cases.

If anyone has any tips, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I've tried walnut and cob media...I can get a smooth shine on the cases, but they don't come out looking much lighter than the dark brown color they had when they went in. Vinegar baths are leaving them more copper colored. Steel wool takes too darn long.

Thanks!
-Brett in WA

In a similar situation, only with several boxes and coffee cans of old milsurp '06 cases.

I put some new walnut in my vibratory cleaner, along with a goodly amount of Flitz, and went to town. Must have run that thing off and on most of a week. Cleaned six 1 gallon bags of afore mentioned cases to a sudo dull shine, threw them in the corn cob treated the same way and lustered them right up.

There are still a few that have age spots or deep tarnish on then but I don't mind, I have plenty of bras that will now be used for all sorts of fun stuff, instead of sitting around gather dust. 

[Gohon]

Cabelas sells a polish product you add to the media.  Just a cap full does the trick and works like a charm.  Smells and looks just like Nu-Finish car polish.

[demented]

 Just make sure that whatever you add to your polish media doesn't contain ammonia.  I'm not sure how much it'd take to weaken brass but it can cause premature case splitting.  When a case turns black from exposure to the elements, I think you'd wear it down to nothing before you'd ever get it to shine.  I cull them as well as any case that has corrosion spots bad enough to feel. 

[mrloring]

How long you leaving them in the tumbler?

 I usually leave brass 3-4 hours with walnut, things looked good, then I went to work one day and forgot about the tumbler
( I must be first one that's done that!) (Thumler's Tumbler).
 It was about 12 hours when I finally got the stuff out.     They looked almost new!

Dang that's my normal procedure!  If I am doing lots of brass I will swap out every evening when I get home from work.  My vibratory cleaner is in the garage so noise is not an issue.  24 hours in walnut sure makes the brass shine.

[Dances with Geoducks]

Bscman,

I have 1000s of military Lake City cases Ive processed. They are all form the 60s and 70s.
They are all dark, yet clean and dry.
I did everything you could think of to get them shiny.

6 months later, they have darkened back up, So I dont even worry about it any more.
I clean them once, size and clean again, and then load them, and pack them away.

[Lloyd Smale]

I usually put a little nufinish car polish in the tumbler and that will shine them up. Really bad cases get a little brasso added to the tumbler. It has amonia in it and ive never seen it hurt my brass. When you figure your only putting a tee spoon of it in the media the actuall amount of amonia doesnt ammount to anything. theres probably more brass eating acid vapors in the air you breath if you live in a city.

Just make sure that whatever you add to your polish media doesn't contain ammonia.  I'm not sure how much it'd take to weaken brass but it can cause premature case splitting.  When a case turns black from exposure to the elements, I think you'd wear it down to nothing before you'd ever get it to shine.  I cull them as well as any case that has corrosion spots bad enough to feel. 

[moorepower]

I sure hope everybody is cleaning off the wax before you shoot them. The brass is what does most of the grabbing, not the bolt head.

[41 mag]

I sure hope everybody is cleaning off the wax before you shoot them. The brass is what does most of the grabbing, not the bolt head.

Once through the tumbler with Flitz added to walnut, to clean the crud off before sizing. After sizing they go through the corn cob with Flitz to get the Imperial off and get the nice shine. Then after checking the length they are either loaded, or trimmed and put away for later.

Cannot say I have ever had any issues with what ever wax remains. 

[Swampman]

I recently started putting a cut up dryer sheet in my tumbler to remove all the built up dust & crud.  It works great.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive been doing this for years and never once had a problem. I have had problems leaving case lube on a case though.

I sure hope everybody is cleaning off the wax before you shoot them. The brass is what does most of the grabbing, not the bolt head.

[bilmac]

Me too. I think the factories must give their ammo a coat of wax, otherwise the brass would corrode in the box.

[mauser98us]

Off topic,but those dryer sheets also remove the soap scum from your shower enclosure really easy. I save the used ones for that chore..

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got a better way to deal with soap scum in a shower. Its called a wife! 

Off topic,but those dryer sheets also remove the soap scum from your shower enclosure really easy. I save the used ones for that chore..

[Idaho_Elk_Huntr]

This is the best stuff I have seen. Stainless media. Works really good on black powder

[mtdotcomm]

ive got a better way to deal with soap scum in a shower. Its called a wife! 

Off topic,but those dryer sheets also remove the soap scum from your shower enclosure really easy. I save the used ones for that chore..

LMAO !!

[Idaho_Elk_Huntr]

Stainless