Black Powder Brass Case Cleaning

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Catpop

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I recently purchased some empty brass cases that had been loaded with black powder. I plan to reload them with smokeless powder hence this forum vs. black powder.
These cases had a bluish greenish grayish coating inside the case.
I immediately washed them in warm soapy water and rinsed, then repeated. When dry they still had same look.


Question: What should I do to clean them? The water didn’t seem to work. I only have a vibrating cleaner.

Question: Did the black powder residue harm them? Are they safe to reload with very light smokeless powder loads?

Thanks for the help!
Catpop
 
The discoloration isn't a problem but black powder residue can corrode brass as well as steel. Inspect them like you would any used case, checking for cracks and so forth.

I clean mine the day I shoot them, if possible. If not, I drop the fired cases in a milk jug with water and a few drops of dish soap. Give it a shake now and then. That will neutralize most of the corrosive effects of the powder. At home, soak them in a bucket of warm water, use a brass brush to scrub them out and let them air dry. It takes maybe 5 seconds for each case. If you want the cases to be shiny, tumble them, but the inside may never look like new. I keep BP cases separate from modern powder ones. Cleaning BP cases means a little extra time but not much more and I love shooting BP in a 45 Colt Ruger and in 45-70 rifles.

Jeff
 
Citric acid will remove the staining. It takes a couple tablespoons full in hot water, let set for a few minutes, stir a couple of times and then rinse in clean hot water and dry. Then tumble as normal.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
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Update:
This is after 2 separate fresh hot water citric solutions last night. I wish I had done a before pic, but didn’t. Sorry.
They are much much better and no longer green, but still show a lot of pink stain especially inside the case. I did decap before cleaning.
Question: Is this the best I can expect? Or should I continue with the citric acid until completely clean ( shiny brass with no pink showing)
2F620981-902A-402B-BAC7-265C86707655.jpeg or just move onto my dry vibration polisher?
 
If you have a dry vibration polisher, try using walnut shells to clean up your black powder brass. I shoot a lot of black powder cartridges and have found the stainless steel pins in a wet tumbler cleaner work best but before that relied on my vibrating cleaner with walnut shell media. Corncob media even with abrasive added can't compare to walnut shell in getting cases clean after black powder. I got mine from Pet Smart Stores in the "lizard bedding" department. One-third the price of reloading suppliers.
 
That pink at the mouths is where the residue attacked the brass a little bit. They are still good to reload for now. If you want them shined better, move on to your rattle cleaner. Yes walnut will work the best. The pink will probably still be there but when shined up not nearly so noticeable though. In the future at least use the citric acid shortly after shooting BP and thin rinse. Polish at a later date.

After rereading the first post disregard about BP care of brass.
 
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In topics of wet tumbling brass using pins, detergent and LemiShine, IE citric acid a caution was mentioned concerning what citric acid would do to brass. Something about the acids leaching the copper out of the brass alloy. All over my head, but off hand I’d say the red is copper with most of the zinc leached out.
 
Another update:
6 hours of “rattle cleaning” as Frog0207 says
38DB68F9-B645-454F-B444-9CCEB8CE346B.jpeg May be right about leaching or what I call electrolysis in my diving business.
I bought the cases this way as I personally don’t shoot BP. My goal was to get them stabilized for future smokeless powder reloading in my 1873 Winchester.
Thanks for all the help guys!!!!!!
 
I’ve never had black powder do that to any cases. I don’t use any substitutes so don’t know if any of them will. My cases get put in a jug of water, Dawn and some lemishine until I can wet tumble them.
 
Yes the zinc has leached out of that brass---on the surface at a minimum. They should be good to reload. The ones that show a lot of copper might not last as long without splitting but should not be dangerous to shoot with a load for a lever gun.

ETA: I would not buy brass that has been used with BP just because if residue is left it might shorten case life. If that had been my brass I would have given it away for the price of shipping. Just sayin.
Is that 44-40 brass?
 
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