Bronze/Orange Fingers

[73ch13]

So just loaded some 45, and all of the fingers that were handling the brass and bullets turned an orange bronze color when I washed them. Has anyone seen this before?

-Safety is no accident, unless you accidentally leave the safety on when you intend to shoot.

 

[mdi]

OH NO! Not the dreaded orange finger syndrome! J.K. Prolly just a minute transfer of brass to yer fingers from handing clean brass...

 

[Sunray]

Plated bullets?
The orange bronze colour sounds like a reaction of either the soap to the metal or the metal to the soap. As daft as that sounds. Never seen it myself though.

 

[kcofohio]

What media did you use for the brass? I have had fresh walnut media stain my hands to a rust color.

 

[Salmoneye]

40 something years of loading various brass, and have never experienced anything like is described in the OP...

 

[Blue68f100]

The only time I know of this happening is when using treated media to clean brass. The treatment leaves residue on the brass.

 

[AZAndy]

I used to get black fingers from Bear Creek moly coating, but never orange. Are your bullets coated with anything?

 

[JimKirk]

Brass oxides are usually green or black or dark colored .... got to be something else on the brass causing it .... never saw orange colors ....

 

[mdi]

I have had dark stains on my hands when working with brass (as a machinist I handled a lot of raw metals).

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I never saw this either. What soap are you using? What is in your cleaning media?

 

[jmorris]

Only time I have experienced this was after eating Cheetos.