Finished rounds: tarnish prevention?

[Richard.Howe]

Hi all,

My initial forays into reloading are going exceedingly well. My .300 Win Mag now kicks less like a mule and more like a 10 year old. Still annoying but not injurious. And accuracy...whew...I never knew how crappy most factory loads were (although I'm sure some are good).

To the point: I'm reloading Norma brass and Barnes Triple-Shocks. Within a couple of weeks following reloading, the shine is gone -- replaced by a dull tarnish of both bullet and case. What can I do to keep this from occurring? Anything?

Is this issue a cosmetic one only, or can tarnish contribute to reduced ballistics or accuracy? This may seem like a stupid issue to you, but I want my hard work to be BEAUTIFUL!

Thanks!
Rich H.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I'm the same way, I like my reloads to look better than factory, and I've been reloading for over 20 years.

Try wiping your cartridges down with a dry cloth before boxing, your fingerprints will cause corrosion. If you are using cardboard boxes, put them in a Zip-lock bag to keep the air out, or store the reloads in a Tupperware style box with a tight fitting lid. I buy those boxes by the dozen at the dollar store.

 

[g56]

After my brass is cleaned I handle it with thin cotton gloves, jacketed bullets can also tarnish from the oils in our skin, so the bullets are handled the same way, that way I don't have nasty looking ammo. That may seem a bit over the top, but I take pride in the ammo I have hand crafted!

 

[lycanthrope]

Tumble them in corn cob with Nu finish car wax. Offers some protection against moisture and tarnishing.

 

[308win]

tumble the loaded rounds in corncob media with a couple of teaspoons of kerosene. Takes off the resizing lube and coats the rounds so they wont tarnish.

 

[Sunray]

If you coat the cases with wax or anything else you'll have to take it off before you shoot. Car wax is for vehicle bodies. Not cartridges. Brass will change colour when it oxidizes. It means nothing unless it turns green. Load 'em, wipe off the lube and forget about it.
The proof of your hard work is in the accuracy of your loads. Not how pretty the case is.

 

[Paul "Fitz" Jones]

Corn Cob-Kerosene

I have used a couple of tablespoons of kerosene on the cobs after putting the ammo in first then the cob then the kerosene, stir it in and the kerosene protects the brass and the exposed lead from oxidation for decades in the ammo I commercially loaded starting in the 1950's.

I use a third of a cup in my cement mixer and cover the mixer mouth to keep the fumes in and the kerosene helps control dust also.

We have kerosene lamps at the family ranch when the heavy snow causes forest trees to fall on the major east-west power line leaving us without power for weeks.
John Paul

I also store my ammo in my Fitz red ammo safes(Boxes) and keep them in 50 caliber ammo cans then they never oxodize.