Green brass after tumbling

[showmebob]

Here's the story.
Someone gave my son some range brass they picked up. (looked normal at that time) He had tumbled it in Lymans green corn cob media. The brass came out green! When you look at it in the box it makes you think it's the coated steel cases. He used no additives in the media.

I took the brass and tumbled it in my tumbler for the normal 3 hours and it still has a green tint and is not nearly as shiny as my normal product. I have only used Lyman media for the last 20,000 rounds or so and have never seen this. Has Lyman changed their media? What gives? Any ideas?

 

[rcmodel]

Sounds like wet media from too much liquid polish added, or oil on the brass.

Lyman Green is coated with green oxide, and the last and only time I tried it?
It didn't work worth a crap.

But then again, green corncob is for polishing clean brass.
NOT for cleaning dirty brass.

Walnut (red rouge coated) is used for that.

rc

 

[showmebob]

I guess I now have 2 options: wash the brass in some form of liquid or tumble it in walnut and see what happens.
One thing is for sure, I don't like green brass!

 

[moxie]

Why bother. It probably will shoot just fine. Then clean it up right.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I wouldn't use the brass as it is because there is a thin coating of "green stuff" on the case which might cause sticking after the round is shot. I would try cleaning it with walnut media first.

This is why i don't use any of the gimmicks that are available, I just use a 50/50 mix or normal corncob and walnut media.

 

[HOOSIER70]

In boiling water add regular dish soap, careful it will foam over let it boil for a few and you should be OK

 

[rfwobbly]

Green brass could indicate the presence of zombies.

 

[buck460XVR]

When you look at it in the box it makes you think it's the coated steel cases.

Could they be coated steel cases? I've been finding a lot of steel handgun cases at the range lately myself. Hard to tell it from real brass that has been out in the weather and tarnished.

 

[Muddydogs]

Throw it in corn cob tumble and be done with it. Everyone says that walnut is for this and corn is for that well let me tell ya walnut is dusty, nasty case packing junk. All I ever use is corn cob with midways liquid polish added and my cases come out clean in 2 to 4 hours depending on how nasty they were before they went in. Just got done cleaning 2000 223 dirty range brass and have black fines floating around in the bottom of the tumbler but the media still cleans great. I might try the car polish when I run out of the midway additive. Stay away from the already treated media. Try a magnet over the cases, this will tell you if they are steel or not.

 

[FirinFlatTop]

Throw it in corn cob tumble and be done with it. Everyone says that walnut is for this and corn is for that well let me tell ya walnut is dusty, nasty case packing junk. All I ever use is corn cob with midways liquid polish added and my cases come out clean in 2 to 4 hours depending on how nasty they were before they went in. Just got done cleaning 2000 223 dirty range brass and have black fines floating around in the bottom of the tumbler but the media still cleans great. I might try the car polish when I run out of the midway additive. Stay away from the already treated media. Try a magnet over the cases, this will tell you if they are steel or not.

all i use is walnut, never had a dust problem. or a case packing problem.

as to the green brass, I think I would try and clean it also before I shot any.

 

[showmebob]

Thanks to all for the replies.
I have sprayed cleaners on individual cases and rubbed them with a rag but it didn't make any difference. As stated in my earlier post I tumbled them in my normal media for 3 hours and they still show a green tint.
[Green brass could indicate the presence of zombies] never thought of that one!!! I'll check and get back to you on that.
[Could they be coated steel cases?] The cases definately are Not Steel
[In boiling water add regular dish soap] I might give this a try!

 

[Blue68f100]

May tray some Simple Green or maybe Hot Citric Acid (1tbs/qt h2o) (>150F). Hotter the better with the Citric Acid, it will clean inside and out. You will need to neutralize the acid with backing soda.