As a former scanning electon microscope and focused ion beam guru, I can say this.
Shiny brass is slicker and less rough at the microscopic surface roughness level. In semi's it may make a smidgen of difference, beyond that, it's only microns of surface imperfection and no safety concerns should occur. Unless you picked it up and it was blue and nasty indicating it was leaching out the copper from the mix, I think I'd avoid those range pickups and just recycle them.
It sounds like you shoot at an indoor range, no worries there.
As for the vinegar suggestion, very good, but same for old crusty, very blue range pickups. Acetic acid, aka vinegar, will easily follow the corrosion, to the nanometric level of bad range pickups further degrading their integrity for shooting greatly. This will decrease tje brass's malleability due to the oxidation making very hard sections in your brass that will eat through a waterline at the microscopic level before you can see it.
If you cannot polish out your defects with a piece of fine steel wool or scotch brite with minimal scrubbing, reject the brass. What you're looking for is a line that you simply can't scrub out.
This part only applies to really crusty brass, but I live in the PNW where an outdoor range pickup may sit the a wet environment forever before somone bends over and picks it up.
Ask me how I know? Look up FEI.
Shiny brass is slicker and less rough at the microscopic surface roughness level. In semi's it may make a smidgen of difference, beyond that, it's only microns of surface imperfection and no safety concerns should occur. Unless you picked it up and it was blue and nasty indicating it was leaching out the copper from the mix, I think I'd avoid those range pickups and just recycle them.
It sounds like you shoot at an indoor range, no worries there.
As for the vinegar suggestion, very good, but same for old crusty, very blue range pickups. Acetic acid, aka vinegar, will easily follow the corrosion, to the nanometric level of bad range pickups further degrading their integrity for shooting greatly. This will decrease tje brass's malleability due to the oxidation making very hard sections in your brass that will eat through a waterline at the microscopic level before you can see it.
If you cannot polish out your defects with a piece of fine steel wool or scotch brite with minimal scrubbing, reject the brass. What you're looking for is a line that you simply can't scrub out.
This part only applies to really crusty brass, but I live in the PNW where an outdoor range pickup may sit the a wet environment forever before somone bends over and picks it up.
Ask me how I know? Look up FEI.
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