Likely covered before, cleaning range brass.

[clutch]

I'm trying to get a good as new finish on some 9mm cases I picked up at the range. Polishing overnight with corn cob didn't remove the brown color so I tried some walnut that I thought was more aggressive.

The brown cases show a very shiny surface and are clean inside but I'd like that lighter color that makes them easier to spot. I've shot a previous batch that stayed brown but came out clean w/o any issues.

I tried googling but didn't really get info I trust. Brasso with ammonia in media sounds bad due to ammonia.

I'm going to let my current batch go 48 hours and see what happens for now.

I'd welcome useful wisdom on cleaning range brass effectively.

Thanks,

Clutch

 

[Cherokee]

Been my experience that once the cases turn brown, they stay brown but will get as squeeky clean as the shiney ones. I load them and shoot them.

 

[Walkalong]

Enough time and enough polish will get all but heavily tarnished cases shiny again. I tumble range brass overnight or all day while I am at work.

 

[leadchucker]

Aggressive abrasives like sand will remove tarnish from brass, but they also rough up the metal surface.

Mild corrosives, such as citrus juice, vinegar, CLR, or Tarn x, will get the tarnish off, but they are corrosives. The usual cautions apply about potentially weakening the metal.

 

[bubbacrabb]

Are you adding anything to the media before you run it? I noticed that after adding a capful of nufinish or any liquid car polish my cases after running all night are shiney as new brass.

 

[Jim Watson]

A rotary tumbler like a Thumler's Tumbler Model B running wet ceramic or stainless steel media in a slightly acidic detergent mix will shine them brighter than new. I use ceramic for black powder brass, it is too much work for smokeless. All I require is that my pistol brass be clean so as to load and chamber smoothly.

 

[billybob44]

Pet store Lizard Litter..

I get a lot of range brass from a local PD. Some of it is in the "Brown" condition that you describe.
I run all of the range brass through a batch of Lizard Litter-bedding sold in pet stores-first. Final polish is done with corn cob with NuFinish for a "Gleaming Gold" finish on the brass colored cases. Bill.

 

[FROGO207]

If you get the IOSSO brand of liquid case cleaner kit and dip them for a short time the tarnish will come off along with most of the dirt and a lot of the fouling.
Then polish as normal it will cut the polishing time by 2/3 at least.

They have the IOSSO kits on sale at Midway fairly often BTW.

You could try cleaning them with steel wool by hand if there are not many to do.

 

[Shrinkmd]

+1 for the stainless steel media tumbler option. It isn't as good at handling large quantities, and it takes a bit of time, but there is no dust, and they come out looking new, inside and out.

 

[evan price]

Walnut is harder and tougher than corncob and will scrub the brown off better. Adding some auto polish helps too. I had a batch of 45 autos that were wet in the bucket for a few months that turned brown. It took 24 hours of walnut and NuFinish to get them shiny.

 

[RandyP]

A tip I often post for extended tumbling - stop by the local Harbor Freight or Megamart and buy their least expensive lamp timer - plug your tumbler into it. Set it formhowever many hours you want and you're good to go. Like that Ronco chicken spinner oven - set it and forget it - lol

 

[Bula]

+1 RandyP on the timer

One word of caution, if you leave the tumbler plugged in to the timer, it'll run again when the timer goes full circle. Plenty of my brass has gone for 2hrs, every night for 3 or 4 days...ooops.

 

[Owen]

you can get one-shot timers.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KKCVYQ

 

[blarby]

As mentioned, a vinegar bath is a great first step for any pickup...tarnished or no.

a 50/50 vinegar and water solution is more than sufficient.

Personally, I like to supplement that bath with some ultrasonic....thats me.

Make sure and wash your vinegar(ed) brass with a baking soda solution when you are done to avoid a different set of funny colors that wont tumble off.

Tumbling them after the bath overnight with some decent polish like Nu-Finish should do the trick.

As a final note with that much tarnish, pitch in a few dryer sheets with that media...you're gonna need 'em.