Miracle Cloth & Shotshell brass

[ChooChoo]

I've been using Miracle Cloth for many years to get the leading out of barrels and cylinders with great results. I've avoided using it on blued steel because it will remove the bluing.

I inherited some 50 year old Remington shotshells with very tarnished high brass. I got the "bright" idea to clean them up using Miracle Cloth that resulted in some incredibly shiny brass.

Afterwards I began to wonder if the Miracle cloth has a ingredient like ammonia that might weaken brass. The package didn't list any ingredients.

Does anyone know if Miracle Cloth has anything in it that is harmful in to brass?

 

[dogtown tom]

I've used Miracle Cloth on dozens of blued firearms that had considerable rust pitting.....never once did it affect the blued finish.

Their website recommends its use for firearms. Kinda doubt they would do that if it removed the blued finish.

On the Miracle Cloth website they do mention "It is perfect for removing heat caused bluing." I believe that refers to the bluish stain near the muzzle of some stainless or nickeled firearms.

According to their website its fine for any metal surface:http://miraclecloth.com/

 

[ChooChoo]

"It is perfect for removing heat caused bluing." (From the Miracle Cloth website)
dogtown tom - "I believe that refers to the bluish stain near the muzzle of some stainless or nickeled firearms."

I saw that statement as well and I always thought it was referring to the hot blue finish put on some firearms. I've got a small rust spot on the action-bar sleeve of one of my 1100s that I'll give it a try on.

dogtown tom - "According to their website its fine for any metal surface "

I am suspect of their statement. Brasso (which has ammonia in it) also says its fine for brass. They are correct if all they are concerned with is the shine, but they probably are not thinking about the effects of high pressure on brass treated with ammonia. I'm still wondering if Miracle Cloth is coming from the same mindset. If I can't get an answer here, I'll try to contact the manufacturer.

 

[Virginian]

I have been adding Brasso to "freshen" the corn cob media in my tumbler with no ill effects on any number of brass casings. The little bit that is in there, the very low concentration, being spread over the large area, and the fact that any chemical reaction is spent by the time I am done I suppose takes care of that. Unless it is left on the surface long enough so that you can see some effects - pits, cracks, etc., I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[ChooChoo]

Virginian - "...I wouldn't sweat it."

First let me state that I had been lurking around this site for quite a while before signing up. I have read many of your posts and I have come to respect your opinion, so please don't take offense to this:

In this case, a plastic shotshell, I agree with you. Shotshells are relatively low pressure cartridges and while the brass may contribute to pressure containment I believe its main purpose is secure the primer and aid in extraction. Activ brand shotshells come to mind -- IIRC they were all plastic except for a small internal ring around the primer pocket and an internal plate at the base to form a rim.

I mentioned in post *1 that I applied Miracle Cloth undiluted to the brass (I'm looking at it right now and boy does it ever shine!). The main reason for asking the question was for me to determine if there might be a problem with much higher pressure rounds.