My Pickled Brass Has a Pink Hue

[DMW1116]

I’ve been trying a citric acid solution to clean brass lately. It worked great the first time. I cleaned some 308 and 9mm and they came out squeaky clean though not shiny. Today I cleaned about 120 mixed 9mm and 308 cases. Some of each came out with some pink coloring in them.

I think I used too much citric acid in my solution so I’ll cut back and try again. The best I can tell, this color indicates mild zinc loss from the brass. I picked about 15 9mm and 4 308 cases out that had some sign of pink coloring. The rest didn’t show any visible signs.

 

[gudaki]

I think I used too much citric acid in my solution

This is most likely the problem.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Do they size fine? Any signs of being brittle yet?

 

[DocRock]

It’s probably not the amount of citric acid per se, but the length of time the brass is exposed. They only need max five minutes and a good shaking. Then a good rinse. But don’t worry about the pink hue at all.

 

[Mk-211]

Yes, you need to worry about pink or redish hue on brass. It's dezincification and makes brass brittle.

Google it and read up about it, not something to take lightly. You don't need your brass splitting or worse when you pull the trigger.

Be safe.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I don't think you can use to much citric acid unless you are cleaning with stainless steel pins.
If the cases laid on the ground and were rained on at some period of time, that's what leached out the zinc from the case. The citric acid is just pointing it out to you by turning it pink.
I use double and triple amounts of citric acid in my ultrasonic cleaner and have yet to get pink cases. My solution is around 2.5 ph with my litmus paper.
I'm using two to three full tea spoons of lemi-shine per two liters of water.
My cases come from an indoor range where they never get the outside elements on them.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I clean brass after firing black powder cartridge but do not expose the brass to chemical treatment more than necessary. I rinse by pumping hot water with a little dish soap through the cases with a cleaning rod and cotton patch, and rinse in hot water again. I shoot five sight check/foulers and twenty for score rifle and twenty for score pistol so I can afford to be obsessive without tying up too much time.

If I shoot BP cartridge without thorough cleaning, I suspect the residue of black powder or black powder substitute built up inside the case is more damaging than quick exposure to a cleaner that may leach zinc out of the brass with prolonged exposure.

 

[Ironicaintit]

If the cases laid on the ground and were rained on at some period of time, that's what leached out the zinc from the case. The citric acid is just pointing it out to you by turning it pink.

I’m not so sure about that. I have some brass (30 carb, 380acp and 9Luger)that sat in the weather for nearly a year and cleaned up fine. Maybe a little dark, but certainly no pink.

On the other hand, I have some 45acp brass that has never seen the weather, and did go pink when they sat in a citric solution for too long. I used them to make keychain fobs for a lady.
On the third hand, I could be wrong. Just relating what I saw firsthand.

 

[FROGO207]

It all depends on your location and the PH of the soil/rain watet as to how corrosive the soil is. On brass left in solutions it also matters what the startling PH is and how much citric acid you use. Some can get by with a 9MM cSe full of lemishine and I need two full spoons full to clean my brass. Pink is leaving it too long in the solution and leaching the zinc out of the brass. You either have to use less acid or shorter immersion time. I find shorter immersion along with SS pins in a tumbler work best for me.

 

[Ranger99]

. . . but do not expose the brass to chemical treatment more than necessary. . . .

^ ^ ^ key phrase ^ ^ ^

A lot of older reloaders have forgotten, and
a lot of the newer reloaders don't know that
you don't have to have a mirror finish on
your brass to have good functional safe
ammunition. As long as there's no debris
or corrosion on or inside the cases, and
the primer pockets are free of obstructions
and clean you can load away with confidence. Most of what I've shot could be
rubbed with a steel wool pad and be ready
to go after any sizing that needs doing

 

[DMW1116]

This brass didn’t lay around. It was picked up new as it fell this past Saturday, or at least the 9mm was. The 308 came from a bolt action and AR 10 and was picked up when fired too. I think I had too much, as I probably had more than the two to three tablespoons mentioned and I left it too long, about 3 hours. I’m contemplating going to a pin tumbler, but even the acid bath is less work than cleaning one at a time. I’m aware of how bad zinc loss can be so I probably won’t shoot these. I haven’t tried sizing them yet, just decapped and soaked.

 

[DanK3Pos]

This brass didn’t lay around. It was picked up new as it fell this past Saturday, or at least the 9mm was. The 308 came from a bolt action and AR 10 and was picked up when fired too. I think I had too much, as I probably had more than the two to three tablespoons mentioned and I left it too long, about 3 hours. I’m contemplating going to a pin tumbler, but even the acid bath is less work than cleaning one at a time. I’m aware of how bad zinc loss can be so I probably won’t shoot these. I haven’t tried sizing them yet, just decapped and soaked.

I use maybe a teaspoon in a FART for an hour with steel pins, Palmolive (just what I bought last time, but it works as well as Dawn IMO), and Armor All Wash & Wax. Brass comes out maybe too clean.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

3 hours? Mine are in my ultra sonic for 10 minutes. They come out clean as new for most to them, the ones that have been shot about 10 time will stay darker inside.
That may be the 3 hours causing your problem like Froggo said.

 

[Bfh_auto]

^ ^ ^ key phrase ^ ^ ^

A lot of older reloaders have forgotten, and
a lot of the newer reloaders don't know that
you don't have to have a mirror finish on
your brass to have good functional safe
ammunition. As long as there's no debris
or corrosion on or inside the cases, and
the primer pockets are free of obstructions
and clean you can load away with confidence. Most of what I've shot could be
rubbed with a steel wool pad and be ready
to go after any sizing that needs doing

This...
I get the same accuracy and case life using a clean rag to wipe the case.
Clean brass does make it easier to see cracks.

 

[AJC1]

You are not trying to chemically treat or clean the cases. The acid is used to soften the water to make suds better to suspend dirt and carbon. The intention is not a high molar acid bath.

 

[DocRock]

Ok, 3 hrs is too long

5 - 10 minutes. Swish the brass around. All good. Rinse.

 

[DMW1116]

That’s all good news. That way I can clean them even faster.

 

[Rule3]

This brass didn’t lay around. It was picked up new as it fell this past Saturday, or at least the 9mm was. The 308 came from a bolt action and AR 10 and was picked up when fired too. I think I had too much, as I probably had more than the two to three tablespoons mentioned and I left it too long, about 3 hours. I’m contemplating going to a pin tumbler, but even the acid bath is less work than cleaning one at a time. I’m aware of how bad zinc loss can be so I probably won’t shoot these. I haven’t tried sizing them yet, just decapped and soaked.

3 tablespoons in how much water???

3 hours??

 

[tightgroup tiger]

You are not trying to chemically treat or clean the cases. The acid is used to soften the water to make suds better to suspend dirt and carbon. The intention is not a high molar acid bath.

Actually we are. The acid does not soften the water, alkaline does. Acid hardens it.
The citric acid does clean and pacify the brass so it is not active any more to react with dissimilar metals like pure copper or some other homogenies metal bullet.
This helps to stop any cold welding that can take place between the bullet and the case over a long period of time due to the brass still being left active.
It also chelates the lead in the primer residue to make a new compound our bodies can't absorb.
Some of us use citric acid because it's what all the others say to use, some of us use it because it is chemically, the right thing to do for all the right reasons.

 

[DMW1116]

Half a gallon or so. The first soak was about a cap full on the Lemishine container for 24 hours. That was clearly too long though nothing turned pink.

 

[Rule3]

Wich Lem Shine are you using. The BOOSTER is the only one that is citric acid,

Even though it is often written in stone on the internet, your concentration of Lem shine is NOT enough to leech zinc out of the brass. It is a often repeated internet statement. Heck if you dry brass at to high a temp it will turn color.

Clean the brass again or tumble in dry tumbler if you have one with some Nu Fish polish. Or take each on and gently caress it with a microfiber cloth and some Flitz and polish out the color.

PS:

You did rinse the brass in fresh water after the citric acid bath , right???

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I clean brass after firing black powder cartridge but do not expose the brass to chemical treatment more than necessary. I rinse by pumping hot water with a little dish soap through the cases with a cleaning rod and cotton patch, and rinse in hot water again. I shoot five sight check/foulers and twenty for score rifle and twenty for score pistol so I can afford to be obsessive without tying up too much time.

If I shoot BP cartridge without thorough cleaning, I suspect the residue of black powder or black powder substitute built up inside the case is more damaging than quick exposure to a cleaner that may leach zinc out of the brass with prolonged exposure.

I'm gonna give away a secret here. You know that plastic basket with the crank handle that comes with a FA tumbler kit? Well, that basket works great in a 5-gallon bucket filled with warm, soapy water for BP shells. Fill the bucket to just under where the slots are cut for the axles and crank away - slowly. It will splash and will soak you if you go too fast. So don't go too fast. I may have read that on another forum... or... it may even be my own brilliant idea. I ain't sayin' which.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Wich Lem Shine are you using. The BOOSTER is the only one that is citric acid,

Even though it is often written in stone on the internet, your concentration of Lem shine is NOT enough to leech zinc out of the brass. It is a often repeated internet statement. Heck if you dry brass at to high a temp it will turn color.

Clean the brass again or tumble in dry tumbler if you have one with some Nu Fish polish. Or take each on and gently caress it with a microfiber cloth and some Flitz and polish out the color.

PS:

You did rinse the brass in fresh water after the citric acid bath , right???

I haven't tried that NuFinish thing yet. Is it really all that and a bag of chips compared to Flitz? I've used Kleen King before, too and it does wonders on stained brass in walnut media. Ask your wife before stealing her kitchen cleaning supplies.

 

[DanK3Pos]

I'm gonna give away a secret here. You know that plastic basket with the crank handle that comes with a FA tumbler kit? Well, that basket works great in a 5-gallon bucket filled with warm, soapy water for BP shells. Fill the bucket to just under where the slots are cut for the axles and crank away - slowly. It will splash and will soak you if you go too fast. So don't go too fast. I may have read that on another forum... or... it may even be my own brilliant idea. I ain't sayin' which.

But, uh, if you have a FART, why not just use it? I wash 223 all the time with hot, soapy water. Just leave it to run for about 20 minutes. After I finish resizing, trimming, etc., I run it through with pins, Lemi, etc.

 

[The Glockodile]

Actually we are. The acid does not soften the water, alkaline does. Acid hardens it. The citric acid does clean and pacify the brass so it is not active any more to react with dissimilar metals like pure copper or some other homogenies metal bullet. This helps to stop any cold welding that can take place between the bullet and the case over a long period of time due to the brass still being left active. It also chelates the lead in the primer residue to make a new compound our bodies can't absorb. Some of us use citric acid because it's what all the others say to use, some of us use it because it is chemically, the right thing to do for all the right reasons.

This, but kinda pricey.

Or, we can bubba it!

Because, freedom!

:lolz: