Safe to reload, or even shoot first?

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RussellC

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I bought these Winchester .223 45 grain jacketed hollow point a while back, on sale at walmart for what brass from Winchester sell new. (one criteria I use buying factory ammo)

Looked at these today, I have never seen what appears to be rust on these cases. One sleeve of them looks ok, the other has rust on them, a couple fairly bad. Difficult to photograph well. Some started as fingerprints, as the rust has those lines.

At first I figured they must have made some cheap steel with brass coating cases, but they are not magnetic. I guess these were cheap for a reason, dont know if I will reload these or not!

First pick are the "good" ones spilled out on a table, Then attempts to capture the rusty ones. IMG_4264[1].JPG IMG_4265[1].JPG IMG_4285[1].JPG IMG_4286[1].JPG IMG_4293[1].JPG
 

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That is NOT rust. It is somewhat-corroded brass. My opinion is to stay away, if possible, but they may be OK, if you want to take a chance.
 
As suggested, pop a couple open and check the condition of the powder, but if it was going bad from inside it wouldn't show until the case was very corroded. As 243winxb posted, see how it cleans up. If the corrosion is only a bit on the surface with no eating into the case, and the powder inside is good, your OK.

I had some old .308 ammo where the powder had just started going bad and you would never know from the outside. My first clue was how bad it shot. I pulled a couple of bullets and then it was obvious. I pulled the rest of the bullets and trashed the ammo.
 
243winxb said:
Take some fine steel wool and polish the bad ones.

If they clean up like new, there ok.

If the corrosion is more the just on the surface, i would not use them.
Click to expand...
I am going to do that, as well as pull the bullets on a few of the worse. will post back.

Russellc
 
Walkalong said:
As suggested, pop a couple open and check the condition of the powder, but if it was going bad from inside it wouldn't show until the case was very corroded. As 243winxb posted, see how it cleans up. If the corrosion is only a bit on the surface with no eating into the case, and the powder inside is good, your OK.

I had some old .308 ammo where the powder had just started going bad and you would never know from the outside. My first clue was how bad it shot. I pulled a couple of bullets and then it was obvious. I pulled the rest of the bullets and trashed the ammo.
Click to expand...
Agreed! will try both approaches, post back with findings
 
beag_nut said:
That is NOT rust. It is somewhat-corroded brass. My opinion is to stay away, if possible, but they may be OK, if you want to take a chance.
Click to expand...
I don't know what it is, pics don't really capture it well. Whatever it is, it is orangey-red like rust. I will find out, but am inclined to believe it originated from the outside as fingerprints show, but this crud may just be high lighting a problem going on inside. These really are not that old, 1 yr.? NOT inclined to use them at this point, not worth a wally world box of 40.....

Russellc
 
Probably just fine to shoot. It appears to me to be something on the outside of the case, perhaps originating from something on someone's fingers, as stated above. You do what you thing best... I would probably shoot them and then run them through my tumbler and see what they look like.
 
It is definitely light corrosion. Looking forward to how it cleans up and what the powder looks like.
 
Walkalong said:
It is definitely light corrosion. Looking forward to how it cleans up and what the powder looks like.
Click to expand...
I will unpeel them when I get home, and post. 55 grainers are hard enough (little weight) to get out, hopefully I don't break the inertia puller!

I will take close ups of the powder, saw case in half in indicated.

Russellc
 
was it the factory reload stuff? i had some funky cases with the factory reload stuff.
 
It's not rust or internal corrosion. Corrosion on brass is usually green caused by the copper coming out. Looks more like water marks.
I'd take 'em back to Wally World just on the principal that they were sold to you as new.
 
They have never been wet, so not water marks. Neither do they say anything about being factory reloads. I have tons of my own reloads, this has never happened
with them. I will either determine they are fine, maybe or will pitch them if looking inside looks wrong.

Russellc
 
Personally, I would vibratory tumble with crushed walnuts ( lizard litter ) a little brass polish or nu finish car polish, and mineral spirits. Or even use some mothers mag on a couple and see how well that disappears.
I doubt there's anything wrong with them. Looks like it was caused by humidity to me.
 
OK, I pulled the worst two apart, powder looks fine and inside of case is shiny bright.
Am starting to clean one.....so far just appears to be light corrosion, I have never had this happen.
IMG_4296[1].JPG IMG_4295[1].JPG IMG_4295[1].JPG
 

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Never put live ammo on a tumbler.
that is just tarnished brass. Just fine. Clean it a little and shoot it.
That you want to put fired cases back in the tumbler for a long while before you reload.
hopefully will shine again but it is not like they will be corroded through or anything.
 
Well the tumbler thing, (which many respected folks here do) is mute for me as I use a wet/steel pin tumbler. Frankford arsenal unit.

Russellc
 
Water turns brass dark. Reddish brown is some type of light corrosion. Might be as simple as acidic fingerprints.
 
I recently got some once fired LC 53, 30 carbine brass, and a bunch of the batch (about 8%) had exterior corrosion that looked exactly like that. I'd have sworn it was iron oxide, if it hadn't've been sitting on brass.
It was real tenacious too... But with some light scrubbing with oiled 0000 steel wool, they came clean. No worse for the wear, they're good to go. That brass you have I'm sure will be fine.

I found that when powder rots out... It will always show up at the neck first, usually resulting in a split neck.
 
It depends on the situation and bullets but the vibration could impact the structure and shape of the powder.
We know this by seeing how it turns media and debris into fine dust when tumbling brass.
So aside of other obvious concerns of spontaneous ignition one has to worry about changes of the powder
shape as designed by the manufacturer, that might have an effect in the combustion and that might create
sudden changes in pressure and inconsistency all over.
This has been the case with surplus ammunition after tumbling. Inconsistency and huge spikes in pressure
of nato ammo could only be attributed to the tumbling to clean tarnishing from brass sold as surplus.
Definitely something nobody wiht concerns about risks and liabilities is going to put in the best and safe practices book.
 
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