Brass life after it's been outside for a while

[teddy12b]

So yesterday I had a nice chance to pick up all the brass that's been shot in the backyard since last fall. There was plenty back there and my kids had a blast picking up all the "treasures". A lot of this brass has been out there for at least a month or more and some of the brass has been there since last late fall. When the brass starts to show some signs of very light corrosion is it still safe to reload? Of course the first thing I'd do is sort through it what I've got for anything that looks like it'd be questionable, but I'm not going to get a flashlight and look into every piece. The reloads would be used for blasting/training, not any kind of long range match stuff.

Would you reuse the brass of just pitch it?

At what point do you say your goodbye's to your empty and used brass?

 

[SEIndSAM]

I would run it through the tumbler for a couple of hours first, then see what it looks like. I don't think being outside 3-6 months is going to ruin it.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Plinking brass as long as there is no pitting, no issue. I don't use it for hot loads, but then I only use new or once fired for those anyway.

For pistol plinking brass I toss it when it can't be reloaded. It either splits or the base gets too large or the primer pocket is too loose.

 

[8th SPS USAF]

I would never reload any brass that shows any corrosion . If you did not pick it up when you first shot it, I would think you have enough brass w/o taking a chance on this?

 

[teddy12b]

I would never reload any brass that shows any corrosion . If you did not pick it up when you first shot it, I would think you have enough brass w/o taking a chance on this?

That's the thing with all of this. Is the risk worth the reward? I do have plenty of other brass, but every little bit helps too. I'll leave the brass in the polishers over night and see what's left.

 

[ghitch75]

i have some 45ACP's that are green and have been reload over 20 times......they run just as good as shiny ones....don't worry about....

 

[red_zr24x4]

Would you reuse the brass of just pitch it?

At what point do you say your goodbye's to your empty and used brass?

I'd tumble it and inspect it pitching anything that's cracked. If the primer falls out, I'd pitch it.
9MM tends to get lost before it's wore out, not always, but most of the time is what I find.

Edit to add up until the early 70's most people didn't tumble everyone's brass was green...

 

[x10]

Tumble and inspect

Remember brass can be had for 50ish per 1000, and maybe the firearm your shooting it through is a $700 plus item,

Throwing away good brass is a bad idea but scrapping a gun is a terrible idea,

I know I have thrown away good brass but I'm OK with that.

 

[BogWalker]

I'd tumble it and inspect it pitching anything that's cracked. If the primer falls out, I'd pitch it.
9MM tends to get lost before it's wore out, not always, but most of the time is what I find.

Edit to add up until the early 70's most people didn't tumble everyone's brass was green...

Wait, you can safely reload without tumbling? Huh, what sort of cleaning of brass was done then, or was it done at all? Did this apply to rifle brass? In the absence of the money for a decent tumbler this is info I could definitely use.

 

[red_zr24x4]

The way i understand it they washed it, dried it, and loaded it

 

[ghitch75]

The way i understand it they washed it, dried it, and loaded it

i did this all the time in the 80's.....tumblers where high back then....

 

[45fan]

I have always went out the first decent warm day of spring to pick up brass that I lost in the snow that winter. Never been a big deal, just run it through the tumbler with the walnut shells, and its as good as new (or at least 1 fired).

 

[remauto1187]

Tumble and inspect

Remember brass can be had for 50ish per 1000, and maybe the firearm your shooting it through is a $700 plus item,

Throwing away good brass is a bad idea but scrapping a gun is a terrible idea,

I know I have thrown away good brass but I'm OK with that.

+1

 

[Russellhjoy]

I've picked up brass that's been outside for over a year and it didn't split. Wouldn't run high pressure load but plinking is probably okay

 

[Broom_jm]

The duration of time brass has been outside really doesn't matter much, it's the actual condition the brass is in. Brass doesn't corrode the way steel or iron does, it tarnishes, which is a very thin layer of oxidation that results in cases you can quite often polish, inspect and shoot. In places with dryer climates, brass can sit outside for quite a while before it becomes unsafe to reload.

 

[jcwit]

We have people who reload the aluminum & steel cases which are not ment to be reloaded, and here we are concerned about tarnished discolored brass? Somehow I'm missing something.

 

[Volt]

I buy 5.56 Military pick-up brass that has date stamps as old as the late 80's sometimes. It is tarnished with a green or black tint to it and some have been stepped on and crushed to the point of not being useable but I am amazed at how much junk looking brass I can bring back to life with a 24hr. tumble and inspection. Most come out looking like brand new brass once re-sized.

 

[trophyhunter]

i did this all the time in the 80's.....tumblers where high back then....

They really were expensive and much harder to come by back then, I used hot water and some Bar keeper's Friend to clean everything until the 90's when they started showing up at gun shows for a decent price.