Brass case prep ; discoloured after drying

Shooter937

Shooter937

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So I've listed a few pics here... 60 pc of brass that just game out of the Lyman US cleaner and 60 other pc that had just finished drying in the oven at 215 deg F. for 45 minutes.

I know since the temp required for annealing is well past what my oven is capable of.... so I'm going to rule out any damage to the cases themselves other then a slight discolouration... ( which seems to go away after running them through the cleaner again)

Also I will mention that after I run the cases in the cleaner I remove them and rinse them, I also take cotton swabs to the primer cup and inside the case to check for any remaining residue....

Has anyone else had issues like this ? Will it cause any problems ?

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Thanks if you can shed some light
 
i've had the same issues, some come out perfect and others have a sort of blotchy discolouration. I have noticed the discolouration prior to drying. I haven't cracked the code yet, but I believe it has to due with the amount of "lemi shine" or whatever agent you are using in addition to the dish soap. I have been using less lemi shine and seems to get better, but did not go away. I usually start tumbling in hot water, wondering if that has something to do with it as well. Will try cold next time.

Other than the less than perfect appearance, i have not noticed any problems and cannot see any reason there would be an issue with the brass.
 
Seeker2 said:
i've had the same issues, some come out perfect and others have a sort of blotchy discolouration. I have noticed the discolouration prior to drying. I haven't cracked the code yet, but I believe it has to due with the amount of "lemi shine" or whatever agent you are using in addition to the dish soap. I have been using less lemi shine and seems to get better, but did not go away. I usually start tumbling in hot water, wondering if that has something to do with it as well. Will try cold next time.

Other than the less than perfect appearance, i have not noticed any problems and cannot see any reason there would be an issue with the brass.
Click to expand...

Hmmm maybe I just baked the first ones too long...

Here's a side by side , same temp but this time when I put the cases in the oven I shut it off , returned an hour later and they are dry and not discoloured !

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I ultrasonic clean, rinse with HOT water, let air dry on a towel, then tumble again in walnut/polish.

The media stays clean that way and the brass comes out shiny. It also doesn't have the micro-dings that wet tumbling produces.
 
The dark spots are just surface tarnish, oxidation. Should cause no harm to the brass IMO.

I sometimes artificially age brass hardware in the oven ;)
 
I don't tumble or wash or do anything to my brass. My view is that it does nothing for accuracy, and that is all I really care about. I of course trim length, and clean out the primer pocket with a tool, chamfer the ID and OD, and brush out the ID of the neck, but that is it. Load and fire again.

If you do want to put a showroom shine on your brass then just chuck the head of each case in a drill using the Lee Case Trimmer holder, and dampen a rag in Brasso. Hold the rag on the brass while spinning it with the drill. Final polish with a clean dry cloth. You will need sunglasses when your are done, but they won't shoot any straighter!

I should add that it is prudent to use a damp cloth to wipe of the the cases after using Brasso.
 
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Ron AKA said:
I don't tumble or wash or do anything to my brass. My view is that it does nothing for accuracy, and that is all I really care about. I of course trim length, and clean out the primer pocket with a tool, chamfer the ID and OD, and brush out the ID of the neck, but that is it. Load and fire again.

If you do want to put a showroom shine on your brass then just chuck the head of each case in a drill using the Lee Case Trimmer holder, and dampen a rag in Brasso. Hold the rag on the brass while spinning it with the drill. Final polish with a clean dry cloth. You will need sunglasses when your are done, but they won't shoot any straighter!
Click to expand...

Many precision handloaders deprive then wet tumble their brass to make sure the necks are clean before going into the resizing die. A clean inner neck surface seems to be a factor in getting consistent neck tension, at least in my experience. Your mileage may vary...
 
b72471 said:
A good rinse will minimize the discoloration, but air drying is best. Ron those that do not clean brass wil have a dirty chamber.
Click to expand...

I also worry about reloading die contamination (which I have experienced).

I let the machinery and time do the work.
 
FirearmsEnthusiast said:
Many precision handloaders deprive then wet tumble their brass to make sure the necks are clean before going into the resizing die. A clean inner neck surface seems to be a factor in getting consistent neck tension, at least in my experience. Your mileage may vary...
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree that a clean neck ID is important. However, I don't agree that any kind of tumble cleaning is the best way to do it. I just use a nylon bore brush in the caliber I am loading, and brush it out. I then lubricate it with powdered graphite. I just think all this tumbling, washing, drying, is a waste of time, and in some cases damages the brass.
 
NaviDave said:
I also worry about reloading die contamination (which I have experienced).
I let the machinery and time do the work.
Click to expand...

The biggest problem of contamination of the sizing die is with excessive sizing lube. If you are not careful to put the very minimum amount of lube on, the excess lube will accumulate at the shoulder and case dents in the shoulder face.
 
I had the same discoloration drying the cases after wet tumbling with SS media. The cases were dried in a five gallon bucket with a hair drier and only the very top cases discolored.

I then discussed this at accurateshooter.com and it is as Leathercrafter stated in post #9, surface tarnish, oxidation from the heat.

The cases never got to the annealing temp and were not harmed.

I just hand washed the brass again with soap and Lemishine and the tarnish disappeared.
 
And if you don't use enough you will be buying a stuck case removal tool..........Lube doesn't damage the die, nor contaminate it and can easily be flushed out with brake clean when it becomes an issue. Advising new reloaders to use "the very minimum" of case lube is yet again irresponsible and bad advice..........I use lots of case lube as I like my cases to come out of the die, without ripping my press from the table top, but I give each neck and shoulder a quick twist between my fingers to remove any excess from that area, which can cause problems, but still leaves enough of a film to do the job. Then I dry vibe in a turbo with walnut husk. Cases come out clean and ready to load as soon as I pick all the little granules from the flash holes...:mad::mad:
I thought about a SS pin set up but decided against it..........so far.
 
Ron AKA

If you do not wet tumble or sonic clean your brass and then dry it why do you feel the need to post so many replies.

I bought my wet tumbler after getting my first AR15 rifle when the cases were getting embedded dirt and grit on them and scratching my dies.

And when you have firearms that throw perfectly good brass away and it lands on the ground wet tumbling "scrubs" the brass free of any dirt or grit.

When sizing I dip the case necks in Imperial dry graphite lube, and this is nothing more than powdered carbon. This re-coats the inside of the case neck with carbon and the possible bonding of the bullet to the inside of the case neck problem is solved.

If you wanted to add your so called "expertise" to the posting you should have posted the answer and cure to the OP problem.

For "some" reason you remind me of a combination of sunray and F.Guffey at accurateshooter and I wouldn't follow any of your advice.
 
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