brass; how dirty is too dirty to save?

[johnlives4christ]

wondering what to cull. i dont have a tumbler yet, but should they be tumbled to see if they clean up?

some of the brass has laid outside for a couple years. even if it cleans up okay would this hurt the brass? winter/summer/rain?

here is a pic of some of the worst looking.

[AngelDeville]

You would be surprised how much a tumbler would clean that up!

If it remains corroded/discolored after tumbling I'd toss it.

The biggest thing to worry about is the steel primer cups rusting into the primer pocket.

Walnut is the stuff to use on that.

[Alpo]

Problem I've found is some of the alloy leeching out of the brass into the ground. This has happened with "found" brass I've dug out of red clay, but not brass I've found in sand or black dirt. Don't know what is in the clay that does it, but anything I've shot that was found in clay, and is high powered (357, 44 mag, rifle of any kind) has split upon firing. I no longer keep stuff found in clay. Actually, I've got enough stashed that if it does not look clean and bright - like it was shot in the last couple of days - I leave it there.

Of the five in your hand, the only one I'd even bother with is the auto cartridge in the lower right. The others I'd just toss. 'Course, I wouldn't have been that choosy when I was just starting out.

[TheGunClinger]

I keep mine til they split. I also clean them before loading as sometimes you might miss a bad spot if left dirty.

[LDBennett]

johnlives4christ:

The brass cartridge case is the gasket between expanding gas at from 10,000 psi to over 50,000 psi (rifle cartridges). If the "gasket" fails you get the pressure in your face, on you hands along with brass metal particles. Your neighbors at the range also gets them, which could open you up to an expensive law suit or two.

Be smart and safe and don't pickup used brass shot by others found on the ground and most certainly not brass that has laid there long enough to discolor!

LDBennett

[thomas44]

I pick up used brass at the range myself, but that nasty discolored stuff doesn't make it into my coffee can. No way. I've had an instance of case head separation in a 9mm that I am convinced was a piece of weak brass picked up at the range. I inspect more closely now.

[Oneida Steve]

+1 with thomas44.

I've picked up brass at the range for years, but I wouldn't consider the rounds in the picture. Brass that dirty is too far gone IMO.

[JLA]

I would trash em john. the verdegris will have eaten part of the way thru the brass and made whats left pretty brittle. You needn 40s and 38s right? chris, charles, and myself are supposed to be tryin to make it out to china spring here pretty soon and shoot the range up. Ill see what chandlers got layin around ifn i dont forget...

[johnlives4christ]

whos chris and charles? but anyways... im game. thanks josh

even though i just have a handful of them dirty ones... dang it i dont wanna throw'em away. i reckon i'll buckle down and do it

[JLA]

Chris = woolleyworm, Charles = Bluesea112

[johnlives4christ]

dunno bluesea. woolleyworm is a familiar name though. yall neighbors are ya

[woolleyworm]

Originally Posted by JLA

I would trash em john. the verdegris will have eaten part of the way thru the brass and made whats left pretty brittle. You needn 40s and 38s right? chris, charles, and myself are supposed to be tryin to make it out to china spring here pretty soon and shoot the range up. Ill see what chandlers got layin around ifn i dont forget...

I think we'll have to head to the CTRPC range and see how you two compare it to Chandlers. It's 10 miles closer than Chandlers and only $5 to shoot all day. The morning of the 13th ( monday ) is looking pretty good for me. I always take a few minutes ( or an hour ) to pick up brass and clean up around the place, replace backer boards, etc.

John - I would trash all of those ones too; anytime there's that much corrosion, I toss'em in the scrap brass pile. The only time I would load up any of those cases is if it were a SHTF scenario.

[JLA]

13th looks good for me too, im on vacation from the 3rd to the 16th. ill shoot charles an email and see ifn he can make it out.

John, the 3 of us live within an hour of each other. Im the furthest out, up in the south fort worth area and charles lives in west and chris lives in waco, west and waco are 20 minuts apart and south fort worth and west/waco are about an hour apart...

We really should get together more often...