Oxidized brass, is it OK to clean and use?

[Executive]

I picked up a substantial amount of brass at the range the past two weeks. Mostly mixed .40S&W (yes, I reload it), 9mm (yes, I reload that too), some .380's (don't reload those, yet), and quite a few .38's (for a rainy day). It had been sitting in a pile mixed with a small amount of sand and what I estimate to be some rock salt spread around the range to melt the ice. Much of the brass has a green patina, as oxidized copper alloys generally do. I hand polished a few cases to test and they come out fine. Anyone have experience putting this condition brass through a vibratory polisher? Any damage to the brass or the polisher? The cost of ammo being what it is, I've become a bit of a brass scavenger, so I rarely leave anything I reload laying around. I just want to make sure that I'm not wasting my time. Thanks for any info.

 

[jhrosier]

As long as there is no visible etching or pitting of the brass, it should be OK to use after cleaning.
However, 40 S&W brass is so cheap that it may not be worth spending extra time to clean.
If you do decide to salvage it, wash it with water and a little detergent to get rid of the salt before it goes in the tumbler. This will keep the salt from contaminating your media.

Jack

 

[WVBob]

Check them really well after cleaning. The water wash is the best thing you can do when you bring them home and don't know what they have been in. I give them a quick wash in a bucket, rinse them well in hot water, dry them the best I can in bulk, and spread them out on newspaper. Make sure you turn them base up so the water drains out of them. A hair dryer works well on the inside of the case, until you wife catches you using her hair dryer.

 

[WILDCATT]

saving marriage

go to yrd sale and buy your own,saves were and tear on your nerves whe wife starts on you.

 

[abiffmaster]

take one of them and place it in a cup of coka-cola and remove it after a day. You will admire the shiny new look. Then rinse with hot water and dry. If you like the results you can dump all of them in a container with more of said beverage and repeat.

 

[N.E. CHARTERS]

Wash

A bucket of Scalding Hot Water with 1 cup of Simple Green.

Leave it overnight and mix well.

Do not let it sit for a week or you wont have any brass left. It will etch it into dust.

Rinse well with fresh water.