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Has anybody here tumbled with filbert/hazelnut shells? I saw some on ebay from an Oregon seller. The media I use always gets caught/plugged in flashholes.

Nope, haven't heard of that type of media but if you do get it and use it let us know of it's success or failure.

I'm completely dry cleaning and yes some cases get media in the flasholes but I always clean the primer pockets and catch what few do get stuck in them.
 
I've picked up some brass that suppressed shooters were firing. It was pretty much as you describe and show. The carbon deposits resist tumbling. What I use on stubborn carbon or brass with stains or tarnish is a liquid case cleaner. Iosso is one proprietary brand, or you can get some concrete cleaning solution at Home Depot or similar. What they both contain basically are mild solutions of phosphoric acid. Just be sure to rinse thoroughly or they may stain or get cloudy water marks. It's cheaper than buying a steel pin tumbling set-up. It's also pretty fast in the solution but you'll have to experiment some. The concrete etching solution seems milder than the Iosso. Birchwood Casey used to make a similar solution but they watered it down so much in recent years that it doesn't work very well.
You can reuse liquid case cleaners but like ground media, eventually it wears out.
 
As you all may know, I'm a Brasshore & I've been picking up range brass at a small pit that I frequent. I've been in there quite a bit lately, daily in fact and there has been some really funk-dirty brass so I know it hasn't sat out in the elements and gotten nasty like that. I'd seen a lot like that years before and figured it had been out in the elements for a while.
I do not know why but I assume that it is from being fired in a suppressed weapon,
pistol brass too... What else could it be?

These cases have been in my corn cob with car wax for 2 hours, this media generally spiffies up brass like new... or close to it.

View attachment 702155

These cases were in the same tumbler for the same amount of time and they look great!!!
:eek::eek::eek:

View attachment 702156
I'm just joining this thread. Did you ever find a verifiable reason for the state of the brass you found? Was it all the brass you found that day or just some of it. Is this the first time you noticed this particular discoloration, degree of corrosion & tarnish, or amount of contaminant on the brass. There are so many variable that could contribute to the state of the brass you found. The only absolutely sure way (scientific method) is to sacrifice a piece of brass to the nearest college laboratory equipped with a spectrographic analysis machine. They would take a piece of the brass and heat it in a specialized chamber. Every element, including the brass itself will create its unique spectrographic signature. They compare that signature to all know elements signatures and print out a graph that tells you exactly what elements were present. Once you subtract the signature of the brass itself you will be able to tell which elements are coating the brass. I doubt the lab would do this for free but you could ask.
 
As you all may know, I'm a Brasshore & I've been picking up range brass at a small pit that I frequent. I've been in there quite a bit lately, daily in fact and there has been some really funk-dirty brass so I know it hasn't sat out in the elements and gotten nasty like that. I'd seen a lot like that years before and figured it had been out in the elements for a while.
I do not know why but I assume that it is from being fired in a suppressed weapon,
pistol brass too... What else could it be?

These cases have been in my corn cob with car wax for 2 hours, this media generally spiffies up brass like new... or close to it.

View attachment 702155

These cases were in the same tumbler for the same amount of time and they look great!!!
:eek::eek::eek:

View attachment 702156


Dang.... The thread title caught my eye because at first it looked like it said, "Dirty Bras"... I'm thinking, "eeeewwwwww, yuk.... let me see that!"

:s0140:
 
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I'm just joining this thread. Did you ever find a verifiable reason for the state of the brass you found? Was it all the brass you found that day or just some of it. Is this the first time you noticed this particular discoloration, degree of corrosion & tarnish, or amount of contaminant on the brass. There are so many variable that could contribute to the state of the brass you found. The only absolutely sure way (scientific method) is to sacrifice a piece of brass to the nearest college laboratory equipped with a spectrographic analysis machine. They would take a piece of the brass and heat it in a specialized chamber. Every element, including the brass itself will create its unique spectrographic signature. They compare that signature to all know elements signatures and print out a graph that tells you exactly what elements were present. Once you subtract the signature of the brass itself you will be able to tell which elements are coating the brass. I doubt the lab would do this for free but you could ask.

I did find some baffles to a suppressor and others that corroborated my theory of them being shot suppressed makes brass funky.
Thanks but not giving anything gun related to any institutes of higher learning, especially on the Left Coast. Sorry.
 
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Brasshore
I have shot a fair amount of suppressed ammo both factory and handloads. Dirty for shore! I now tumble all my brass overnite with Frankford treated walnut...no additives. Brass always looks nice. Not sure where your brass has been but I certainly would not touch it;)
I have used many media types and additives over the years plus I have a wet tumbler and a sonic cleaner. Gotta love the wet results but I just hate the watery mess. Hope my 2 cents helps some.
 
get some concrete cleaning solution at Home Depot or similar. What they both contain basically are mild solutions of phosphoric acid.
One more vote for stainless wet tumbling.
For the heaviest carbon deposits, I've used kerosene in a ultrasonic bath. It works, but yuck.
You could also try weak Muriatic Acid (HCl) for a timed dunk then rinse. Muriatic will attack the zinc in brass.
My favorite is when you pick up brass and it has the red rust inside which is a function of zinc coming out of the brass. When I see that, I surmise they were firing corrosive ammo (perhaps incorrectly).
 
REALLY filthy media, I use the red oxide? treated media in Thumlers for overnight. (If that long)
Clean the red media off with corn cob in my 2nd tumbler. An hour or so?
Then use the 99% alcohol & lanolin for case lube. Back into the cob after sizing. Mirror finish.

Dan
 
I have asked for help on another board with cleaning some really stain nasty brass that sat in the barrel for a week in citrus juices and rain water. Yeah somebody actually picked up their watermelon and honeydew said they shot and put them in my barrel where the brass was.
Most all of the brass that was wet tumbled w/SS media looked awesome although some were too far gone.
I do like the looks of it but I just do not want to have to deal with the mess.
Here are the pics of the squeaky cleaned funky brass.:s0143::s0143::s0143:

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I thought about and actually tested going SS pins with a small tumbler. Damn pins everywhere, dirty filthy water, blah blah..I gave up & am sticking with my 2 types of dry media and ye olde Thumlers Tumblers that have been running for 10 or more years. :D

Dan
 
My pics do not do them justice, I have to wear my Oakley's when I fondle them... Dangerous....:eek::eek::eek:

Now the real dilemma begins, I've got a find some bullets that are worthy of those cases. LOL:s0140:

And I'm out of dirty brass again....:s0079::s0079::s0079:
Smk 69gr with some Varget or IMR8208XBR would make a good combo I think...
 
I thought about and actually tested going SS pins with a small tumbler. Damn pins everywhere, dirty filthy water, blah blah..I gave up & am sticking with my 2 types of dry media and ye olde Thumlers Tumblers that have been running for 10 or more years. :D

Dan

My two Thumlers have been used almost daily for the three years that I've had them.:s0143::s0143::s0143::s0143:

2AF82D08-1F34-487B-BB2C-5FC38F38A309.jpeg

Besides the great reliability I love the capacity, the big one gobbles up 1,000 9mm cases!!!:eek::eek::eek: ;)

77E273BE-91A6-4227-A62E-16A299CF25E9.jpeg
 
Well I hit the mother load Saturday morning and then again in the evening at the honey hole pit...:D

38#s of brass!!!:eek::eek::eek:

This is about 3/4 of it sorted... and yes there was more than 200 dirty cases in the mix.:s0001:
I figgered there was over 2500 223/556, couple hundred 308, 1500 9mm along with 10mm, 38/357, 45acp, 40S&W and (1) 458 Socom. o_O
Jebus, lots of freedom boolits were fired this weekend...


BDB8DEAD-A729-4D37-BAD0-3F46C069ECC2.jpeg
 
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A week ago we picked up thirty-five pounds of brass and yesteday we picked up another 4 & 1/2 pounds of brass.
Lots of 223, some 9mm, 308, 5.7x28, 38spl, 45acp, 40cal some 30/06 and one 303 British.
One of the 308 had a beridian primer pocket.
I got most of the9mm deprimed, tomorrow I will wet tumble them and get going on the other stuff.
 

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