Brass

M

multistage

New member
I have about 350 rounds of 300 H&H brass that has small, dark spots on most of the cases. I haven't loaded any for quite a while. Most of this brass is about 10 years old, and none of it has ever been loaded. I pulled it out today and find these dark spots on most of the cases. I ran a batch through the tumbler, but the spots remain. Is this corrosion? Can I load this stuff? I'd hate to chuck 350 rounds of virgin 300 H&H brass, Winchester brass to boot.
 
I agree with Martyn4802, after running it through the tumbler run a finger over it, if you don't feel like it's pitted load and shoot it.
 
There are lots of home-made reciped for cleaning brass do a google search. Most have some type of acid (vinegar/lemon juice/citric acid), dishsoap, water and salt. I'd stay away from anything with ammonia in it.

peace.
unloaded
 
I've seen small dark spots on some of my brass before, after it was sitting in a coffee can for a few years. I tumbled it and tried steel wool, it didn't come out.
And no, I've got no idea what caused it, as far as I know, it never got wet (the coffee can wasn't rusty).
Since the spots were so small, and it wasn't a pit (I looked real close under a good light), I loaded them up and shot them.
One case in the very bottom had a big green pit in it and I chucked that one.


I'd guess something acidic got on them and leeched the zinc out. The ones I had stored in zip-lock bags looked new, even after 5 years, so I'm sure it was something from the air that did it.
WD-40 maybe? Windex? I've sprayed so many different things around that area that there are a bunch of possibilities.

But post a pic of some if you can, maybe somebody will recognize it.
 
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