SHOTGUN MESIAH 855 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Is it safe to polish the case of a live .50 BMG round? with something like brasso or a metal polish ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dolomite_supafly 56 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 By hand sure but not by anything mechnical. The brass could potentially get hot enough to ignite with something mechanical. Dolomite Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SHOTGUN MESIAH 855 Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 (edited) yeah, by hand with a soft cloth. Edited March 22, 2013 by SHOTGUN MESIAH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
XD45 7,124 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 I've done it. It looks awesome. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big John! 2,062 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 What do you intend to do with this? You have many more options of cool things you can do with them if they are not live. I have a 338 Lapua that is on the pull chain for the light over my work bech. Not a live round. Got the spent shell and new bullet from a friend. I've done this a few times with different rounds. Yank the bullet, make a bunch of noise with the primer, then knock it out, polish and make into whatever I want it for. I've got a .223 and 45 waiting to be made into pull chains for a couple other lights in my garage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SHOTGUN MESIAH 855 Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 (edited) Why I intend to shoot them silly bird What a difference a little polish can do. all of my rounds are a bit tarnished like the one on the left, a little brasso and we have a beautiful clean shinny round like on the right. Today I polish my friends BLING BLING Edited March 22, 2013 by SHOTGUN MESIAH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
XdamagedX 248 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 maybe I'm missing something here: but if they chamber and eject fine... who cares? 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dolomite_supafly 56 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 I will say shiny cases are easier to see than tarnished ones. But I do not worry about how my cases look. I have some that are nearly black from tarnish that have been loaded quite a few times. Dolomite Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evil85 16 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Just pitch them into a vibratory tumbler with corn cob media and polish of your choice. I tumble all of my reloads to remove the case lube and havent had trouble. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SHOTGUN MESIAH 855 Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 (edited) maybe I'm missing something here: but if they chamber and eject fine... who cares? Well granted I wouldn't polish every caliber I own but the .50 BMG deserves a little extra attention. and seeing how it is snowing outside and I have the day off, a case of cold beer in the fridge, a full bottle of brasso, and 80 rounds of tarnished BMG. yeah, I'm bored today. Edited March 22, 2013 by SHOTGUN MESIAH 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ronin38 2,117 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 Well, heck, if you're bored go for it! If you're in to photography, you could try different arrangements of the nice, shiny rounds and see what kinds of pictures you can get. As far as live rounds in the brass tumbler, I've heard some say they do it and don't have problems, and I've heard others say you should NEVER do this. Not worth the risk to me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JoeAK 337 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 As far as live rounds in the brass tumbler, I've heard some say they do it and don't have problems, and I've heard others say you should NEVER do this.Not worth the risk to me. Same here, one horror story I've heard was that the tumbler also tumbles the gun powder and breaks it down, which I think jacks the burn rate up, resulted in a blown up gun. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobRez 1,895 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 (edited) ^^Yet it is totally safe to have thousands of rounds, all across the world, packed loose in a metal box, bouncing around in a truck, getting "Tumbled around".....I call BS on severe tumbler danger. My tumbler is pretty mellow on how the cases roll around in there. Alot gentler than having the box of hundreds of x39 ammo that has been bouncing around the back of my truck for over a YEAR!!!! Shoots just fine and never ignited ammo in the box. edit: but on a boring beer drinking day, nothing wrong with the 1 at a time thing either. Edited March 22, 2013 by RobRez Quote Link to post Share on other sites
patriot 7,197 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 No brasso, or anything else containing ammonia. It attacks the brass and makes it brittle. A little Flitz or Nevr-R-Dull would work. NEVER tumble live brass. You'll abrade the shit out of the deterrent coating on th powder granules, changing the burn rate, and increasing the pressure of the round when it's fired, possibly catastrophically. Besides, that's a great way to start a fire. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 ^^Yet it is totally safe to have thousands of rounds, all across the world, packed loose in a metal box, bouncing around in a truck, getting "Tumbled around".....I call BS on severe tumbler danger. My tumbler is pretty mellow on how the cases roll around in there. Alot gentler than having the box of hundreds of x39 ammo that has been bouncing around the back of my truck for over a YEAR!!!! Shoots just fine and never ignited ammo in the box. edit: but on a boring beer drinking day, nothing wrong with the 1 at a time thing either. This has been an ongoing subject of fokelore and debate. It seems plausible to me depending on the type of powder used. Maybe different grain shapes are more vulnerable. I would also think that much more vibration happens in a tumbler than on a truck. But ultimately, I don't know. If It is a doubt for safety, shoot em' first tumble them shiny and put a new pill in em. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Maxwelhse 1,285 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 No brasso, or anything else containing ammonia. It attacks the brass and makes it brittle. A little Flitz or Nevr-R-Dull would work. NEVER tumble live brass. You'll abrade the shit out of the deterrent coating on th powder granules, changing the burn rate, and increasing the pressure of the round when it's fired, possibly catastrophically. Besides, that's a great way to start a fire. The ammonia is exactly why it works... What you don't want to do is leave and brasso on it. Something like Nevr-Dull will take FOREVER. Have I polished ammo with brasso? Nope... Have I polished about 100 classic video games with it, an emphatic "oh fuck YES!" It works famously well... I hit it will brasso (by hand, especially important for ammo), soap and water in the sink, and then douse with isopropyl alcohol to displace the water. I have gone from brasso to playing the game in under 5 minutes with that technique without a hitch. Who be needing some Legend of Zelda or original Mortal Combat? I'm game! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big John! 2,062 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 It's snowing here too. I'mma go polish a thousand rounds or so of 22LR. I will look cool as hell at the range. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Maxwelhse 1,285 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 It's snowing here too. I'mma go polish a thousand rounds or so of 22LR. I will look cool as hell at the range. Just think of how sweet your rapid fire rain of brass will look from you bump-fire .22... I admit it's a silly concept, but that actually does sound pretty cool! I have odd tastes too, so whatever makes the OP happy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TonyRumore 1,332 Posted March 22, 2013 Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 I have polished over 65,000 rounds of 5.56 reloads in a Dillon vibrator without any issues. Tony 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TapeWorm3 104 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Does the projectile go faster and straighter polished? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Maxwelhse 1,285 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Does the projectile go faster and straighter polished? He would still look like a huge pimp with his high polished brass glistening in the sun on the way to the Earth. As much of a time waster as it sounds like, the idea is gaining appeal in my mind! It would just be "cool"... Isn't that 50% of the reason we are into guns in the first place? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SHOTGUN MESIAH 855 Posted March 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Does the projectile go faster and straighter polished? I don't know YET. still waiting for my glass to arrive. but I do intend to put this theory to the test. But I do notice that most .50 BMG "Match rounds" are usually polished to a tee. So there must be something to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MT Predator 2,294 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 No brasso, or anything else containing ammonia. It attacks the brass and makes it brittle. A little Flitz or Nevr-R-Dull would work. NEVER tumble live brass. You'll abrade the shit out of the deterrent coating on th powder granules, changing the burn rate, and increasing the pressure of the round when it's fired, possibly catastrophically. Besides, that's a great way to start a fire. +1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Maxwelhse 1,285 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 ^^^ The +1 in addition to Tromix's counter is very difficult to debate... If I had the cash, I'd be making even more of Tony's yacht payments... Tough call! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
timy 1,185 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Since I prefer the multicolor look that annealing cases gives over boring polished brass, I like to load em up and then put a propane torch to them. Admittedly, results so far have been less than satisfactory, but I am stubborn. At least I can skip steps that way, if nothing else. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TonyRumore 1,332 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Does the projectile go faster and straighter polished? No. But it is much faster and easier to tumble the lube off than to wipe down each round by hand. But maybe you're into hand jobs.......... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
timy 1,185 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Does the projectile go faster and straighter polished? No. But it is much faster and easier to tumble the lube off than to wipe down each round by hand. But maybe you're into hand jobs.......... Nothing wrong with hand jobs. Depending on whether you're the provider or recipient, of course. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TapeWorm3 104 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Does the projectile go faster and straighter polished? No. But it is much faster and easier to tumble the lube off than to wipe down each round by hand. But maybe you're into hand jobs.......... Nothing wrong with hand jobs. Depending on whether you're the provider or recipient, of course. I can see this thread has went exactly where I intended it too!!!! Handjobs are like Pepsi. Never your first choice but you'll take it anyway 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Why I intend to shoot them silly bird What a difference a little polish can do. all of my rounds are a bit tarnished like the one on the left, a little brasso and we have a beautiful clean shinny round like on the right. Today I polish my friends BLING BLING Oh look honey ! Twins! aren't they cuuuuute Quote Link to post Share on other sites
patriot 7,197 Posted March 23, 2013 Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 Does the projectile go faster and straighter polished? No. But it is much faster and easier to tumble the lube off than to wipe down each round by hand. But maybe you're into hand jobs.......... Dump them in a laundry bag or pillow case and you can wipe down the whole lot in seconds. I'm glad you've been lucky. I got my info on tumbling live ammo from Sierra Bullets. I'd guess they know what they're talking about. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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