Thread: Brasso
View Single Post
Old February 24, 2013, 06:00 PM   #14
Unclenick
Staff
 
Join Date: March 4, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 21,017
Flitz makes a number of products, and at least one of them is a non-ammoniated polish. Comes as a white liquid in a bottle. I have some somewhere, but can't lay hands on it.

If you've ever noticed how rust gradually migrates through steel, I understand there is some kind of similar migration of the ammonia reaction products through brass if they aren't fully washed out. The issue isn't apparent with soft brass, but as it work hardens, the residual stress can cause an issue.

The Wikipedia article on season cracking is short and worth a look.

We had a fellow on the board who used Brasso to polish a bunch or rounds he had on display in machinegun links in high school. When he went back home one time and got out the trunk where they'd been for 20 years, the cases were largely eaten through and powder was spilled out. I expect galvanic reaction with the links may have played a role. I don't know what the trunk storage conditions were (dry or humid, but suspect the latter).

Like Mike, with all the various non-ammoniated cleaners around, I don't see a particular reason to try the experiment. If you don't try it for all storage conditions other shooters may have their brass in, then you still haven't proved it can't be a problem for some. And it's not like Brasso really works dramatically better in a tumbler that you are going to go away from and ignore for a while.

If you want to save money, just go to the local garden store and buy 5 lbs. of their diatomaceous earth and mix a slurry of it with a little odorless mineral spirits and add that to the tumbling media.
__________________
Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member
CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor
NRA Certified Rifle Instructor
NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle
Unclenick is offline  
 
Page generated in 0.03761 seconds with 8 queries