Got any hints for cleaning up ammo with corrosion?

[Bob Womack]

I've got a few rounds of Lake City ammo with a touch of corrosion. Not much, but you can feel a bit of the corrosion as raised spots. Shoot it? Get rid of it? Does it need to be polished up? How do you guys do it?



Bob

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[0311Shooter]

I use Brasso on just about all my CMP ammo. Lots of work but they come out nice and shinny, like my old belt buckle used to.

[mousegun]

Be careful with Brasso. It has ammonia in it. Attacks the zinc in brass and weakens it.

I dump corroded cartridges in white vinegar and water. Let soak for ten minutes or so, then dry and wipe with a coarse cloth to get the pink stain off. Milsurp is waterproof, or should be. If it leaks, it's toast anyway.

Those white spots in the corrosion may be a sign of severe pitting. Inspect the pits once cleaned and pitch the bad ones.

[jjroth]

the corrosion seems to be similar to corrosion on my brass.
it was`all clean and shiny, but deveopedthat type ans weaken the brass in tht area.

[Griff Murphey]

US ammo is remarkably robust and sure fire. Such very minor corrosion as you are showing in your pics, I personally would leave alone. I use steel wool for worse cases. My brother used steel wool and I can well remember him sitting in the car on the way to matches rubbing his corroded old '06 rounds. Rounds covered in verdegris (green stuff) I brush with a steel tufted "toothbrush" and usually wipe off with a light non-penetrating lubricant then dry. Shoot the green stuff immediately, leave the brass. I have never had a round of U.S. military fail to fire (1940 headstamp onward) and once I put a DEN 44 round in a glass of water for 6 months and it fired, too. When I was a youngster I did Brasso ammo and I don't THINK it will really hurt the ammo but I would stay away from it because there is that doubt. Really the best thing to do about most of this corrosion, particularly that minor level shown, is nothing. And I'd store it in clean USGI cans with good seals.

[Bob Womack]

Well, folks, I took it to the range and it fired. I had one failure to feed, possibly due to friction from a spot(?) but all else went well. Thanks for your help!

Bob