The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Just washed some cases and dryed them in the oven on a low heat for about 10 mins and they have an iridescent rainbow look to them!, is this common???.The cases weren't really hot when I took them out and they colded pretty quick, surely a domestic oven wouldn't get hot enough to anneal them or bugger them up?.

Oh yes it would.

Send it to me for disposal.

The HXP brass used to have that effect on the edge of the annealed area.

Again the temperatures are all relative to the make up of the brass, doubt they are buggered though.

Load them up and get someone else to try them out in their gun whilst you are away somewhere else.

Did they originally have depleted uranium cored bullets?

Just given one of the cases a good buff and the discolouration has come off and case is bright and shiny!, could it have been a reaction to the washing liquid I cleaned them with?......Anyone?

dromia wrote:Oh yes it would.

Send it to me for disposal.

The HXP brass used to have that effect on the edge of the annealed area.

Again the temperatures are all relative to the make up of the brass, doubt they are buggered though.

Load them up and get someone else to try them out in their gun whilst you are away somewhere else.

Did they originally have depleted uranium cored bullets?

No, no depleted uranium rounds!.

So you think they would be OK?, it wasn't like they were in the oven for hours.

Annealing is factor of time and temperature - However, 10 minutes at say 150 F won't do any damage. Very little effect takes place below 600 F but you wouldn't want to leave it at that temperature for too long. The iridescent colouring is just natural oxidising.

snayperskaya wrote:
So you think they would be OK?

Yes!

Gas mark 9 is about 220C brass starts to anneal at 400C. Reload them, sit down crack open another beer.

Its coppering corrosion to the surface, in the heat copper 1 oxide forms 1 gives redish tones copper 2 oxide forms over 300c & is black. Thin layers of oxides on the surface refract light & you get a spectrum rainbow effect.

Hopefully your washing liq does not have ammonia in it? but the salt will disassociate in water & form ions OH-& H+ that can promote attack on the surface. Poss best to use shampoo that is more neutral or car shampoo as a surfactant cleaner.

...... mind you i fill old socks & stick them in the washing mc with the rest of the nasty grundies etc on cycle 2 they come out gleaming :-) & the underwear!