Bullits left in Holster, need help

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Pards

              Got a question, I made a couple new rigs , and I guess I didn't  wait long enough before I put bullits in the gun belt, and they have been in there for several weeks, I don't usually leave bullits in my holster, thats not a good idea ,but I figured I leave them in until I could take some pictures, dumb thing to do, now I've got this gunk on all the bullits to take off. Does anybody have a good way to remove this stuff, like maybe WD-40 or Ballistal, or is that stuff too penatrating. I NEED SOME HELP ON THIS, DON'T WANT RUIN ALL THIS AMMO. Thanks ahead of time

                                               Ten Wolves   

[Trailrider]

Howdy, Pard,

Depending on just how much gunk (vertigris) is on there, you should try to remove some with the edge of a wooden tongue depresser.  Then try using some #0000 steelwool, and a lot of elbow grease!  When you get most of the stuff off, try a 50/50 mix of vinigar and water, applied with a soft cloth.  If necessary, repeat the steelwool.  You may not get the discoloration completely off, but presuming you've got most of it, at least it won't "weld" the shells to the inside of the chamber of the gun when fired.

Good luck!

[Major E A Sterner]

What ever you do, DO NOT use WD-40 on ammo, it is a penetrating oil and will work it's way into the primer and cause a malfunction, from a squib to a dead primer. None of which are a good thing when shooting. I myself would pull the bullets from the cartridge, dump the powder in the garden (makes a great fertilizer) and toss the damaged brass, then reload the bullets in clean cases. The verdigris will attack the brass and weaken it to the point of being brittle.

[St. George]

Just wipe it off with a coarse cloth, or steel wool.

It's like wax, and will come off easily.

It's the result of the chemical action between acids in your new leather and brass - and you haven't stored them there 'that' long, so as to damage anything.

After you've shot it all - the normal brass tumbling will make them look like new, once more.

Be sure to wipe away any traces left in the cartridge loops - use a rounded-edge piece of wool or nylon as a scraper, and be thorough, as the verdigris build-up can cause the loops to stretch, if left unattended.

And don't do it again...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

A Big THANKS Pards

                 At least I have three ways to do this , boy what a DUMB thing I did, especialy when I now better

                                                    Thanks Pards 

                                                  Ten Wolves 

[Major 2]

been there 

Ol' Barney Fife's method was to keep his bullet in his pocket..


"There once was a deputy called Fife,
Who carried a gun and a knife.
The gun was all dusty,
And his knife was all rusty,
Because he never caught a crook in his life."