Marking Brass

[tappedandtagged]

Before I ask, I know, Nickel Plated brass would be the easiest way and being the frugal person I am, I'm looking for alternatives for using the abundance of plain brass pieces that I have.

With my new SWR Specwar 556 in hand, I've been playing with sub sonic loads for fun and quite vermin extermination while hog hunting. The issue is, I'm using the same 55 grain SP that I use for my plinking/general purpose loads. I have been using a sharpie to write "SUB" on the side thus marking them as sub sonic, but that is time consuming and the sharpie rubs off in storage.

Does anyone know of any way I can permanently mark 50 or so pieces of my brass for sub sonic only loads? I have posted a local ad on a Facebook gun group seeking anyone that wants to trade Nickel for plain brass, but barring that happening, I'm looking for a way to mark my brass.

If there isn't a good way, I guess I'll pony up the $30 and buy a 50 round bag, but I'd rather use that $30 toward a pound of powder and use the plethora of brass I have on hand.

[Computalotapus]

I used a bingo marker to mark my brass. Can quickly mark the brass and they are cheap as in $1 per marker. I usually just grab the red, green, and blue.

Red is test load, green is plinking load, and blue is a vetted load. Take the same bingo markers to the range so you can mark the hits on target with the appropriate color for the load

[FortTom]

DyKem will work also. Machinists, Tool and Die makers, Engineers etc use it to do layout work on metal with. Will come off eventually. Leaves a semi-transparent mark, in blue or red. A little will last you a long long time. I think you can get it in a pen form now (like a majic marker).

FT

[tappedandtagged]

I'll have to look into the DyKem. Do you know if it'll last a tumble or two? No issue if I have to re-dye every so often.

I'm really hoping I come across some nickel plated brass locally that I can do some trading for eventually.

[FortTom]

Yeah, it'll survive a couple of tumbles, bits of it will still be there when you chunk the brass in the trash. If you want to remove it just hit it lightly with some very fine steel wool. The way I used it was to "paint" the head stamp around the primer. The stuff is really thin, so you'll not clog anything. I've used it with good success. Not real expensive either. I also used to use it to coat the bullets on new loads when setting seating depth. I usually set them at the point where the lands and groves just barely kiss the bullet. Not as important in a semi-auto that you rapid fire a lot, but when working up your most accurate load, for say... a coyote gun, it works great, and again will not leave any residue in your barrel.

FT

[GaSwamper]

Dykem is a great idea thanks. And yes they do make it in a marker form seems to be a few more colors that way, they run a couple bucks apiece I think.

[tappedandtagged]

I'm going to try the paint pen. If that doesn't work to my satisfaction, I plan to try Birchwood Casey Brass Black. Just not sure if the brass black would weaken the brass or not. A call to Birchwood Casey should sort that out.

[FortTom]

I'm going to try the paint pen. If that doesn't work to my satisfaction, I plan to try Birchwood Casey Brass Black. Just not sure if the brass black would weaken the brass or not. A call to Birchwood Casey should sort that out.

Tapped,
From personal observations, and other's misfortune, I wouldn't go the paint pen route. Because, it uses paint. Paint will flake and crack off of your brass, impart itself on any thing inside your gun that it comes in contact with.

The reason I suggest dykem is that it's a very thin liquid, marks well and nothing is going to "come off" into your gun.

Just my unsolicited .02 (adjusted for inflation) worth.

FT

[tappedandtagged]

Tapped,
From personal observations, and other's misfortune, I wouldn't go the paint pen route. Because, it uses paint. Paint will flake and crack off of your brass, impart itself on any thing inside your gun that it comes in contact with.

The reason I suggest dykem is that it's a very thin liquid, marks well and nothing is going to "come off" into your gun.

Just my unsolicited .02 (adjusted for inflation) worth.

FT

OK. I was under the impression Dykem was a paint pen.

On a side note, I forgot to call Birchwood Casey.

[FortTom]

Tapped,

I think Dykem comes in "pens" now, like a paint pen, but it's a very thin liquid, say similar to rubbing alcohol, that comes in a couple of colors, usually blue, and a reddish/purple color. Comes in a plastic jar, with a brush in the cap, like paste did back when you were a kindergartner. Use lightly. It probably leaves a coating less than .0001 thick (one ten thousands). It's semi transparent. Machinists, Tool and Die makers, Engineers, gunsmiths and others use it to put a coat down, and then they can scribe a line that's just a scratch on the metal that will be nice and shiney, and allow you to layout for machining or whatever. If you already knew all this, disregard, but it works great for marking brass because of how thin it actually is, and you can still see through it. I use it for lots of stuff. A jar will probably last a year or two on your gun bench or reloading bench, maybe much longer.

Hope this is helpful, and not wasting your time.

FT

[tappedandtagged]

Thanks. The info is useful.

[LukeE.]

Thanks. The info is useful.

New member hear (my first comment). Are you still in need of nickel cases? I've got a couple bags of it that's just in my "end of the world" stash. If you haven't figured something else out already I would be happy to send it your way. If you wanted to send plain brass back in it's place that's fine but if not that's fine too. Just let me know if you want it.

[UWone77]

New member hear (my first comment). Are you still in need of nickel cases? I've got a couple bags of it that's just in my "end of the world" stash. If you haven't figured something else out already I would be happy to send it your way. If you wanted to send plain brass back in it's place that's fine but if not that's fine too. Just let me know if you want it.

Welcome Luke. Looks like you will fit right in sir.

[tappedandtagged]

New member hear (my first comment). Are you still in need of nickel cases? I've got a couple bags of it that's just in my "end of the world" stash. If you haven't figured something else out already I would be happy to send it your way. If you wanted to send plain brass back in it's place that's fine but if not that's fine too. Just let me know if you want it.

Heck yeah! Let's do it. I'll PM you my number. And I must add, this is an awesome example of how awesome the gun community is!

[jackofall]

You could try a metal dye. It's stayed on case fragments after a detonation during testing so should stay on a case.