Tech Tip: Don’t Store Brass and Ammo Near Ammonia Solvents
Chances are that many of you have packed away your ammo and shooting supplies for the winter. Maybe you put your brass in a storage bin that might also contain solvents, old rags, or used bore swabs. Well, if you use any ammonia-based solvents, we suggest you separate the brass and ammo and keep it away from potential ammonia vapors. This is because long-term exposure to ammonia fumes can cause cracks to form in your brass. This can lead to case ruptures and possible injury.
This case-cracking phenomenon has been called Season Cracking, a form of stress-corrosion cracking of brass cartridge cases. Season cracking is characterized by deep brittle cracks which penetrate into affected components. If the cracks reach a critical size, the component can suddenly fracture, sometimes with disastrous results. If the concentration of ammonia is very high, then corrosion is much more severe, and damage over all exposed surfaces occurs. The brass cracking is caused by a reaction between ammonia and copper that forms the cuprammonium ion, Cu(NH3)4, a chemical complex which is water-soluble. The problem of cracking can also occur in copper and copper alloys such as bronze.
Season Cracking was originally observed by the British forces in India a century ago. During the monsoon season, military activity was reduced, and ammunition was stored in stables until the dry weather returned. Many brass cartridges were subsequently found to be cracked, especially where the case was crimped to the bullet. In 1921, in the Journal of the Institute of Metals, the phenomenon was explained by Moor, Beckinsale, and Mallinson. Apparently ammonia from horse urine, combined with the residual stress in the cold-drawn metal of the cartridges, was responsible for the cracking.
Don’t store ammunition (or brass) for long periods in a box or container holding ammoniated solvents:
The Australia Department of Defense (AUSDOD) has also explored the problem of brass cracking caused, at least in part, by exposure to ammonia. A study was done to see whether the amount of cracking (from ammonia exposure) varied according to the duration and temperature of the annealing process used on the brass. CLICK HERE to read AUSDOD Research Report.
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Tags: Ammonia, Brass, Copper, Cracking, Season Cracking
Many of my tools rusted and much brass and bullets were turning green for no apparent reason as they sat stored in cabinets and tool boxes in my garage. it took me a year to finally isolate the bag of pool shock sitting on a shelf in the garage. The bag was sealed in its original packing and then vacuum sealed. The vapors still penetrated the bags. What a mes.
Folks,
I don’t remember the specifics but some of the materials typically used in home laundries can be fairly reactive as well.
Tom Alves
I had a leaking bag of Granular Calcium Hypochlorite pool shock in my garage. The vapors migrated to some ammo stored in a steel cabinet and ruined the ammo along with a few boxes of bullets. It also ruined many hand tools, so to the point that they had to be tossed out.
I’m not sure if it ever would have happened but this is definitely good to keep in mind. Thanks for the storage advice here.
Not really something new if you shoot reload and are a gunsmith you already know this we have been cleaning copper from barrels for a long time and the only thing that neutralizes ammonia based sovents is h20 and brass is basically hard copper