Permanently marking brass

[diego-ted]

I have some brass in a lot that neck size with substantially less neck tension then the rest of the lot. I would like to keep them as foulers but want to make sure I can easily ID them so they do not get used in the course of fire. Any suggestions?

thx Ted

 

[jimcasey01]

I use multicolored "permanent" markers, a stripe down the case side. Permanent is not permanent in this matter, as I need to remark the cases after cleaning, which is not a big deal. It does make it easy to sort different groups of brass from the masses and to keep them together.

 

[dkhunt14]

I have seen match shooters file little notches in the rim and also stamp the base with steel stamp numbers and letters. Matt

 

[spclark]

I'd use a dark-colored Sharpie magic marker for this kind of thing, making sure I got good coverage on the case heads or in the extractor groove. Yes it cleans off almost completely in the wet SS media case cleaning process I use but it's easy enough to segregate those cases for a dedicated cleaning run.

 

[diego-ted]

yea Magic Marker just wipes off during the cleaning process. I was thinking of getting a dremil and marking the head maybe scratch out the L in Lapua?

that wont hurt anything right, I mean the lapua name is indented?

thx Ted

 

[Erik Cortina]

I use a triangle file and cut a small groove on the perimeter of the ring on the base of the brass. It is very easy to see and can't be wiped off.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

I've used a center punch to punch the rim of the brass (the face of the rim) without issue...

 

[diego-ted]

I use a triangle file and cut a small groove on the perimeter of the ring on the base of the brass. It is very easy to see and can't be wiped off.

That's what I was looking for!

thx everyone.

Diego

 

[M-61]

I color the head with a Sharpie. I only clean in a vibrating drum and there is always some bit of the ink left, usually in the letters of the head stamp. It probably may not apply here but cutting a grove with a triangular file leaves a sharp corner. Sharp corners are an invitation for a crack. Round files leaves a radius which causes no harm.
As I said, it may not matter in this application but I would not do it. A bad example would be a connecting rod in an engine. Take a close look at a performance rod. There are no sharp corners (every corner has a radius and a real good reason for that.)

 

[diego-ted]

Yea, I'm not going to cut but rather just make a grove that I can ID with a quick glance.

Ted

 

[Mark Walker in TX]

I color the head with a Sharpie. I only clean in a vibrating drum and there is always some bit of the ink left, usually in the letters of the head stamp. It probably may not apply here but cutting a grove with a triangular file leaves a sharp corner. Sharp corners are an invitation for a crack. Round files leaves a radius which causes no harm.
As I said, it may not matter in this application but I would not do it. A bad example would be a connecting rod in an engine. Take a close look at a performance rod. There are no sharp corners (every corner has a radius and a real good reason for that.)

Bingo. Sharpie on the case head, gets into the letters and no issues.

 

[racesnake]

Cut a shallow dimple in this casehead with a small ball-nosed cutter in your Dremel and fill it with pipe marker. It should last a long time even with cleaning.

 

[fultonbig9]

I use permanent markers 5 different colors on record rounds, do the bullets on the tip and the bottom of brass the same color on each one that way when one of them keeps straying out, it goes out,plus they show up extremelly well on targets. Joey

 

[Rtheurer]

Quit being a cheap a$$ and toss them. Spend all that money on your kit and gear, just to save less than $10 on a few pieces of brass.

6PPC brass ( or what ever) $1.00 ea
Time spent prepping brass. Your time.
Load testing and getting tiny groups. $2.00 Ea.
Going to a National Championship with brass that cant be mixed up because you where not a cheap butt and tossed the bad ones and won the National Championship...

PRICELESS!!!

Ha! just poking some fun.
Best of luck.
RussT

 

[hogpatrol]

White paint stick in the case head letters. Amazon has them.

http://www.amazon.com/Markal-Action-Liquid-Marker-Bullet/dp/B008980VTA/ref=pd_sim_sbs_indust_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1ZNTGMHT34NTXH5VJ4K1

 

[diego-ted]

Quit being a cheap a$$ and toss them. Spend all that money on your kit and gear, just to save less than $10 on a few pieces of brass.

6PPC brass ( or what ever) $1.00 ea
Time spent prepping brass. Your time.
Load testing and getting tiny groups. $2.00 Ea.
Going to a National Championship with brass that cant be mixed up because you where not a cheap butt and tossed the bad ones and won the National Championship...

PRICELESS!!!

Ha! just poking some fun.
Best of luck.
RussT

Guilty as Charged! 8)

 

[BenchShooter]

Isn't there a metal die that machinist use that is permanent? If there is then just use that and a toothpick to make little dots or series of dots on the base of the case.

 

[hogpatrol]

Isn't there a metal die that machinist use that is permanent? If there is then just use that and a toothpick to make little dots or series of dots on the base of the case.

Yes, An automatic (spring loaded) center punch can do that.

http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-6580-Automatic-Center-Punch/dp/B0037UUO60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413069281&sr=8-1&keywords=spring+loaded+center+punch

 

[Joe Maisto]

I color the head with a Sharpie. I only clean in a vibrating drum and there is always some bit of the ink left, usually in the letters of the head stamp. It probably may not apply here but cutting a grove with a triangular file leaves a sharp corner. Sharp corners are an invitation for a crack. Round files leaves a radius which causes no harm.
As I said, it may not matter in this application but I would not do it. A bad example would be a connecting rod in an engine. Take a close look at a performance rod. There are no sharp corners (every corner has a radius and a real good reason for that.)

Bingo. Sharpie on the case head, gets into the letters and no issues.

+1 on the sharpie. If some rubs off when cleaning, out some more on ! I do it all the time. I also separate cases by the amount of firings with different color sharpies as well.