Ok to use unmentionable brass casings for casting?

[PhDBrewer]

I have a couple of buckets of brass casings and wondered if the brass would be ok to use for casting parts. Besides the issue of spent primers, some of the brass is filled with mud and then smashed making it impossible (or at least very time consuming) to clean. They were. Collected from various back road shooting sites over the years.
Thanks!
William

 

[billraby]

All the dirt floats to the top when you melt it.

 

[ZUG]

As Bill says - impurities will float to the top. I would knock out the primers if you can. I would also use enough heat to melt down the brass but no more. I would also do the remelt twice to make sure you get it as clean as possible. You should be good to go after that.

 

[billraby]

Use boric acid for flux.

 

[leadhoarder]

Sure, just don't mention it on here.

 

[IanH]

It's 70/30, good stuff. If you want it a little lighter yellow, harder, and more resistant to tarnishing, add enough zinc (zinc wheelweights are a suitable alloy, or old anode rod pieces) to make it 60/40 or so. Personally I like cartridge brass alloy and use it not only for casting (not gun parts yet, but soon) but buy it in bar form from McMaster-Carr for making side plates, butt plates, and rammer thimbles because it is a lot more malleable than the more common brass alloys.