Plumbing "brass" composition

[rich pierce]

Is the composition of plumbing and gas fitting connectors suitable for casting longrifle furniture?  I never know whether to save this stuff or not.

[Acer Saccharum]

Some of it is red brass, and it does indeed have a reddish cast. 
The more yellowish brass, I don't know. It probably is a good alloy for casting, but if you melt it, some zinc may burn off. Add some pennies to bring the zinc up again. Don't breathe any fumes.

I believe Reaves uses a 60% copper/40% zinc alloy.

[Lucky R A]

   In my younger years I worked for an industeral plumber as a grunt.  We always salvaged all brass, copper etc. The brass fittings werfe graded as Tom said, yellow brass and red brass.  Scrap yards gave more $$ for the yellow brass.  The salvaged brass was then sold and re-cast as fittings etc. 

[JCKelly]

It is a Sin, perhaps Mortal, to discard copper or brass.

[Acer Saccharum]

Break some glass and throw it in the crucible as you are heating the brass. Glass melts, and floats on top of the brass, keeping oxygen and zinc from reacting.

[snowdragon]

Add some pennies to bring the zinc up again.

Make that 1983 and newer pennies. 90% zinc as I recall. 1982 and older were mostly copper, but people were melting them down, so.... Bill

[Bentflint]

I have a 2" x 6 1/2" brass plate I got from Reaves for making a side plate. It's marked,
70% copper
30% zinc
Virgin Brass (Not reclaimed Items)
I wish I had about a ton of this stuff.

[Randall Steffy]

I can confirm, Alloy 260 – 70/30 Brass is what Reaves has used for his cast brass hardware. Cartridge brass will get you the same alloy, and if you research 260 brass use, you will have a good idea what products might be 70/30. Some say 70 copper/30 zinc is too soft, but it is highly maleable. When melting it, do not breathe zinc fumes.

[WadePatton]

Add some pennies to bring the zinc up again.

Make that 1983 and newer pennies. 90% zinc as I recall. 1982 and older were mostly copper, but people were melting them down, so.... Bill

i have rolls of uncirculated 1982 pennies. 

quickest way to determine penny comp is to bounce it on a hard surface.  copper rings, zinc does not.  also soil contact destroys zinc pennies very quickly-appearing to have been dipped in acid.  copper lasts forever nearly. 

back in the day as a grocery clerk, i could hear a silver coin before the patron got his hand out of his pocket...if they hit the counter they never went into the till.  "found" more that way than ever with the White's.