Thread: Cleaning brass.

I just use carbeurater cleaner on a tea towel,only does outside though obviously.

Originally Posted by TeRei

I tried this method. 5lb empty R17 can. 200 222 dirty cases. I large spoon of Sunlight. Juice of 4 lemons. Boiling hot water above cases. Good shake. Take cap off to relieve pressure. Couple odd shakes over 24 hours. Very clean. Surprised. Whacked into dehydrator after giving rinse in hot water to dry. Rate it. Cases deprimed first.

Any before/after pics ?

Originally Posted by Oldbloke

That would be great. I'm not in a position to try it ATM. And videos not super clear. Personally I'm not interested in being shiny, more clean.

Gave it a go with some one fired brass for 2 days. The first pic is before, the second is after. Did them over a month ago but only dried them today, which has resulted in some pretty bad staining. However they are clean: no residue wiping off.The primer pockets got pretty clean on most. See Pic 3: the best look like the ones on the bottom, the worst on the top. Most were like the middle 2.

On the whole pretty successful, but I'd use more lemon and dishwasher liquid that the OP video did, and of course dry within a day or 2, not wait 6 weeks.


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Originally Posted by Eat Meater

What's the attraction with super shiny brass? Anything beyond aesthetics?

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Reminds me about cleanliness...scrub cutting back of Wairoa in late 1978. We had joint use of shearing quarters. The shearers had scored a pig. The dude who stuck it grabbed his still bloody knife to cut the roast. The head shearer quick as a flash landed one of the most brutal punches to the side of the dudes face. His comment ... we might be shearers but we dont eat like pigs. Could have heard a pin drop. The dude had to go into Wairoa to find a dentist to fix his teeth.

I only started tumbling brass recently. You'd be surprised how much stuff it cleans out of the inside of the case.

Keeps the inside of the necks clean for more consistent sizing and neck tension.

Keeps the powder residue to a minimum inside the body of the case for more consistent loads-powder residue can take a up a bit of space after several firings.

Keeps crap out of your dies and chamber.

I tried the citric acid in a bucket deal a whole ago, found it to be too much admin drying the cases etc. I had some in the oven for an hour or so only to find a bunch of them still full of water.

Works well treating rusty how was too, but that's another story.

Originally Posted by Rated M for Magnum

I only started tumbling brass recently. You'd be surprised how much stuff it cleans out of the inside of the case.

Keeps the inside of the necks clean for more consistent sizing and neck tension.

Keeps the powder residue to a minimum inside the body of the case for more consistent loads-powder residue can take a up a bit of space after several firings.

Keeps crap out of your dies and chamber.

I tried the citric acid in a bucket deal a whole ago, found it to be too much admin drying the cases etc. I had some in the oven for an hour or so only to find a bunch of them still full of water.

Works well treating rusty how was too, but that's another story.

My findings too on consistency.
Measurements measure just brass if everything is clean. Not brass plus a layer of carbon and crud.
I deprime, sonic, dry in dehydrator, tumble, then size.
Imperial lube and clean cases mean zero issues sizing(touch wood).
Hair line splits etc are way easier to find on clean brass.

Tried it a few weeks ago. About 4hr soak with a few shakes thrown in
Rinsed well then just layed on a table in the wind and sun to dry.
Came up pretty dam clean. Sorry no pics.