Best way to clean inside of brass without tumbler please help???

[Dballer915]

Best way to clean inside of brass without tumbler I'm broke lol

 

[Pdvdh]

Ultrasonic cleaning will thoroughly clean the inside of cartridge cases, including the primer pockets. Is it the best way? I dunno. It is one method that works quite well.

Some like steel pins immersed in a liquid bath - as I understand it. And I have no experience with that method.

 

[geo4061]

Cabela's sells a tumbling liquid or google to find a concoction of dish soap, vinegar, and maybe baking soda. I tried both in my tumbler and they work. Think outside the box. How about a power drill or electric motor, a coffee can with lid, and something to connect the two. Build it spin on slow for several hours. Spread out your brass and let them dry or low heat in oven. I guess you could even scrub with a bottle brush.

 

[FEENIX]

Best way to clean inside of brass without tumbler I'm broke lol

Welcome to LRH and enjoy!

What geo4061 said!

 

[maninthemaze]

If you have a little skill and ingenuity, you can make your own stainless steel tumbler like I did. Used parts and some scrap pieces are mostly what I used. The pins themselves were the most expensive part. Here's a thread you can use to see other people and their ideas.

How i built my own rotary tumbler - AR15.COM

 

[Timber338]

The question in my mind is why do the insides of the case need to be cleaned? I personally have never found this to be useful. I prefer the inside of the neck to have the light gunpowder residue that is left behind after being fired.

 

[PackersFanboy]

Dual Drum Rotary Rock Tumbler +20% off coupon stainless steel media

 

[Gunpoor]

The question in my mind is why do the insides of the case need to be cleaned? I personally have never found this to be useful. I prefer the inside of the neck to have the light gunpowder residue that is left behind after being fired.

I have never cleaned the inside of a case yet in many years of hand loading, as I have never seen the need for it.

 

[bigedp51]

Homemade Firearm Cleaners & Lubricants

Homemade Firearm Related Products

I used the third method below, it cleaned the cases but not as well as wet tumbling with stainless media.

Chemical Case Cleaning Solutions​

While tumbling cases in an abrasive media provides the best finish, extremely dirty cases can be decapped first (using a non-sizing die) and then washed in one of the following solutions. The final rinse in soapy water helps prevent tarnishing. All of these methods were approved by Frankford Arsenal and will not weaken your brass.

• A 5 percent solution of citric acid (available from your drugstore) and warm water for about 10 minutes. If your water is very hard increase the amount of citric acid. You can add some Dawn™ or Cascade™ dishwasher liquid soap (which does not contain ammonia--be careful some do), 409, or Awsome to the solution for extra grease cutting ability. Follow with a rinse in hot soapy water (Ivory™ works well) and allow to dry. Don't overuse the citric acid or the brass may discolor.
• A solution of 1 quart of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt. Soak with some agitation for 15 to 20 minutes and follow with a rinse of soapy hot water and allow to dry.
• A solution of 1 quart of water, 1 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup laundry or dishwashing detergent, 1/8 cup salt. Soak with some agitation for 15 to 20 minutes and follow with a rinse of soapy hot water and allow to dry. This may leave brass with a slight pinkish cast which will disappear with a short tumble in media.
• Military arsenals use a heated 4 percent sulfuric acid dip with a little potassium dichromate added. The solution is heated until bubbles rise slowly without it boiling and the cases are dipped into it for 4 -5 minutes using a basket of copper screening or plastic. A final rinse using plain hot water is followed by hot water with Ivory™ soap in it and the cases are left to drain and dry. Because of the use of heated sulfuric acid this method is probably impractical for home use but is given here to show what can be safely used.

Cases which have been fired several times and which show signs of carbon build up internally can be rinsed in straight paint & varnish makers (P&VM) naphtha available at any paint store. Decap, soak for 5 - 10 minutes, drain, allow to air dry and then tumble as usual. Cases will be sparkling clean inside and out but not any shinier.

 

[4xforfun]

I have never cleaned the inside of a case yet in many years of hand loading, as I have never seen the need for it.

+1

In fact I don't see the use of cleaning the outside of a case either, other than removing case lube. I guess I am way past that shiny new brass stage of my life!! LOL

Good luck,
Tod

 

[Pdvdh]

I tend to agree that it's not critical to remove carbon fouling from the inside of a case, and from the case neck. But I don't see the harm in removing the fouling from the interior of the cases, provide the interior case necks are pre-lubed with wax prior to seating the bullets. For those that prefer clean cases inside and outside, I've found that Imperial Sizing Die wax, and Hornady's Unique case resizing wax are the very best lubricant on the inside case necks. Better than some residual carbon fouling.

When I ultrasonic clean cases, I now always lube the interior case necks with one of these two products. Apply on a Q-tip, and remove excess with a clean/fresh Q-tip.

Ultrasonic cleaned case necks greatly increase the friction between bullet and case neck. These two resizing lubricants both reduce, and maximize the uniformity of, the friction between the bullets and the case necks, and thus maximize the consistency of the force needed to seat the bullets in the case necks, and (theoretically) the force on the bullet needed to release the bullet from the case necks.

I tend to believe that carbon fouling inside cases could lead to some corrosion over the long haul, compared to cases with all carbon fouling removed. I used to avoid ultrasonic cleaning if the inside of the fired cases were not exposed to moisture or other debris. As in cases retrieved promptly after firing. Because ultrasonic cleaned cartridges greatly increase the seating force necessary to seat bullets. Now that I lube the interior of all case necks with Imperial wax or Hornady Unique wax prior to seating bullets, I have no concerns or qualms about ultrasonic cleaning fired casings.

 

[Timber338]

I tend to agree that it's not critical to remove carbon fouling from the inside of a case, and from the case neck. But I don't see the harm in removing the fouling from the interior of the cases, provide the interior case necks are pre-lubed with wax prior to seating the bullets. For those that prefer clean cases inside and outside, I've found that Imperial Sizing Die wax, and Hornady's Unique case resizing wax are the very best lubricant on the inside case necks. Better than some residual carbon fouling.

When I ultrasonic clean cases, I now always lube the interior case necks with one of these two products. Apply on a Q-tip, and remove excess with a clean/fresh Q-tip.

Ultrasonic cleaned case necks greatly increase the friction between bullet and case neck. These two resizing lubricants both reduce, and maximize the uniformity of, the friction between the bullets and the case necks, and thus maximize the consistency of the force needed to seat the bullets in the case necks, and (theoretically) the force on the bullet needed to release the bullet from the case necks.

+1. I also use Imperial wax inside my case necks. I do like it combined with the powder residue. I would maybe change my mind if I were to use a powder that was very dirty, but the powders I currently use leave behind a very thin layer of residue that really does not come off easy. This (mostly the wax) is partly what gets my muzzle velocities so consistent... down in the single digit ES range.

 

[geo4061]

biged got the solution correct(vinegar, dish soap,salt). I have used it in my tumbler and it works pretty darn good. Now for the tumbler. Gather up 3, 3 liter plastic pop bottles, a one inch bolt and nut, and a power drill(12v or 120). Maybe even an old electric fan motor. Fill 2 of the pop bottles with water and then lay them on their side and glue together. Take the third bottle. Take a nail or drill and make a hole in the center of the cap just big enough for the bolt. Insert bolt and tighten nut. Fill half full with decapped brass and solution. Lay it down on the two you glued together( smooth bottles). Attach drill and adjust height.Spin on slow for several hours then dry as described earlier. Do not stress over this. They do not have to be spotless.

 

[Wachsmann]

+1 for packersfanboy...

I have the same thing but I use a apple sauce plastic jar that is suncken in on the sides so the brass will actually tumble. I actually have it running right now with 22 pieces of 6.5X284 brass in it. I've cleaned up to 40 243 brass in it but it took about 3 to 3.5 hours of run time. Dish soap and lemishine. Table spoon of each works great. I do have the tumbling media in my jar also. It's a 60 or 65 dollar setup. Works great. I've been doing it this way for about a year now. Brass looks new after done.