Cleaning brass without a tumbler

cbabes

cbabes

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
184   0   0
Location
Oshawa, Ontario
Just curious if it's even feasible to clean brass without a tumbler? If it is possible what are some ways to do it and how much brass can you really expect to clean this way?

Thanks in advance.
 
It takes time but as I have done, is spin the casings in my drill using a lock stud from a Lee case trimmer and using 00000 steel wool. the casing come out like new and in surprisingly little time each.
 
The drill and steel wool method works extremely well. I've used it many times, even after I bought a tumbler.

One other suggestion from a very experienced (read:eek:ld) shooter I know.

Get a margarine container and fill it with water before you go to the range. Bring along some dish soap. After shooting, add some dish soap and brass and seal it. Drive home.......the longer the drive the better. The jiggling of the car will actually help to clean the brass. Drain and rinse with fresh water when you get home. Dry on a paper towel.
 
There are liquid cleaning solutions available on the markets. CLR as well as a few muriatic acid based cleaners will work well. Rinse in plenty of water after use. Another thing I've done is soak the brass in varsol overnight to soften the carbon residue and put in an old pillowcase and run through the superwash cycle on the clothes washing machine.

Now, none of the above will give you shiney clean brass but, it will give you fairly clean carbon free brass.

bearhunter
 
Krazy Kloth cleans the best for me is easier and removes no brass like steel wool, use on drill with shell holder fromk Sinclair international,shines brass like mirrror, I have tried sponsors here but not able to find in Canada
 
If I'm only reloading a couple of boxes of shells for a bolt action all I have to clean is the neck. I do that by spinning a brass wire wheel in my drill press and turning the necks against it. Its quick and simple.
 
Mix some drainol up in a plastic pail of some sort. Then throw all your brass in there and let it sit over night. The next morning, dump the water out, and dump your brass onto a big towel spread out on the floor. Dry the brass as best you can.

Next (make sure the wife/girlfriend/mum isn't home) put your brass in a cloth pillow case, and throw some steel wool in with the brass. Tie off the top of the pillow case. Throw in a towel or two into the drier, and put your pillow case in with it. Run for about an hour.

Works pretty good.
 
If all you're cleaning is the neck and shoulders on a couple of boxes of cases, just smear some caselube on the areas you want to clean to soften the residue and wipe with 000 steel wool.

It will take about fifteen minutes. You will need the case lube to reload anyway, so your only expense will be the 000 steel wool.
 
I'll give the same advice I always give when this question comes up.

Is it possible to clean bras without a tumbler? Absolutely. You can do everythign from steel wool, to washing them in a pail of soapy water and drying them in your oven or even just give them a wipe with a damp J-cloth.

Here is what I did when I started reloading-

I got my first batch of once fired factory brass. (About 100 rounds) I washed them and dried them with a cloth. THen loaded up and went shooting.

I had dirty brass again, and relized my time was important, so I spent the wild sum of about $75 and bought a tumbler.

Unless you load 20 rounds a year, a tumbler is a wise investment...
 
Gatehouse said:
I had dirty brass again, and relized my time was important, so I spent the wild sum of about $75 and bought a tumbler.

Unless you load 20 rounds a year, a tumbler is a wise investment...
Click to expand...

+1

I've done ultrasonic + cleaning fluids for a few thousand rounds, and I'll be moving to a tumbler shortly just because of the time required to get decent results. (not to mention having to deal with caustic, smelly solutions)
 
Thanks for all the responses. Just wanted to get to reloading sooner rather than later. Probably won't buy a tumbler for a month or two and wanted to start reloading before that. I will try some of the methods mentioned. Wifey says no to the dryer but I am the boss! LOL
 
watch at gun stores. occationaly you will find a tbler someone has brought in with a collection of other realiding equipment.

i got all i needed to start reloading for $75 (thats press, priming tool, .223 dies, tumbler, and sevral other things).
 
cbabes said:
Just curious if it's even feasible to clean brass without a tumbler? If it is possible what are some ways to do it and how much brass can you really expect to clean this way?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...


Buy a bottle of Realemon Juice,place your brass in a small plastic jug. Add enough hot water to cover the brass,put about 4 oz. of Realemon juice in and mix it in. Stir occasionally.Cruddy bullets come out clean too,usually I do them before I dunk the brass in the mix. After cleaning,I rinse the brass off with hot water. I stack them all on a old some old denim and dry them with a hair dryer.
PS, this mix smells good and should not be drank after brass cleaning,although it may be environmentally friendly , it may upset the tummy.
 
You could just throw some tumbling media and brass into a bucket and throw it all into the back off your car till clean. I just bought a tumbler though, it's way faster even when I was driving on forestry roads every day.
 
i have a hornady thumbler works great (vibrate type)
i leave it overnight cases come out very clean
i clean 40 or 50 308 win at a time

should ve bought it earlier

Dan
 
I've tried reloading casings that aren't clean and I've tried cleaning them with soap and water and then letting them air dry. Casings that are cleaned properly in a brass tumbler allow you to reload quicker. I just throw my brass into the tumbler, turn it on and leave it for a couple of hours. I'll even clean my rounds after I've reloaded just to remove the casing lube.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom