The Down Range Forum

Member Section => Reloading => Topic started by: wtr100 on March 11, 2011, 12:36:03 PM

Title: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: wtr100 on March 11, 2011, 12:36:03 PM


brother out law got him a 'deal' on a big honking bucket of M118 175 gr bullets.  We're talking easily 50 lbs of these suckers.  BUT they look like dog squeeze corrosion and verdigris and have some kinda sticky 'stuff' on them.  I looked at a few hands full and they've got some scratches from being pulled I'd guess but they look fine other wise and weigh 175 gr on the button.

We're planning M1 Garand loads.  But question before the group. How to best clean them.  My initial thought is to slosh them in kerosene or maybe mineral spirits then tumble them in some nasty old walnut media that probably ought to be pitched anyway - maybe with some jewlers rouge.  I know for cases brasso is a no-no but what about for this application.  I've never run bullets through the vibrator do they have enough 'ummph' to move the bullets through the media? 

Option #2 involves 10 and 14 year old sons - rags, simple green and a tv set! :D
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: Pecos Bill on March 11, 2011, 12:53:39 PM

brother out law got him a 'deal' on a big honking bucket of M118 175 gr bullets.  We're talking easily 50 lbs of these suckers.  BUT they look like dog squeeze corrosion and verdigris and have some kinda sticky 'stuff' on them.  I looked at a few hands full and they've got some scratches from being pulled I'd guess but they look fine other wise and weigh 175 gr on the button.

We're planning M1 Garand loads.  But question before the group. How to best clean them.  My initial thought is to slosh them in kerosene or maybe mineral spirits then tumble them in some nasty old walnut media that probably ought to be pitched anyway - maybe with some jewlers rouge.  I know for cases brasso is a no-no but what about for this application.  I've never run bullets through the vibrator do they have enough 'ummph' to move the bullets through the media? 

Option #2 involves 10 and 14 year old sons - rags, simple green and a tv set! :D

Tumble the blasted things! Does your tumbler have enough power to tumble the 06 brass? Just don't put too many in it's room AND weight you have to worry about. Two boys and simple green and a tv? Sound like weeks of work (?) to me.

Pecos
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: wtr100 on March 11, 2011, 01:00:51 PM
Tumble the blasted things! Does your tumbler have enough power to tumble the 06 brass? Just don't put too many in it's room AND weight you have to worry about. Two boys and simple green and a tv? Sound like weeks of work (?) to me.

Pecos

ya - but they work for Mt Dew!

 ;D
Title: Re: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: cookie62 on March 12, 2011, 05:48:58 AM
Maybe get the scout troop together, it could be for the cleaning merit badge

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: m25operator on March 12, 2011, 06:12:19 AM
If you have a strong vibratory tumbler, it should work, but I would dump several in there and watch before putting a lot with the lid on, this is one good reason to have an old rotary tumbler around, with those rubber or plastic drums, you can even use liquid.

I use to tumble my revolver rounds in a rotary tumbler with newspaper clippings, they came out clean and dry with very slick feel that helped in loading the cylinder, another shooter asked how I them like that and is told him, He came to the next match and showed some loaded rounds that looked like someone had melted the bullets with a torch, newspaper clippings do not work as a medium in vibratory tumbler.
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: sledgemeister on March 13, 2011, 08:45:46 PM

brother out law got him a 'deal' on a big honking bucket of M118 175 gr bullets.  We're talking easily 50 lbs of these suckers.  BUT they look like dog squeeze corrosion and verdigris and have some kinda sticky 'stuff' on them.  I looked at a few hands full and they've got some scratches from being pulled I'd guess but they look fine other wise and weigh 175 gr on the button.

We're planning M1 Garand loads.  But question before the group. How to best clean them.  My initial thought is to slosh them in kerosene or maybe mineral spirits then tumble them in some nasty old walnut media that probably ought to be pitched anyway - maybe with some jewlers rouge.  I know for cases brasso is a no-no but what about for this application.  I've never run bullets through the vibrator do they have enough 'ummph' to move the bullets through the media? 

Option #2 involves 10 and 14 year old sons - rags, simple green and a tv set! :D

Mate your in the US, ultrasonic cleaners fall off the trees over there, well shit loads cheaper than here.
Get one, you can use it to clean gun parts, the missus jewellery and best of all they will clean the crud off  brass !
Better stll find a gun mate that has one and get him to "test" how good it is!

or make your own vibratory cleaner!


Personally I never found ultrasonics to be good at polishing brass bit it should remove the dirt and crud of them to make them easier to polish with a tumbler.

Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: tombogan03884 on March 13, 2011, 10:06:46 PM
Last place I worked used an ultra sonic cleaner to clean coolant, oil, and debris off small parts before heat treat.
If it's clean enough for internal medical devices it should be clean enough for gun stuff.
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: wtr100 on March 22, 2011, 08:56:56 AM
tumbler with walnut media that probably should have been thrown out a long time ago and some jewlers rouge cleaned them nicely

once we're done looks like we need to sort them a bit
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: dipisc on March 23, 2011, 03:31:13 PM
Hi;

     Why is Brasso  a  No-No  on brass?
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: david86440 on March 23, 2011, 05:02:52 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvGYfmbBYyg&feature=related

This is a Hillbilly tumbler!
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: tombogan03884 on March 23, 2011, 08:04:47 PM
Hi;

     Why is Brasso  a  No-No  on brass?

I think it is because some of the components will kill primers.
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: langloisandy on March 24, 2011, 07:04:27 AM
Gents,

I keep a batch of corncob on hand with a couple of handfuls of washed gravel tossed in. I use this to tumble my buckles and sling hardware prior to Duracoating them. Works AWESOME for cleaning stuff up. I have used straight washed gravel for other items (steel stuff, rust removal) works GREAT!

Andy
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: wtr100 on March 24, 2011, 12:18:48 PM
Hi;

     Why is Brasso  a  No-No  on brass?

the ammonia can weaken cases - makes sense - sorta - but then why do some powders have a ammonia smell to them, maybe it'd they have an ammonia-LIKE smell to them   
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: billt on April 04, 2011, 06:49:45 AM
Stay away from Simple Green for cleaning brass and copper. Prolonged exposure to it will cause many non ferrous metals to turn black. I found this out at a place where I worked about 10 years ago. They tried cleaning a bunch of small brass parts in it for several hours. When they took them out they were all black.  Bill T.
Title: Re: how to clean up some really NASTY bullets
Post by: blackwolfe on April 06, 2011, 08:32:49 PM
Stay away from Simple Green for cleaning brass and copper. Prolonged exposure to it will cause many non ferrous metals to turn black. I found this out at a place where I worked about 10 years ago. They tried cleaning a bunch of small brass parts in it for several hours. When they took them out they were all black.  Bill T.

Tactical black cases.