Cleaning cases

[loiner1965]

I'm the same, found sea clean much better in the US which I still use for hornet as I'm too tight to buy smaller pins!

agree.... i bought 5lts of sea clean years ago and only use a small capfull each time

[MikB]

Unless they're encrusted or grossly dirty, the cleanliness of the cases has very little - if any - real effect on the performance of reloads.

The only justification for going OTT on case cleaning is if you've a fetish for shiny things...

[223AI]

Unless they're encrusted or grossly dirty, the cleanliness of the cases has very little - if any - real effect on the performance of reloads.

The only justification for going OTT on case cleaning is if you've a fetish for shiny things...

Agreed, apart from the cleanliness of primer pockets, which get cleaned spotless in the wet tumbler, plus issues with the brass are easier to spot on cleaner cases. But you're right, essentially I'm a magpie!!

[Musclefox]

I must be a Magpie to

[Adamant]

It is a known internet fact that no case can EVER be TOO shiny and that shiny brass definitely makes you an infinitely superior shooter

Shiny, shiny, shiny...

Incidentally, my girlfriend is a silversmith and whilst I was loitering in the bullion supplier in Birmingham last week while she conducted some business, I discovered they sell reasonably priced 2mm stainless steel media for semi-precious rock tumbling, it turns out this is the perfect size for cleaning .17 and .22 Hornet cases.

Unfortunately this means that the .17 cases are now very clean inside and out and I no longer have any excuse not to continue with load development for the hateful fiddly little beast

[hairlesshunter]

It is a known internet fact that no case can EVER be TOO shiny and that shiny brass definitely makes you an infinitely superior shooter

Shiny, shiny, shiny...

Incidentally, my girlfriend is a silversmith and whilst I was loitering in the bullion supplier in Birmingham last week while she conducted some business, I discovered they sell reasonably priced 2mm stainless steel media for semi-precious rock tumbling, it turns out this is the perfect size for cleaning .17 and .22 Hornet cases.

Unfortunately this means that the .17 cases are now very clean inside and out and I no longer have any excuse not to continue with load development for the hateful fiddly little beast

The 1mm not bad neither at about £18 per 1kg

[Jezzer]

I cleaned all my brass for years with walnut media then decided to give ultra sonic a try. I had very mixed results with US so ended up going back to walnut media. A year or so ago I bit the bullet and spalshed out on tumbler with stainless steel pins from spud1969..... well I've now sold the US cleaner and the walnut media system and am 100% happy with the stainless media tumbler.

[majex45]

When I tumbled my cases the insides were left reddish. I found that neck expanding was more difficult with the media dust inside the cases (mostly pistol calibres). Anyone else get this?

[panhard]

Thought I'd post update regarding my case cleaning with ultra sonic cleaner. The one I bought holds 750ml. of water, so its only a small unit. I've used it for a couple of months now and very pleased with results. First ultra sonic cleaner only lasted for a couple of days before it failed but I'd bought it locally and returned for replacement and the second one has worked perfectly ok. The speed the cases are cleaned is very quick, only 10 minutes or so, and the pockets don't need cleaning seperately and there's no tapping each case to get the tumbling media out.
A friend bought an ultrasonic cleaner after seeing the results of mine and was initially disappointed, however he used it without the citric acid. When he used the acid his cases were very clean as well. So the acid obviously does something.
I've got a black powder revolver and put the cylinder, hammer etc. in the ultrasonic cleaner and they come out spotless. That was something I hadn't considered in the beginning, so overall very pleased. Within seconds of starting cleaning the liquid around the items being cleaned gets cloudy, I can see the dirt being lifted of. At the end of the cleaning cycle the liquid in the tank is so dirty I can't see through it.
I appreciate I don't fire a massive amount of ammunition so I can see the tumbler with pins could be the way to go if you do get through lots (or a larger ultra sonic cleaner) but for what I do at moment it does all I want it to.

[Musclefox]

Do we have a equivalent to Lemi-Shine?

[aris]

Do we have a equivalent to Lemi-Shine?

Citric acid I believe - available on Amazon.

[Musclefox]

I thought it was, cheers aris..

[kennyc]

Agreed, apart from the cleanliness of primer pockets, which get cleaned spotless in the wet tumbler, plus issues with the brass are easier to spot on cleaner cases. But you're right, essentially I'm a magpie!!

as anyone who has seen him jump out of a moving truck (when he is the driver) to pick up a nice shiney 22lr case can attest

[aris]

I thought it was, cheers aris..

A bit of googling will come up with concoctions people use in lieu of lemi shine.

[223AI]

as anyone who has seen him jump out of a moving truck (when he is the driver) to pick up a nice shiney 22lr case can attest

Jumped out of it tonight and it started rolling away, handbrake wasn't on properly