I suppose you could do 500 effectively - maybe more. Let us know! Or maybe I'll press my luck next time and do 5 or 600. I never really reload more than 300 rounds in a session, so that would be 2 sessions-worth. Regardless, as you say... faster than a tumbler.
Ultrasonic Cleaner Questions
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I ended up getting the Hornady unit and used their One Shot Clean Solution. The brass eventually came out clean but it wasn't shiny, just a dull appearance. I'm going to try the RCBS solution next.
In reality, the brass doesn't have to be shiny, but I might have some raccoon in my family tree because I've always been attracted to shiny objects!
Steve
In reality, the brass doesn't have to be shiny, but I might have some raccoon in my family tree because I've always been attracted to shiny objects!
Steve
No basket = bigger PITA!
Pic below is reloaded (ultrasonically cleaned) mixed brass with a MG bullet, framed by 2 new SL pieces of brass. If I had to make a critical judgement, I would say that the old mixed brass is slightly shinier that the new SL.I ended up getting the Hornady unit and used their One Shot Clean Solution. The brass eventually came out clean but it wasn't shiny, just a dull appearance. I'm going to try the RCBS solution next.
In reality, the brass doesn't have to be shiny, but I might have some raccoon in my family tree because I've always been attracted to shiny objects!
Steve
About 6 months ago I found some 8-year old reloads that looked the same. Can't often say that about factory ammo, but that could be my residual One Shot lube protecting the shine.
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I truthfully have wondered about ALL the witches brew I see posted... for cleaning, and for lubing brass - and for lubing presses.
When I loaded up and shot my 8-year old reloads, I was confident that what I was doing had no longterm detrimental effect on the reloads. In 8 years anyway! And they still looked like the day they came off the press.
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I have a Hornady that I have used. Solutions are simple & cheap to make. I just fill with water, 1/4tsp Lemishine & a drop or 2 of dish soap. 15-20min pretty much does it then rinse in hot water. I just hate wet cleaning because to do it right requires decapping first & I don't like pulling the handle as it is.
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40,870 Posts
Well that is a product of time & the amount of citric acid. 20min in a mild solution leeches nothing out of the brass.
Because of the extra work decapping, I have done this quick method of wet cleaning: Soak an old towel in 1 tsp of lemishine per gallon of water, drop or 2 of dish soap. Wring the towel out so it is still wet, then dump brass into it & run it around the towel for 3-4m. Then the same thing with just hot water to rinse. Pretty clean brass that needs little drying time & no decapping.
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3,252 Posts
I understand the action of the salt and vinegar in shining the brass but that seems like a lot. How long do you leave the brass in the ultrasonic cleaner?
Dave
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I used this mix today on about 20 pieces of real dirty .380 brass. It worked pretty good but it took more time than anticipated. The brass came out more shiny than the others I tried. There were several pieces that had some tar like material in the primer pocket and inside the case itself that initially did not want to come off.
So far I haven't found any LymanTurbo Sonic cleaner locally.
Steve
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3,252 Posts
Thanks for posting your results.
I think the vinegar and salt combo would have shined them up even without the ultrasonic action.
I wouldn't expect them to get as clean as wet tumbling with pins might get them. You can get spoiled by that method as far as primer pockets go. I'm not so interested in ultra clean as I am a quiicker way to spiff up my brass without the dust I got from a viabratory cleaner. When it came to vibratory cleaning I didn't like to have to add waxes and solvents to keep things dust free. That's why I ended up with a wet tumbler.
I still may take the plunge with the Harbor Freight version.
Dave
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Dave,
You summed it up just perfectly.
My favorite method is wet tumbling with small SS pins with a small amount of Dove soap and a teaspoon of Lemi Shine. It gets all the debris out of the inside of the case and primer pockets. Then I pour off the water through the dry media tumbler. I rotate the tumbler until the SS pins fall through then lay the cases outside on a towel to dry off. The problem is it takes along time to complete. Most of the activity is off working without my involvement. I will use the ultrasonic for small batches when I'm in more of a hurry but my go to method will be the wet tumble.
Steve
You summed it up just perfectly.
My favorite method is wet tumbling with small SS pins with a small amount of Dove soap and a teaspoon of Lemi Shine. It gets all the debris out of the inside of the case and primer pockets. Then I pour off the water through the dry media tumbler. I rotate the tumbler until the SS pins fall through then lay the cases outside on a towel to dry off. The problem is it takes along time to complete. Most of the activity is off working without my involvement. I will use the ultrasonic for small batches when I'm in more of a hurry but my go to method will be the wet tumble.
Steve
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684 Posts
i am still looking into the reloading of my ammo as well. i have in fact, been told by someone at another site, about the ultra sonic cleaners.
but my searching of cleaners, and the reviews, seems to come up with about the same reviews/opinions, and that is wet tumbling with steel pins is the absolute best.
i dunno, all i do know is that any way one cleans his brass, it is an investment, and for me, i don't want to invest, in several machines, just ONE that REALLY DOES WORK, as advertised.
If having your brass cleaned and shined equal to brand new brass means 'working as advertised' to you, then an US cleaner should do it. (See my post #24)
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8,238 Posts
I'll give another thought to consider. Spotless shiny cases is absolutely not needed. Dry media like corncob or walnut in a vibratory cleaner is absolutely simple and does all I need.
I haven't seen the value in the extra fuss of wet cleaning. To do it right means de-capping primers first. For handgun ammo, that literally would double the number of press operations. Plus, super clean brass clings hard to expanders (powder funnels). The residual lubricity from leftover carbon makes that slicker.
But what about cleaning primer pockets? Well, my handgun cases get de-capped in station 1 and immediately primed in station 2. Never ever an issue despite the internet horrors of potential high primers, duds, etc.
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ok, i understand.
however, i have a .45 ACP CZ.
ok now, some ammo has the small primer, so right now, i am hand depriming those, and setting them aside.
the large primer .45 ACP, can be deprimed/primed in the press, when i get one this fall.
i don't think i want super-duper shiny, just very clean, inside and out. my though would be (and i most likely am wrong here), is that if there is any crud inside the empty cartridge, that might affect the over all weight of the new dumped ammo? as well as pressing on a new bullet to OAL..???
would i be right or wrong, thinking that..???
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8,238 Posts
The thin residual carbon glaze will not affect what you're doing. That's basically what is left after dry cleaning.
There are plenty of folks who have a million+ rounds loaded for competition that load ammo after dry cleaning dry clean, e.g @9x45
Again, it is not wrong to wet clean, except more steps. If I load 1k handgun rounds, that is 1004 handle pulls. Wet cleaning makes that 2004.
But you'll also find other threads around here about sticking powder funnels from wet cleaning.
Again, just providing another angle, not trying to talk you out of it.
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