Anyone use old school brass cleaning

[Camo]

Wife’s uncle gave me his recipe decades ago. Vinegar, salt, dish soap and water. I still use it to clean brass before tumbling. Does an amazing job them tumbler polishes it to a shine in very little time.

 

[dennishoddy]

I just use corn cob and auto polish with a used dryer sheet. Do you tumble/vibrate that formula or just let it sit?

 

[zipty6]

I just use corn cob and auto polish with a used dryer sheet. Do you tumble/vibrate that formula or just let it sit?

I do the same, but with crushed walnut that I buy in bulk at the per store. They sell it as reptile bedding.

 

[Letfreedomring]

I would think the vinegar makes the solution slightly acidic to brighten the brass, the salt works as a mild abrasive, the dish soap to relieve surface tension of solution to get in nooks and crannies (primer pockets) so slight agitation would be needed.

 

[rickm]

I used the vinegar solution back when i first started and had very little equipment but over the years with much added equipment havent used it but usually use corncob and car wax til recently and got a small wet tumbler to do small amounts of brass i get.

 

[Dumpstick]

I reloaded cartridges for years without a tumbler. I washed the brass, mostly just hot water and soap. Even now I rarely clean rifle brass, not washed, not tumbled. I just wipe the neck after shooting and stick it back in the box to reload. Of course, my rifles are bolt guns. The brass rarely touches the ground.

I didn't have a tumbler until one came in a lot of stuff I traded for.

Decades ago nobody had a tumbler. Reloaders were easy to spot, with the brown cartridges. I don't think tumblers became popular until into the early 1990s.

There's an awful lot of time and typing about the part of reloading that makes the least difference.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

I’ve used similar techniques. Usually put it all in a freezer baggie and shake it for 10mins or so. Gotta be careful with vinegar and especially salt. Rinse the brass very thoroughly or you’ll get corrosion.

I’ve only been hand loading for about 4 years. Single stage press, small batches, somewhat minimal equipment. I still don’t have a tumbler.

My rifle brass just gets a quick wipe off with a rag, then case lubed, re-sized, then wipe off case lube with rag again. By then it’s pretty clean. If I’m dealing with a bunch of dirty pistol brass, I do a wash similar to what you described.

I guess I’m not too hung up on having perfectly shiny brass. I disassemble and clean the dies from time to time. With the small scale reloading that I do, I have yet to feel like I really really need a tumbler.

 

[WoodsCraft]

I used walnut media for yeas and was always happy with the results , I still use it occasionally but have mostly transitioned to a wet tumble mostly for speed sake . I can't really say it gets brass cleaner but it does clean it faster even with the drying time

 

[rockchalk06]

There's an awful lot of time and typing about the part of reloading that makes the least difference.

I prefer a little soot inside my neck anyway. I can't be 100% sure it has any affect on accuracy, but seating bullets in a once fired case with some soot on inside the neck makes it feel smoother.

 

[Camo]

I just use corn cob and auto polish with a used dryer sheet. Do you tumble/vibrate that formula or just let it sit?

I use this to clean extremely dirty brass. I then put them in my cob media to polish.