I have never bought a brass tumbler and was wondering if you can just clean brass with a chemical cleaner before reloading them.

I have in the past before buying a tumbler cleaned the outside of brass using KG solvent degreaser sprayed on a rag.

just checked............

Google 'rifle cartridge cleaning solution' and you will get many kinds of info.

brass is usually easy to clean. Especially if you are not doing large volumes.

To clean just a few, when desperate try ketchup. Often works well. Rinse well as soon as possible.

After cleaning and rinsing, dry well. Drying methods include kitchen oven, air fryers, sunlight, old cooking equipment, etc. a whole separate topic here in AR.

Yes you can. Stay away from any cleaner that has Ammonia in it as it will weaken the brass.
I only wet tumble and will never go back to any other.

I've used Iosso in the past, it worked but I've moved on to tumbler and then to ultrasonic.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012771171

Hand dish soap(YES) and hot water stir and rinse with new water. Then use citric acid for baking in new water 5min rinse again dry and ready for loading.

The dish soap de-greases the cases but the citric acid cleans the tarnish off the medal. In my ultrasonic cleaner I use hot water and a tablespoon or 2 of citric acid, found in the canning section of the local grocery store. Clean inside and out without all the noise of a tumbler.

Thanks everyone great info

Years ago before tumblers I got a receipy outa NRA Handloading Guide (I think) that mixed white vinegar, water, dish detergent and salt. Put it into a tupperware container and shake. Rinse well. Worked very well but didn't polish the brass, it left the cases with clean but with a dull finish.

Hip

use some citric acid [Lemi-shine] and a bucket of hot water.
swish good, rinse, dry.

I don't own a tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner and just use citric acid. Cleans tarnished brass like magic and leaves brass not too shiny and with a slight pink tinge. Apparently this conditions the brass to prevent further tarnishing.

I buy pottles of citric acid at the supermarket, a teaspoon of citric powder in about two litres of warm water does the trick. Rinse brass under hot water and allow to dry.
I've even stood tarnished Winchester AA shotgun hulls (the old compression formed plastic and brass hulls) in a tray of citric solution and then rinsed under warm water and dried. Works perfectly well.

In both cases no rubbing required, just need to ensure cases and hulls are thoroughly dried before reloading.

Have tried various brass cleaners including one containing weak hydrochloric acid which works quickly, all of them required rubbing and none of them prevent further tarnishing so after awhile back to cleaning again.

Interesting post, brass just needs cleaning, bright polishing isn't required but looks nice...I still use a viberating cleaner with walnut shells, and it works fine..

Put the cases in a container and fill it to cover them with Diet Coke. It won't be shiny, but all the carbon will be gone. Rinse and let dry of course.

quote:

Originally posted by FC363:
Put the cases in a container and fill it to cover them with Diet Coke. It won't be shiny, but all the carbon will be gone. Rinse and let dry of course.

and you will have diverse "woke" brass to boot

Honestly, a minimal cleaning would be to wipe them off to get dirt that could mar dies off, then wipe the lube off after resizing.

Other stuff just is cosmetic.

I use corncob and a vibratory cleaner, a wet tumbler for really tarnished stuff, and have an ultrasonic but don’t use it much (brought it to clean handguns without detail stripping.)

The corncob vibratory cleaning gets most of it as it’s much less work.

plus 1

I like clean brass, easier to find in the field for reloading. Some probably don't worry about losing brass in the field, I don't like wastage so don't mind picking up brass, once the animal is dead of course

I bring my rifle brass home, throw it into a case vibratory tumbler full of walnut hulls with a cap of Nu
shine and let them tumble over night.
Next morning dump them in a sifter in preparation for decapping and sizing. Then the cases go back into the walnut hulls to remove sizing lube. Now cases are ready for reloading.

Best brass cleaner is a rotary tumbler with steel pins, water and a bit of liquid soap.

Works like a charm!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Best brass cleaner is a rotary tumbler with steel pins, water and a bit of liquid soap.

Works like a charm!

Yep, wet stainless pins. Even the primer pockets will look like the case is unfired.

been cleaning brass for 36 years, still use dry tumbler and ground up walnut hulls