Cleaning tarnished ammo??

[Tom-ADC]

So did we decide its okay to put loaded ammo in a tumbler to clean it?
I just picked up 200+ rounds of 30 carbine but its a tad tarnished.
Okay to pick it in a Thumbers tumbler for a couple of hours to clean it up?
Some are roundnose FMJ and some softpiont.

[Kraschenbirn]

Has always worked for me and I've been doing for 30 or 40 years. One word of caution, though; if those carbine rounds are factory (or gov't) loads you should be okay but I wouldn't advise tumbling ammo where the powder charge doesn't fill the case completely. I've been told...'specially with reduced charges of "stick" powders...that extended tumbling of "loose charges" may break-up some of the powder granules, causing erratic burn rates.

Bill

[Tom-ADC]

Well I just put them it we'll see how well it works, I'll keep an ear open just in case:bigsmyl2:

[gnoahhh]

Tarnished ammo shoots as well as shiny stuff. Why worry about it?

[Tom-ADC]

Tarnished ammo shoots as well as shiny stuff. Why worry about it?

Some of these are a bit more than tarnished more like corrosion I can feel with my fingers, they may have been stored where it got either damp or wet at one time.

[mold maker]

If they have green corrosion and it's raised enough to hang a finger nail on, I'd pull the bullet and scrap the case.
Soft points might get banged up a bit, and if lightly crimped they might even get pushed back into the case. Since you've already started the tumbling, just give them a good look with an eye on OAL
I like pretty brass too. The shiny-er the better. It doesn't shoot any better, but it's a matter of pride.

[shooterg]

Tumbled a bunch of surplus .30-06, .308 . Most just tarnished cleaned/worked fine. If they have really bad green stuff on 'em though usually means split cases when fired .

[leftiye]

Anybody know of a liquid cleaner that will move that green stuff? I had a door cut into a 24" thick concrete wall last winter, and despite our best efforts, they got everything in the room damp or outright wet. We dried it up quickly and blew air theough it for two weeks, but some of my dies started rusting, and now I'm finding corrosion on brass. Steel wool won't touch it. I'm thinking brasso.?

[Tom-ADC]

Just checked the last ones I ran, several cases still bad, I'd be concerned they would also stick in the chamber along with spliting the cases.
Going to pull the bullets and toss the cases.

[mold maker]

Try a soaking/stirring in hot citric acid, then tumble/polish. Those that clean will be OK. Be suspicious of those that don't.

[Tom-ADC]

Not really enough to worry about be easier just pulling the bullets.

[azcruiser]

You could tumble 10 get them nice and shinny
and shoot them,if there's no problem do the rest .Never hurts when in doubt to use caution.

[Tom-ADC]

These ran 6 hours 95% look fine, the rest not worth the trouble I guess, just pull the bullets and toss the cases after the primers are popped.

[beagle]

Got to be careful with that old tarnished ammo. I once got a line on some .30/06 one time and went to the old fellow's house and he carried me out back and here's a 1951 Plymouth junker with the whole back seat stacked about 4 feet high with belted .30 caliber. AP/T 4 in one in metallic belts. I got a couple of hundred rounds and cleaned it up and it darn near all split on me in an M1 so now, I leave that stuff alone./beagle