Harbor Freight Ultrasonic Cleaner

[bangerjim]

I guess the bottom line question here is “why all the kerfluffel about cleaning brass?”

I just wipe mine off and reload it. Dull brass does not shoot any worse that bright shiny brass. I see all the threads about different cleaners (vibrators, metal pins, etc). Why waste all that time and energy cleaning bass to bright shiny new condition????? Mine is shiny ONCE......when it was new. Wiping off with a rag has served me well for many years. When they get too dingy/black, I throw them into a solution of boiling water and citirc acid powder for a couple minutes and they are clean enough for my needs.

Do whatever floats your boat.

Banger

[pcolapaddler]

I can't speak for others, but I prefer to work with clean parts. Whether those are parts for an engine or reloading components, it is nicer to work with clean compenents.

I use a harbor freight dual drum rotary tumbler with stainless pins and lemi shine. Brass comes out clean and shiny.

That said, I might be just as happy with clean but not like new shiny.

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[dondiego]

I guess the bottom line question here is “why all the kerfluffel about cleaning brass?”

I just wipe mine off and reload it. Dull brass does not shoot any worse that bright shiny brass. I see all the threads about different cleaners (vibrators, metal pins, etc). Why waste all that time and energy cleaning bass to bright shiny new condition????? Mine is shiny ONCE......when it was new. Wiping off with a rag has served me well for many years. When they get too dingy/black, I throw them into a solution of boiling water and citirc acid powder for a couple minutes and they are clean enough for my needs.

Do whatever floats your boat.

Banger

Same here, I just put the brass in the vibrator and walnut hulls and give it a few minutes to remove the grit. A lot of my brass is brown from sitting on the ground in the rain at my private range, but it is clean and free of sand and grit that affects dies. Shoots good and gets some real second looks at the public range, but nobody picks up my .45 ACP brass.......unless it is to give it back to me! They know who's it is........I also get handed a lot of other, tarnished brass too.

[bangerjim]

You are reading from the same pew book! As long as there is no grit and grime on/in the brass, is will load/shoot just fine if a bit (to a lot) tarnished. I have some 44 mag and 45LC brass that was once new and bright and shiny and now is brown and tarnished.........but performs great.

Citric and water gives it a little “lighten up” but not shiny and bright. I’ll take that $50 or so I could spend on SST pins and use it towards powder and primers.

Just my view from the SW desert!

[Walks]

When I was a kid we used a small cement mixer with I can't remember what ? We're are talking 50's-60's-70's. I know they were wiped off, then resized&decapped first. Clean brass is always easier to inspect.

[44Blam]

I've always used the vibrating tumbler and you can clean a ton of brass in a couple hours. So, I only do it every once in a while and it is kind of a neglect operation - start it and come back after a few hours.
I wanted the ultrasonic one to really clean out the primer pockets and save a little time by not reaming the pockets to get the soot out. Sometimes having **** in the primer pockets makes it difficult to get the primers seated in fully without flattening them.

[Tonto]

It's not a toy. I used one successfully for years. Use it w/in its limitations and it will serve you well. A reloader doesn't need the industrial units you have. There is no denying they work a lot better. But their price puts them out of range for most.

I second this, mine works fine and was a great value for the money

[rsrocket1]

I also clean my brass mostly just to get any grit off of it when it hits the ground. 90% of the time I don't even clean my revolver brass or bolt action brass, just put 'em back into the reloading pile.

[jimb16]

I have an HF cleaner too. It is ok for small batches but where I live it gets cold in the winter and I reload in an unheated garage. Under those conditions, it leaves a lot to be desired. I recently purchase on sale an RCBS unit that heats the water to one of 4 different temps and has 5 different timer settings. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I'll keep the HF for small summer time batches, but from now on the RCBS unit will be getting a workout.