BPCR Brass Cleaning Solutions for a Tumbler

[Hogpost]

Hmmmm..., never thought it could get so complex or expensive. I have a big Lortone rubber-drum tumbler for the big stuff, and a little Thumbler's Tumbler for small lots of pistol like 44-40 & 455 Webley.
I just use cheap bulk long-grain rice (0.29/lb) and a big blop** of Meguiar's polishing compound from the local car-parts store. Turn the tumbler on in the garage at bedtime, next morning they look like new.
When the rice gets too black, I just throw it away and pour in some new. Guess I'm not having nearly as much fun.....
**Blop: highly technical measurement. Note that metric blops are smaller than American.

[texasmac]

Hogpost,

Interesting. Do you use any water with the rice and Meguiar's polishing compound? I'm guessing not since I assume that would soften the rice.

Wayne

[Hogpost]

Nope, no liquid; and not-quite full drum, 3/4 or a bit more, to ensure good circulation. Must admit I do spend some time poking the rice bits out of primer holes, but I'm never in a hurry anyway, and it gives me something to do while listening to good Dixieland music.

[indian joe]

Nope, no liquid; and not-quite full drum, 3/4 or a bit more, to ensure good circulation. Must admit I do spend some time poking the rice bits out of primer holes, but I'm never in a hurry anyway, and it gives me something to do while listening to good Dixieland music.

thank you for making me feel better!! I too use rice and a (metric) blop of polishing compound in a drum tumbler - that is when I have been shamed into wanting shiney brass, most times I just settle for clean and have found nothing better than citric acid in a little cheep ultrasonic cleaner to get the blackpowder crud out of the innards of my cases

[Chill Wills]

Hmmmm..., never thought it could get so complex or expensive. I have a big Lortone rubber-drum tumbler for the big stuff, and a little Thumbler's Tumbler for small lots of pistol like 44-40 & 455 Webley.
I just use cheap bulk long-grain rice (0.29/lb) and a big blop** of Meguiar's polishing compound from the local car-parts store. Turn the tumbler on in the garage at bedtime, next morning they look like new.

Yup. Interesting.
When I got my first Springfield 1873 and then the Ruger #3 I loaded both with smokeless powder and then tried BP. Up to that point I had only shot BP in muzzle loaders. So now I had this new problem. Much dirtier cases than I had experienced before. I tried to clean my BP soiled brass like I did everything else, in the Vibratec with walnut and polishing rouge. After a few firings I noticed something. Red dust and dry BP fouling dust starting to mix and build up on the inside of the 45-70 cases. It was hard and caked on. That had to be fixed.

What followed were the years of the bottle brushes chucked in the electric drill, soapy water and then a good tumble after letting them dry. It was a pain but I was shooting Black Powder and loving it.

Then about 2001 the wet cleaning with ceramic media saved me.

I clean them wet because wet is what I evolved to and works for me best.

So Hogpost, this works (dry) with BP cases? Your cleaning BP cases dry?
Hmmm, if so, that is interesting.

[indian joe]

Yup. Interesting.
When I got my first Springfield 1873 and then the Ruger #3 I loaded both with smokeless powder and then tried BP. Up to that point I had only shot BP in muzzle loaders. So now I had this new problem. Much dirtier cases than I had experienced before. I tried to clean my BP soiled brass like I did everything else, in the Vibratec with walnut and polishing rouge. After a few firings I noticed something. Red dust and dry BP fouling dust starting to mix and build up on the inside of the 45-70 cases. It was hard and caked on. That had to be fixed.

What followed were the years of the bottle brushes chucked in the electric drill, soapy water and then a good tumble after letting them dry. It was a pain but I was shooting Black Powder and loving it.

Then about 2001 the wet cleaning with ceramic media saved me.

I clean them wet because wet is what I evolved to and works for me best.

So Hogpost, this works (dry) with BP cases? Your cleaning BP cases dry?
Hmmm, if so, that is interesting.

Chill
I clean mine wet with the citric acid and ultrasonic jewellery cleaner - nothing beats that for getting the gunk out of the innards - 10 to 15 minutes in the ultrasonic, a quick dry blow with the air compressor and they done - then if I might be embarrassed by them not being new brass shiney then I will use Hogpost's rice and polish plan to finish off - maybe 20 minutes in the tumbler gets em like new on the outside.