Dirty bullets

[dolfinwriter]

My apologies if this is the wrong sub-forum. There didn't seem to be a better fitting one and a similar question was asked here in 2007.

So I'm cleaning out the garage and found that some rats had made themselves at home on a corner where I had some bullets in boxes. The plastic boxes are ok after wiping off with alcohol, but there were a couple cardboard boxes. In one was 500 FMJ 9mm bullets, and in the other were 500 Lead flat point bullets.

The rats ate into the cardboard box with the lead flat points and made a nest IN the box. I haven't counted, but near as I can tell they may even have eaten some because I found a couple scattered around and a couple with teeth marks on them. I tossed the chewed ones in the melt bucket and then I picked out the rest and soaked them in alcohol to kill God only knows what rats leave behind, and because the alcohol is volatile and will evaporate with no residue.

The FMJ bullets have some that are darkened and some that are verdigrised from rat piss. I also soaked these in alcohol.

The question that I know has been asked before but some years ago, can I tumble these bullets to just clean them up before sizing and loading? Maybe 50 or 100 at a time or something? I don't want that verdigris reside in my dies for one thing... I also don't want to just melt down 1,000 bullets (or ~998 with what they ate and what they chewed), that cost good money.

On this subject (similar), there is also a box of 500 230 gr. lubed .45 bullets, either gifted or came in a deal with something else, that were in a box that allowed them to get dusty and dirty. What's the latest on cleaning and relubing these before sizing and loading? These are just dusty, and that dirt certainly got into the cannelure and lube.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

The answer is mostly "yes". I've tumbled gungy jacketed bullets on several occasions using either walnut hull media. But the lubed lead bullets are another matter, because the media will remove the lube, and if the lead is soft they may deform somewhat from bumping into themselves repeatedly during tumbling. I think what I'd do with that situation is to soak them in a pan of water and dish detergent for several hours, gently stir them around a few times, rinse them off and let them dry, then use Lee's tumble lube to re-lube them. If you're unfamiliar with that process it can be just as easy as putting them in an empty plastic cottage cheese tub, squirting some Lee Alox tumble lube over them, stirring them around until they're coated, and then spreading them out on some newspaper to dry. They're kind of ugly, but the lube works very well.