Citric acid brass cleaner

[blackthorn]

Did you add heaping teaspoons or level teaspoons?

[Doc Highwall]

I used one level table spoon per quart which is a mild solution, you could even double that. You have to take into consideration how long you are going to let the cases soak, if you want to do it for a short time you will need a stronger solution that will require more safety measures. One thing I would do is make sure that the primer is removed first by either sizing or a universal decapping die. Another thing I learned here is to use Lizard litter from Petco in the tumbler that does not get stuck in the flash holes, just one half hour in the tumbler after the Lemi Shine and a rinse in water the cases are nice and clean.

[DLCTEX]

I cleaned up several thousand cases a friend brought me from a range. Some of it had probably been there for a few years and was dark brown. Twenty minutes in the crock pot with Lemi Shine took the tarnish off and the dark ones are reddish colored. I put the darker ones in the tumbler first and will take a look after a while. The just dirty ones are shiny already.
The brown ones that turned reddish came out of the tumbler a coppery brass color and look great.

[WallyM3]

Somewhere else in this thread, I think, is the advice that the copper colored blotches after immersion indicate areas of zinc loss from corrosion.

If they polish out, then no harm.

If they don't, then the case could be suspect.

Frankly, I've seen few such spots so far that don't disappear on tumbling. I mean to find some nasty brass to make a test. The WWII 50s my brother-in-law brought up from a Florida dive are too far gone.

[wistlepig1]

I am at 8 tsp's per gallon, the case are nice and clean in and out but the pocket remain dirty. The pockets DO clean much easier now. The brass is clean but not shiny but I would guess that a short trip in a case viberator would take care of that----- if so inclined.

[WallyM3]

wist: that's been my experience, too. I get eye-popping cases, inside and out, but it seems that there isn't a chemically friendly "magic bullet" for the primer pockets.

I find I still need to mechanically clean them somehow.

Pretty tragic, eh? (LOL) I've started doing a double wash. That is, before and after the primer pocket cleaning. I do start with decapped cases.

[sagacious]

I recently cleaned some military brass with dirty primer pockets. It was once-fired (staked primers) but was very old. The primer residue in the pockets was pretty crusty from sitting so long in a humid storage area before I got the brass. The citric solution completely dissolved the primer residue and the gunk even fizzed a bit as it dissolved. Cleaned right down to the metal. I was pleasantly surprised.

Accumulated primer residue from repeated firings is a whole 'nother animal, but adding the citric wash to one's routine may be of considerable use here.

I have been regularly cleaning my rifle brass with an acid wash-- either the BC phoshporic/glycolic wash, or the citric wash for years. I have noticed that the primer ash does not seem to build up to a point that I have to clean the primer pockets separately. Some of the remaining residue seems to flake off on it's own after the acid wash and drying, as though the acid wash loosens it. It may be that the next primer firing blasts much of the loosened/flaked gunk out so that it doesn't build up.

[wistlepig1]

I recently cleaned some military brass with dirty primer pockets. It was once-fired (staked primers) but was very old. The primer residue in the pockets was pretty crusty from sitting so long in a humid storage area before I got the brass. The citric solution completely dissolved the primer residue and the gunk even fizzed a bit as it dissolved. Cleaned right down to the metal. I was pleasantly surprised.

Accumulated primer residue from repeated firings is a whole 'nother animal, but adding the citric wash to one's routine may be of considerable use here.

I have been regularly cleaning my rifle brass with an acid wash-- either the BC phoshporic/glycolic wash, or the citric wash for years. I have noticed that the primer ash does not seem to build up to a point that I have to clean the primer pockets separately. Some of the remaining residue seems to flake off on it's own after the acid wash and drying, as though the acid wash loosens it. It may be that the next primer firing blasts much of the loosened/flaked gunk out so that it doesn't build up.

I think I well add it to my regular case prep. Once cleaned good I might get better results on the pockets. I was testing with some nasty "range pickups"

[Edubya]

I have been regularly cleaning my rifle brass with an acid wash-- either the BC phoshporic/glycolic wash, or the citric wash for years. I have noticed that the primer ash does not seem to build up to a point that I have to clean the primer pockets separately. Some of the remaining residue seems to flake off on it's own after the acid wash and drying, as though the acid wash loosens it. It may be that the next primer firing blasts much of the loosened/flaked gunk out so that it doesn't build up.

Folks Take note:Sagacious has been holding out on you for almost a year now~! Are we going to let him by with this? Isn't there some way to get the rest of his secrets out of him? Maybe we can "waterboard" him!
EW

[nighthunter]

I haven't read every post but I did read most. I have a question. If the citric acid solution goes down the drain after useing it how will it effect my septic system? I'm sure I'm not the only person here that could use an answer to this.

Nighthunter

[sagacious]

Folks Take note:Sagacious has been holding out on you for almost a year now~! Are we going to let him by with this? Isn't there some way to get the rest of his secrets out of him? Maybe we can "waterboard" him!
EW

Oh no, the jig is up! Alright, but if it comes to waterboarding, be sure to use Johnny Walker Black. Anything less will just make me angry.

[sagacious]

I haven't read every post but I did read most. I have a question. If the citric acid solution goes down the drain after useing it how will it effect my septic system? I'm sure I'm not the only person here that could use an answer to this.

Nighthunter

Nighthunter,
Yes, that is an important question. I mention septic system compatibility in post #74. It's buried way back in there. A search for "septic" will turn it up (click "show post").

Fortunately, citric acid is biodegradable and mild solutions appear totally safe for septic systems. It biodegrades without any effluent treatment process and without creating any toxins.

Some drain cleaners listed as "septic safe" and "gray water safe" apparently use up to 15% citric acid, with a pH of 2.0, which is much stronger than anything needed to clean the most dirty, tarnished brass. The brass cleaning solutions recommended here (1 or 2 tsps per quart water) are fairly mild, and less acidic than lemon juice. So, no worries about septic system damage. Citric acid is not like bleach or antimicrobial soaps. Lemishine, which uses citric acid, is listed as safe for septic systems.

If one uses a strong solution, it can be diluted with more water before pouring down the drain. If one is still somewhat anxious about citric acid, the solution can be neutralized with baking soda. I find that it takes twice the amount of baking soda as citric acid to neutralize the solution, so if you use 2tsps citric per quart, add 4tsps baking soda per quart to neutralize.

Hope this helps, good luck.

[Rock]

Why are you de-priming your dirty cases before cleaning them?

I would think a goal is to keep the junk/crud/abrasives out of the sizing dies. Thus I planned to citric acid wash, dry, tumble, then head to the sizing/depriming die.

What am I missing here?

[WallyM3]

my case (NPI), it is to expose the primer pocket to the cleaner. I use one of the decapping-only dies, clean, dry, then size.

[wistlepig1]

my case (NPI), it is to expose the primer pocket to the cleaner. I use one of the decapping-only dies, clean, dry, then size.

That's what I do to and for the same reason.

[pjh421]

This is an excellent thread. I just collected the stuff to do this yesterday and processed my first batch today. Works great!

Just to keep it simple I use a quarter cup measuring cup to mix a gallon in a crock pot my wife let me have. I made a strainer for the brass to sit in while cleaning from a plastic ice cream bucket. Thanks!

Paul

[sagacious]

my case (NPI), it is to expose the primer pocket to the cleaner. I use one of the decapping-only dies, clean, dry, then size.

That's the way I do it. Helps keep grit out of the sizing dies. Good luck.

[cbrick]

I didn't find any citric acid locally so I ordered it online, should have it by the end of the week.

In my first trials with the Hornady sonic cleaner and solution I had de-capped the brass with a universal decap die to clean the pockets. In my last trial I didn't decap, since I clean/uniform all primer pockets with a Sinclair primer pocket uniforming tool it didn't matter if the solution cleaned the pocket or not. As a side note, with the primer still in it did soften the primer residue but again, with the Sinclair tool it didn't matter.

Rick

[bdbullets]

I am a meat cutter in a small store here and we carry citric acid in the canning supplies. It comes in a 5 oz. container and costs about $3.50. It is made by Wage's. If anyone can't find it PM me and I will get it for you for my cost plus shipping.
Bryan

[Reloader06]

I have been a proponent of vinegar for a while now. Not any more this is MUCH better/easier. Thanks for all the info. Gotta love this place!

Matt