Citric acid brass cleaner

[toallmy]

Odette you can use hot tap water , it will work , but I don't know about the loaded ammo . But I like the citrus acid because it removes the lube on my fired brass so fast and easy .

[waksupi]

I've been using Oxyclean. Stainless steel pins, in a Harbor Freight tumbler. I apparently had put a bit much in the tumblers last time. I turned on the tumbler, and within two minutes, both had blown off the caps, making a hell of a mess. I assume it was a build up of pressure from the cleaner. So, I will be a bit more careful in measuring the amount in the future!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have some 30 yr old loaded rounds that have tarnish and some have corrosion in spots. If I smear beeswax on primers and place rounds neck deep in this solution, will they clean and go bang when trigger is pulled. Does solution have to be boiling hot or can hot tap water be used.
Please email me with any input: odette@wctatel.net

I heat my citric solution in a designated crock pot (no longer used for food), to near boiling, Beeswax would melt. You could try using a cold solution, it doesn't work as fast. Personally, I wouldn't fart around with that 30 yr old ammo, if it's too far gone to put in your gun as is, then pull it apart.

...And Corrosion? Hot or cold, Citric ain't gonna do much or anything with that.

[blackhawk man]

I've been decapping with the lee universal decapper before the citric acid soak. Today, I forgot and just dumped the cases in without decapping. Oops. Oh well, I guess they will just take a little longer to dry this time and I'll save the extra step.

[ikarus1]

citric acid replaced lemishine as soon as A I realized that's the main ingredient in lemishine B realized my local Wally stocked a large amount for a fraction of the cost of the LS C it worked as well or better than lemishine in my wet tumbling setup

Granted I use it more for the brass shining part than the water softening part. Citric acid plus armorall car wash and wax plus stainless pin tumbling = like new brass with a wax protective coating to resist tarnish and make carbide pistol brass resizing so much smoother.

[pjames32]

Not sure I'd try loaded rounds in citric acid. Let us know if they go bang after the soak.

[Whitespider]

After reading this entire thread, over the course of three days, I gave this citric acid thing a shot... I have to say I really like what it does for the inside of the case and even the primer pockets.

I had a gallon bucket a bit over half full of resized/decapped 9mm Luger. I filled the bucket with hot tap water to pre-warm the brass and filled another bucket about ¾ with hot tap water (we have HOT water) with two tablespoons citric acid. I drained water from the bucket of brass and dumped it into the citric acid solution... little shaking and stirring, and walked away for about a ½ hour or so.

After draining and rinsing several times I dumped the brass out on a towel in the shop with a small fan blowing over them. The next day I changed the corn cob media in my vibrator (it was time anyway)... plain, untreated corn cob... and tossed the brass in for awhile (didn't time it... maybe 3 hours?). Now this brass had been run through the vibrator before resizing, but some of it was still pretty "dark" and most of the insides were black. This stuff came out of the post-wash vibrator looking like factory new on the outside, not even any resizing marks. Most primer pockets are amazingly clean (not spotless, but really clean), and the insides of the cases are even cleaner. I had 3 cases that have a little "pinkish/reddish" tint... I'm assuming those were "black" going into the wash.

I really like what it does for the inside of the case. Auto pistol brass ends up on the ground, and ya' just never know what ends up inside them. Heck, often I find one I missed from who knows how long ago.
The only down side was unplugging a few flash holes... but my 9-year-old helped me sort out the plugged ones so it went pretty fast.
I don't know if it's something I'd mess with every time, for all cartridges... but I can see where an occasional citric acid "bath" would be beneficial. Without any doubt, any range pick-ups or brass of unknown history I receive will automatically get a "bath" before final inspection/culling.
*

[Steamin]

What are your thoughts on the citric bath with this brass?
I'm gonna swing by and pick some up this evening after work and I'm going to give it a try, both the lemishine and the citric. I'll let you know how it goes in a couple of days.

[David2011]

I have some 30 yr old loaded rounds that have tarnish and some have corrosion in spots. If I smear beeswax on primers and place rounds neck deep in this solution, will they clean and go bang when trigger is pulled. Does solution have to be boiling hot or can hot tap water be used.
Please email me with any input: odette@wctatel.net

Odette,

You didn't say what kind of ammo or how many rounds you're talking about. If you are 100% certain of what is in the cartridges you can probably clean it but I would not use citric acid on loaded ammo. If you insist then consider using a purpose-made primer sealer rather than beeswax. I would chuck it up in a Lee Universal 3 Jaw Chuck (http://leeprecision.com/3-jaw-chuck.html) and spin it with a drill. Use some fine Scotchbrite abrasive pad to polish the brass, available at auto parts stores. You could add a little Flitz polish to the Scotchbrite. If the corrosion has pitted the brass then pull the bullets, pop the primers in a firearm and scrap the brass.



Steamin,

Welcome to CastBoolits! You have little to lose by trying. JonB in Glencoe is right about using warm citric acid solution, a little Lemishine plus the citric acid combined. Last time I used the citric acid solution I heated it to about 150-160 degrees because I was treating a LOT of brass. I bought 3000 pieces of military surplus brass that had laid in the weather until it was all dark brown and some had corrosion. I also had a full size paper grocery bag of brass that was well tarnished so altogether there was a lot to treat. At that temperature it works almost instantly. Corrosion will become a pink copper color due to the loss of zinc in the brass. If it polishes out in a vibratory or tumbler polisher and doesn't leave pits the brass is OK. If it has pits I would put it in the scrap brass box.

[Whitespider]

What are your thoughts on the citric bath with this brass?

The "greenish" lookin' ones are likely toast (but maybe not)... the rest should clean up nicely.
There's no reason to pick up both Lemi Shine and citric acid... it's the citric acid in Lemi Shine that does the work.
*

[David2011]

I could be wrong but I think the benefit of Lemishine is that it acts as a wetting agent and is compatible with citric acid. I once tried it alone and it didn't work like citric acid. Warmed, citric acid alone is very active.

[Steamin]

Here is the first batch after 40 minutes in the citric acid bath, I'll take a pic of them after the tumbler -- they are smooth with no pitting, still the same color as the one attached, just smooth.

[62chevy]

Here is the first batch after 40 minutes in the citric acid bath, I'll take a pic of them after the tumbler -- they are smooth with no pitting, still the same color as the one attached, just smooth.

Yup the tumbler should clean them right up to a shiny finish.

[Steamin]

This is post tumbling, about 6-8 hours on a 4 hour timer.

[62chevy]

This is post tumbling, about 6-8 hours on a 4 hour timer.

My results have been much better than that with 6 to 8 hours in the tumbler.

[Grmps]

odette, I agree with David, chuck the rounds and spin with scotch brite. I would never put loaded rounds (that I wanted to shoot) in any liquid). I have lightly cleaned loaded rounds in a tumbler with dry media (never a vibrator, that breaks down the powder).

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

This is post tumbling, about 6-8 hours on a 4 hour timer.

Do you add any brass polish to the media?

[Steamin]

JonB -- No, just walnut media.

62chevy -- I would of thought the same thing, trying to decide if another citric bath or just pitch em.

[deadeye ruck]

What would it hurt? It already looks pretty rough

[62chevy]

JonB -- No, just walnut media.

62chevy -- I would of thought the same thing, trying to decide if another citric bath or just pitch em.

I use the Lyman corn cob so not sure what is in it but it is green in color. try some braso on one and see what that does then go from there.