Just cleaned the dirtiest cases I've ever cleaned, dang they were hard

[omgb]

I received about 300 GI 3006 cases from an estate. The old gentleman must have used a lanolin based home made bullet lube to lube the cases before depriming. They were dark, sticky and nasty. I tumbled them in my Thumbler's machine using stainless bearings, sudsless soap and Lemishine. 12 hours later they were still a mess. I changed the water, rinsed everything, added more soap and lemishine and ran them 6 hours more. Much better but not quite right. I rinsed them in hot water, cleaned the media, added more soap and lemishine and am running them another 6 hours. Geez, this is a tough batch.

[leeggen]

I think I would dip them in some laquire thinner first then run through the media. The thinner will remove anything sticky.
CD

[Handloader109]

I had a couple of batches of 223 cases that I bought off of a fella here. First couple were not too bad, used some citric acid and dawn. Cleaned well, the other batch I tried to clean, didn't work, dried and tried corn cob didn't do much either thenwent back and only dawned in wet tumbler. Came out great. Don't know why it took three tries......

[NC_JEFF]

Sounds like some sorta lube/preservative was used to keep the brass from tarnishing, and it sounds like it dried out over time. I'm glad it came clean.

[dikman]

Yep, I would have used mineral turps, lacquer thinner, petrol first - something that's a bit stronger than soapy water!

24 hours of tumbling......:shock:.

[omgb]

Hindsight, always 20 freak'n 20

[runfiverun]

never put lanolin in a pin tumbler.
you're gonna be cleaning the pins and the case for 2 day's to get everything clean.

you did know that lanolin is anhydrous meaning it repels water.
there is some that is called hydrous but it's more a partial descriptor.

[MaryB]

maybe that is why those 380 cases I wet tumbled took 5 washes of dish soap to get clean... final tumble was with citric acid and dish soap.

[omgb]

Dang...I'm pi$$ed. On close inspection mo0st of those cases I just busted my hump to clean are 1942 and 1945 GI. That means mercuric primers and brittle brass. What a bummer!

[fatelk]

No, they would not have had mercuric primers. The corrosive primers used in WWII were not mercuric and typically would not harm brass. I've used plenty of WWII brass without problem.

if you're concerned that they might be brittle just anneal them. I started out reloading WWII 30-06 brass 25 years ago. I did have one batch someone gave me that was brittle and cracked, but someone else had previously formed them into .270 many years earlier, so that might have had something to do with it.

[zuke]

I resized a bunch 7.62 fired in MG's using lanoline. First try to clean was a mess in my SS tumbler. From then on I sized'em all them let'em soak in gasoline for a week last Jaunary. It was -35 and I was in no rush to go get them. I dried them out outside then tumbled as normal in the SS media and they came out as new!

[lightman]

I have in the past stored resized cases with the lube on them, thinking it may add to the corrosion resistance. It can be hard to get off but I just spray them with brake cleaner before tumbling. Now days, the car polish that I use in the tumbler keeps the cases from tarnishing. Any type of solvent should cut case lube.

[blikseme300]

I always use Lanolin/alcohol for case lube and I have never had any issues using a pin tumbler to clean the cases. Must be doing something wrong.

[MtGun44]

NOT mercuric primers in those years. Corrosive, yes, but not mercuric. I think
mercuric military primers were gone by the end of the 19th century.

You will have to swage the pockets, though, they will have crimped in primers.