How to clean up smelted scrap bullet jackets?

[Hanzy4200]

Copper is sky high right now. Im sitting on probably 300 lbs of bullet jackets from smelting range scrap. Unlike some of you, I have a picky scrap yard owner. Even though maybe 5% of the jackets are brass or bimetal, he spots them every time. I need a way to shine them up so I can spot and pick out the non copper jackets. I'm sitting on a $1,000+ payday and need some advice.

[Brassmonkey]

Wet citric acid wash in cement mixer?

[Hanzy4200]

Ive experimented with the citric acid, and it definitely helps. No cement mixer though. I really don't want to run it in 5 lb batches in my little rotary.

[GregLaROCHE]

+1 on the cement mixer and some sort of acid. Hydrochloric for pools is cheap. If you don’t have your own mixer consider renting one if the copper is worth that much. Don’t say what you are using it for. It will probably be the first time one comes back cleaner than it left.

[milsurpcollector1970]

Did you get all the lead out of it. I reheated my jackets and dumped them out on a screen, got another pound of lead out of them I need to clean mine but I only have about 2 pounds.

[Soundguy]

magnet out any mild steel jackets.

[Brassmonkey]

+1 on the cement mixer and some sort of acid. Hydrochloric for pools is cheap. If you don’t have your own mixer consider renting one if the copper is worth that much. Don’t say what you are using it for. It will probably be the first time one comes back cleaner than it left.

Rental should be around 40$ for a few hours. good thinking.

[farmbif]

how far a ride is it to another scrap yard that is not associated with the one that don't want to treat you right. I know when I worked at scrap yard the only time stuff was scrutinized like that is when these oriental guys would show up from I don't know where and watch their containers of aluminum and irony aluminum were being loaded.
bullet jackets should probably be #2 copper, the same as salvaged copper pipe with fittings soldered on.

[Stewbaby]

No big mixer? Tie a bucket with lid strapped down to a tractor or other off-road vehicle rim and slowly drive around a little

[mdi]

Use the water/vinegar/salt/soap method in 5 gal buckets, or do you need to do the whole batch at once? I've cleaned brass off and on for many, many years using the "formula" and my cases come out clean enough to spot different alloys of brass, copper...

[GregLaROCHE]

Did you get all the lead out of it. I reheated my jackets and dumped them out on a screen, got another pound of lead out of them I need to clean mine but I only have about 2 pounds.

You can always squeeze a little more lead out of range scrap, but is it worth the cost of the propane or whatever is used to reheat it. Maybe if you are using free wood, but for me it’s best to let a little go and save the time and energy cost to get and process more.

[Walter Laich]

You can always squeeze a little more lead out of range scrap, but is it worth the cost of the propane or whatever is used to reheat it. Maybe if you are using free wood, but for me it’s best to let a little go and save the time and energy cost to get and process more.

+1 ▲ on this

[Hanzy4200]

Did you get all the lead out of it. I reheated my jackets and dumped them out on a screen, got another pound of lead out of them I need to clean mine but I only have about 2 pounds.

I use a big wok style strainer ladle in my smelting pot. I get nearly all of it. Only exception is when a bullet doesn't break it's jacket. Mostly those little .32 and .380 buggers.

Soundguy - I do use a magnet. It get's most of the bimetal out, but there's a brass colored stuff. I think it's mostly Montana Gold and Armscor stuff.

[milsurpcollector1970]

I wasn’t concerned about squeezing all the lead out. I assumed you wanted it out to get the best price from the scrapyard. Lead contaminated copper doesn’t bring as much $$

[Soundguy]

Yup..some places have a clean vs non cleaned copper price.