Citric acid brass cleaner

[sharkey]

Im using the Lemishine and Ajax wash mix with hot water and pins in the larger Franklin Armory Tumbler. The last couple of washes have been 800 or so decapped 45acp cases, run for 3 hours. Ive dialed back the detergent and the Lemishine because I was getting slightly tinted orange brass (too much acid leeches the bismuth or zinc out) used with copper to make the case. 1/2 of a 9mm case of Lemishine and two squirts of Ajax dish detergent to a little more than one gallon of hot water. I limit the pins to 1 cup. Cases come out looking new.

Pour the tumbler into a bucket and capture the pins with an old speaker magnet. The pins seem to remove the primer lead that tarnishes the inside of the case near the flash hole.

[Kentucky146]

I have used critic acid for years, picked it up off you tube. Works great

[fatfudd]

Thanks for the info!

[Shiloh]

Been using it in place of dilute muriatic acid for dirty brass. 53¢ an ounce bulk food section.
Works wonderfully.

Shiloh

[Bill M]

Just noticed this thread, I don't usually have brass tarnished enough to need anything other than Nu Finish in the tumbler. When in the Navy, I cooked for a while, and found out the duty of the cooks was to keep the ships bell shined! When it was my turn, my buddy said "no problem, just get a pan of warm water, and pour some Cool-Aid mix in it", sure enough, I sponged the bell after splashing it with the Cool-Aid mix, and it was bright brass! The warming trays we served food from were above copper pipes covered in water, once a week we added some Kool-Aid mix to the water, and kept the copper shining.
Later years, I had a brass prop for my boat that my buddy thought we ought to shine, I told him about the Cool-Aid, he didn't believe me, he ended up buying the beer!

[challenger_i]

Just don't drink the Kool-Aide after you soak your brass in it. Has a bit of a tart taste to it...

[jonp]

Lemon unsweetened cool aid works good. I keep a 2 lb bag of citric acid at camp. Right now I'm doing some pistol brass while sitting on the deck

[paul edward]

in addition to citric acid, I first wash cases in Tri Sodium Phosphate. The TSP will dissolve any oil and grease from brass cases; The oil and grease hold sand and other abrasives to brass cases and can scratch reloading dies. As I use a lot of range pickup brass, this ensures that I will have clean brass cases to load.

[leon22]

I learned a lot of new knowledge!

[jednorris]

I shoot Black Powder cartridge and generally wire brush the inside of the case after it is shot. About every five, I use this method to completely clean the inside.

[Hi-Speed]

I fill a clean Spaghetti sauce jar with 2 tablespoons of Citric Acid add 2/3 water and drop in 50 de primed 45 ACP cases. Shake around, come back a couple of hours or so, shake some more and let sit overnight. (1) Dump in container flush with cold clean water (2) dump brass on clean dry towel, wrap to close and shake to remove excess water inside towel (3) dump shells on dry clean towel and air dry outside in the sun (or in garage).

[jonp]

I just reduced the amount of citric acid to 1/4 tsp on advice from here. With a little Dawn the brass came out quite nice

[jsizemore]

Is that a 1/4 tsp to a gallon of hot water?

[jonp]

I used a 1/4 tsp to a pot of hot water. Didn't measure and it made no difference I could see as the brass cleaned up nice and dull shiny

[jsizemore]

I've got around 8 different size pots. Should have it covered.

[ChrisMChristian]

Just don't drink the Kool-Aide after you soak your brass in it. Has a bit of a tart taste to it...

NOW, you tell me. I can't get that taste out of my mouth now, haha

[Mandoair]

When I started using CA a few years ago I was amazed how quickly and efficiently it cleaned. NOW I’M REALLY SORRY I ruined so much brass. Nothing cleans like CA but it etches the brass and makes it really sticky in the sizer. Especially 556 and most likely worse for longer brass. My $.02 worth.

[billmc2]

When I started using CA a few years ago I was amazed how quickly and efficiently it cleaned. NOW I’M REALLY SORRY I ruined so much brass. Nothing cleans like CA but it etches the brass and makes it really sticky in the sizer. Especially 556 and most likely worse for longer brass. My $.02 worth.

What I do with the brass after finishing with the citric acid is to let it sit in a large quantity of fresh water for a bit agitating it once in a while. Then I'll rinse it again in fresh water. After it dries, I consider it good to go; some pieces may a a slight white powder like substance on them but that has never interfered with anything, that I'm aware of.

[Butcherbill]

I used a 1/4 tsp to a pot of hot water. Didn't measure and it made no difference I could see as the brass cleaned up nice and dull shiny

Seems like a lot to me, when I wet tumble I might add a 45auto case full of citric acid and a couple drops of blue dawn to the big Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler. Brass comes out looking new and with the bare minimum of soap I’m not spending much time rinsing, I don’t find much citric acid is needed.

[dondiego]

Seems like a lot to me, when I wet tumble I might add a 45auto case full of citric acid and a couple drops of blue dawn to the big Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler. Brass comes out looking new and with the bare minimum of soap I’m not spending much time rinsing, I don’t find much citric acid is needed.

A 45 case is probably a teaspoon!