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Cleaning very tarnished brass cases

max2005
Gents:

Just got my hands on a bunch (ie - 1,000+) pieces of military 45 ACP once-fired brass that is VERY tarnished (some totally black!); after hours of tumbling in my vibrating tumbler I now have shiney BLACK brass - didn't cut the old tarnish one bit! Do you have a home remedy to soak-clean all this tarnished brass?

Thanks!
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Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • charliemeyer007
    Now that they are clean run them in a carbide sizer. You could then tumble them again. On the cheap vinager and salt will cut a lot, don't leave them in too long and rince well severel times.
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  • andrewsw16
    In the end, black ones shoot just as nicely as yellow ones. [:D]
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  • max2005
    Gents:

    After further inquiries and a few minutes on Google, I mixed up some ketchup, ghost pepper sauce, and a touch of white vinegar for good measure - and guess what?! - about 95% cleaner! Now, with the left-over that DID NOT get used to clean brass, I have a wicked BBQ sauce!

    Max!
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  • tsr1965
    Dropping them in some boiling water with a bunch of lemon juice, or just the vinegar would produce the same results. Citric acid is a great ORGANIC cleaner, that reduces oxides on copper based metals, such as brass.

    Be careful though, as you have removed quite a bit of the base metal, if they were oxidized that much.

    Best
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  • mrbruce
    A tumbler and stainless steel pins will have your brass squeaky clean in short order....
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  • steg
    Why not try to clean them chemicaly like you do silver?
    Fill an Aluminum pot 1/3 with water and heat. dissolve as much baking soda in the hot water as it will take. Then put enough of the brass to cover the bottom of the pot in a single layer. The tarnish should disappear where the brass contacts the aluminum metal, so you will have to stir the brass up a few times. This will take only a few minutes, and only requires the baking soda solution be hot and the brass contact the aluminum. You can also do this in a plastic bucket lined with aluminum foil.
    You will lose no metal with this method.
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