[mu2bdriver]

Has anyone tried the Iosso cleaner for their cartridges? I don't plan on doing a lot of reloading initially (but that's what everyone says) and am having a tough time justifying the cost of a tumbler. Iosso claims to be able to clean ~1500 rounds of brass for under $10. That would conceivable last me a while. Any thoughts?
Thanks

 

[Marshal Kane]

Don't have an Iosso setup and I've only heard things about it. My understanding is that it does a great job of cleaning the case both inside and out while a vibratory tumbler only cleans well on the outside. Drawback is the cases need to be dried before using and you are left with a tub of liquid cleaner to store where it's safe. Might also check what happens if you spill any of this on the wife's new carpeting. Hope someone familiar with Iosso can shed some light on this. Just my dos centavos.

 

[Mush from PA.]

I used the Iasso for a while and it cleans good. It burned my hands washing the brass and it took some rinsing to get the cleaner off the brass. If you forget the cases in the solution overnight (I did) it will pit the brass. No more than one hour then you must rinse.

I now use stright white vinegar overnight. It is cheap, easy to get, and works in a couple hours to overnight.

I save the plastic 50 round pistol ammo holders found in ammo boxes as drying racks. Get the ones that have a plastic cross strap at the bottom of the hole so you can use any size case in the rack. I put the rack in the sun or on top of the water heater in a pie pan because it will drip water for a while.

 

[Terry Koupe]

I use the Iosso system. I'm a small volume reloader, so I need to clean 50-100 at a time. Works great. To dry, I put them in the oven at about 200 for 10-15min. Haven't spilled any...yet! Vinegar sounds like a good idea.

 

[fguffey]

If brasso burns the hands, pits the brass, annoys the wife etc., etc., why use it?

I use vinegar on tough to get out stains, keep the lid on the jar it last a long time and before it is used to clean cases, you can use it on your salad or turns cucumbers into pickles. After cleaning cases in vinegar, rinse, dry and then tumble with corn or walnut media.

Vinegar: for under $5.00 a gallon.

F. Guffey

 

[zb338]

Hey Guffey,

Why bother with the vinegar if you have a tumbler?
Zeke

 

[fguffey]

"I use vinegar on tough to get out stains" Again, I purchased 1,400 30/06 cases for as little as .01 cent, another 800 on two belts for a little more, everyone there had the same opportunity but because of the critiquing eye that does not see good in anything the cases were available. The man I purchases the cases from informed me it would take a week of tumbling to remove the patina, I told him it would take me 15 minutes to get the cases to look once fired another two hours of rinsing, drying and tumbling to finish, after I gave him $14.00 for the cases.

I have no interest in running tumblers for days, back to the part where something pits the cases, so does vinegar, I use it once for the life of the case for 15 minutes max.



F. Guffey

 

[miestro_jerry]

I do 1,500 30-06 cases in a day in my Dillon 2000 series tumbler, crushed walnut shells and some flitz polish.

Jerry

 

[Mush from PA.]

On range brass that had been in the dirt for a while I always wash. It cleans the bad stains off. I decided to forgo the wash when I piclked up some range brass. I did not see that was full of mud. All the walnut media did was polish the end of the mud and I had a cases full of mud. I am glad I did not try to reload some of the mud filled cases. A wash is cheap insurance that I am starting with some quality of brass. With known brass that I just shot it goes into the tumbler with no question. Range brass goes into the wash first.

 

[gschwertley]

Birchwood-Casey also makes a liquid cleaner concentrate. It's a mild solution of phosphoric acid (such as the bullet manufacturers use as part of the jacket making process). I've used it for years and once mixed, you can reuse it over and over again until it gets too dirty and by that time, you've lost some of it that goes out with the cases each time they are removed. Yes, thorough rinsing is required. I don't mind the drying time involved; I'm never in a hurry to do anything related to reloading.

The Birchwood-Casey settles out in storage with the dirt/residue going to the bottom, so it's pretty easy to pour clean fluid out for the next use. I keep it in a plastic Gator-Aide jug or similar.

Cases that have lain out on the desert or forest floor for extended periods that have turned brown can be cleaned to a kinda pink color, as some of the zinc has been leached out of the surface of the brass by ambient ammonia present in nature.

I don't go anywhere near carpet when I'm involved in reloading. Like bullet casting, I do my case cleaning outdoors where water is abundant and messes are minimized.