Citric Acid Cleaning for Brass

[4095fanatic]

Just tried it myself... worked like a charm.

Credit due to:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?83572-Citric-acid-brass-cleaner

Before:

After:

Also posted a finished pic of all the brass together in the Water Cooler (and here):

 

[Pinecone]

I am not a big fan of chemical cleaning of brass.

An acid can remove different metals at different rates, meaning the the case is no long the same brass. And considering the pressures, I would rather not do that.

Mechanical cleaning (tumbling, vibration, or ultrasonic) removes everything at the same rate.

 

[Major03]

I think as long as your cleaning liquid doesn't have ammonia in it (like Brasso does) you're good to go. I use a little of the Frankford Arsenal cleaner that came with a tumbler kit I bought a couple of years ago and that is citric acid based.

All that said, to Pinecone's point, the brass doesn't need to be super shiny it just needs to be clean to protect your dies and chamber and so that you can inspect it.

I like mine looking as new as possible too.