Cleaning cartridges

[Aravaipa Al, SASS #39492]

I paid a company to load some. 45-60 cartridges for me (I won't name the company-- long story). The cartridges seem "dirty", as if there's too much lube on them and it attracted dirt and held it. I want to clean the cartridges before I try cycling them through my rifle. I'm thinking of using mineral spirits to do this. Is this a good method, or is there something better?

[The Rainmaker, SASS #11631]

I've used Nevr-dull wadding polish on some loaded cartridges I had that I wanted to shine up a bit; worked great.

https://eagleone.com/products/all-metal-polish/

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Mineral spirits are fine....don't soak them though, if the crimp is weak, fluid can get into the powder or even primer. 

 

I  clean ALL my loaded ammo in my vibratory bowl cleaner to remove bullet and case lube left on them, with lizard litter, a dryer sheet and a cap of mineral spirits in the full bowl.   In 30 minutes, clean and even polished, and never had a failure to fire (or damage to the rounds). 

 

good luck, GJ

[Aravaipa Al, SASS #39492]

Thanks, Joe, that sounds good. 

[watab kid]

you should be able to clean the outside with a rag and some guncleaner , just dont use so much that it might leach into the case , ive removed verdigri from pold ammo that way,,,,,,,,,or just a dry cloth

Edited March 19, 2025 by watab kid

[Dapper Dave]

16 hours ago, The Rainmaker, SASS #11631 said:

I've used Nevr-dull wadding polish on some loaded cartridges I had that I wanted to shine up a bit; worked great.

https://eagleone.com/products/all-metal-polish/

Nevr-Dull, ouch. I shined a LOT of brass in the military with Nevr-Dull, hate that smell.  

[The Rainmaker, SASS #11631]

Haha, how do you think I know about it? Damned water fountain... 😆

[Frontier Lone Rider]

I wipe all of my brass after sizing with alcohol and paper towels to remove the brass lube.  The alcohol evaporates not leaving anything to mix with the powder.  I assume that this would work on loaded ammo as well. 

[Rance - SASS # 54090]

I do the same as Garrison Joe..

Put ‘em in my vibrator fer about a half hour..

Just sayin’..

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

I have been using Hornady one shot case lube spray long before I ever started shooting Cowboy Action in 2003.  Have never cleaned my loaded rounds before using them.

[Choctaw Jack]

I wet tumble, use carbide dies, and powder coat my bullets.

No more bullet lube residue.

It's a long way around to accomplish the same end, but it works for me.

Choctaw

[Mogollon Munk,SASS#303]

At work we have always recommended tumbling loaded ammo for 10-15 minutes in plain corncob with a couple of tablespoons of alcohol added. This will remove most case lubes. 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

3 hours ago, Rance - SASS # 54090 said:

I do the same as Garrison Joe..

Put ‘em in my vibrator fer about a half hour..

Just sayin’..

If for some reason I have dirty ammo, I find that this does the trick very well.   Yeah, the bullets get oddly colored, but the dirt on the brass, is gone.
 

That being said, I've not had to do this a lot.   If I have to lube brass to resize, for example, after resizing, that's when it goes into the tumbler to clean it, not before.

[Aravaipa Al, SASS #39492]

Well, I FINALLY got some Lizard Litter and tried this method, and it worked great! Thanks, Garrison Joe. I did make one change, though-- you recommended "one CAP" of mineral spirits, and that seemed like it would be way to little. So I used on CUP. And again, it worked great.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

My local pet store sells more lizard litter to hand loaders than reptile owners.  I switched to Harbor Freight's walnut blasting media.  It's less expensive.

[Frontier Lone Rider]

On 3/19/2025 at 6:08 AM, Dapper Dave said:

Nevr-Dull, ouch. I shined a LOT of brass in the military with Nevr-Dull, hate that smell.  

I have never heard of Nevr-Dull, but we used bunches of Brasso.  And, yes it has an odor also.

[Rip Snorter]

A tablespoon of Brasso in either the Thumlers Tumbler or RCBS Vibratory does the trick for me with cases. So far as I can tell it has not harmed even long stored reloads. Tumbling loaded cartridges has been rare and brief. Generally an idea that had possible safety issues according to various sources.

Edited September 6 by Rip Snorter
Clarity

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

I have from time to time dropped a loaded cartridge into the tumbler with my empty brass.  Cleans it up just fine.  The lead bullet will be "discolored" a little but any issue that made you think of it as dirty will be gone.  Never done it with more and half a dozen cartridges at once, and only with blunt nosed pistol bullets.

[Eyesa Horg]

I used to run all my reloads for a few minutes in a vibratory tumbler to get the Dillon lube off. Using corn cob and a splash or two of mineral spirits I'm now just using the Hornaday Case lube. Learned it from the Dillon Web site.

[Dapper Dave]

I used Brasso in JROTC, smelled, but didn't bother me much. Now the linseed oil we had to oil the stocks on the 1903A3s with...

[Griff]

4 hours ago, Frontier Lone Rider said:

I have never heard of Nevr-Dull...

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

I use a big squirt of Turtle Wax Polishing Compound.

Never a issue in 30+ years of use.

[Tall John]

On 3/19/2025 at 10:19 AM, Rance - SASS # 54090 said:

I do the same as Garrison Joe..

Put ‘em in my vibrator fer about a half hour..

Just sayin’..

THIS 👆👆👆👆

[watab kid]

is there something abought shinny that is required above clean ? im not that guy , dont need shinny 

[Rip Snorter]

Jewels not necessary, but clean / a little shiny feeds better, IMHO and experience.

[Lucky R. K.]

For empty fired brass I put 3 caps full of mineral spirits and 3 caps full of water in my Lyman tumbler filled with walnut hull media. I then run the tumbler overnight. Next day the brass looks like new.  For loaded cartridges with a smidge of lube on them, I just wipe them off with a dry cloth. There is no need for polish, cleaners etc., the cloth alone will do the job.

Lucky 😁

[Dusty Sights, SASS # 2782]

On 9/6/2026 at 6:43 PM, watab kid said:

is there something abought shinny that is required above clean ? im not that guy , dont need shinny 

In over 50 years of reloading I have never tumbled my brass.  I do wash them and they are clean but they are not shiny.  They are smooth to the touch and function like any other cartridge in revolvers, lever rifles and semi auto pistols. 

Some of the older brass has quite the patina.  

[watab kid]

1 hour ago, Dusty Sights, SASS # 2782 said:

In over 50 years of reloading I have never tumbled my brass.  I do wash them and they are clean but they are not shiny.  They are smooth to the touch and function like any other cartridge in revolvers, lever rifles and semi auto pistols. 

Some of the older brass has quite the patina.  

i do tumble but im not adding any other stuff to get them shiny - lots of mine have patina as well 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

On 9/6/2026 at 8:27 AM, Aravaipa Al, SASS #39492 said:

I did make one change, though-- you recommended "one CAP" of mineral spirits, and that seemed like it would be way to little.

Nope, I really did mean a capful.  Right off the top of the thinner can.  Just enough to get the dirt and lube to soften enough for the litter to clean it up.  More is unwise.  And wasteful, and flammable.  And, soaking the media leads to the media only slowly drying out which then sticks inside the cases, leaving clumps of media to interfere with reloading even daya later!  I run the tub until the litter is dry of thinner to prevent that.  good luck, GJ

Edited September 9 by Garrison Joe, SASS #60708

[Lucky R. K.]

Everybody has their favorite recipe for the tumbler. Mine is walnut media with three caps full of mineral spirits and three caps full of water, measured with the mineral spirits can lid. I run the tumbler over night and the next day, the brass is shiny and the media is quite dry,

Lucky 😁

[watab kid]

i do add used dryer sheets to my tumbler - seems to control the dust and adds a little bit less mess on the cases 

[Gimpy Draw]

On 9/6/2026 at 6:43 PM, watab kid said:

is there something abought shinny that is required above clean ? im not that guy , dont need shinny 

Lube residue on the cartridges transfers to the chamber.  Lube, once it dries out a bit, is kind of sticky, attracts dirt and dust.  I have to clean my guns enough.  Don't want to add more cleaning time on top of it or shorten the round count between cleanings.

[Dusty Sights, SASS # 2782]

A good way to prevent lube residue, is to use and wash off the water soluble lube after resizing the brass case. 

When dry, the cartridge cases are free of resizing lube residue.  At this point, I proceed with the remainder of the reloading process. 

[Tall John]

I wet tumble dirty brass for about an hour with an FA wash pod to get rid of the burnt powder and Lead Styphenate primer residue.

 I then deprime using a Lee APP press and then wet tumble a second time with pins, chips and diagonals and an FA wash pod to remove the toxic Lead styphenate from  the pockets to keep my reloading bench and press clean.  
 

Lead Styphenate is highly toxic.  

IMHO, I would NEVER dry tumble dirty brass indoors,  I don’t care what you add to your media.  Dryer sheets help but that dust still goes airborne, at least using my Hornady tumbler does.

 

if you are a real active shooter and shoot multiple matches per month and spend a lot of time at your reloading bench,  adding a heavy metals test to your annual bloodwork is highly advisable,  You have to request it!

[watab kid]

20 hours ago, Gimpy Draw said:

Lube residue on the cartridges transfers to the chamber.  Lube, once it dries out a bit, is kind of sticky, attracts dirt and dust.  I have to clean my guns enough.  Don't want to add more cleaning time on top of it or shorten the round count between cleanings.

OK i get that , but the lube is on the bullets not the cases at least mine is , my cases are clean - just not shiny