...next question!

[dromia]

That ammonia story is interesting.

Yes chemically ammonia will degrade brass and on the face of it shouldn't be put anywhere near cases.

Interestingly in days gone by myself and most shooters I knew, in our ignorance, used Brasso in our media for tumbling and did so for years and years, both rifle and pistol, with no noticeable degradation of the brass. In fact I'm still using some 303 brass that was regularly tumbled in Brasso treated medium with no ill effects. All I can think is that the amount of ammonia in a soup spoon of Brasso in a tumbler full of media isn't of sufficient strength to make the theory work. I went to T-cut or whatever similar product the local car place has in cheap because it was easier to get than Brasso.

There is a lot of stuff like this around where the theory and practice seems to differ.

I like to use Simple Green as an all purpose cleaner and degreaser around the gun and casting rooms. It is said and says so on the labels that it will degrade aluminium and I have no reason to dispute this but it is one of the best mould cleaners I know including aluminium, it is the only thing that works for me if I have the misfortune to use a lee mould with its low spec highly porous aluminium that seeps cutting oil forever. There is no degradation of my aluminium moulds using Simple Green.

We are told that there should be no air gaps in BP loaded cases and guns, I don't subscribe to this myself and will happily leave up to a 10% of case volume air gap in BP cartridges, rash maybe, but Greener in his Book of the Gun finds no problem with it and he was writing in the days when BP was the only propellant so I think he knew what he was talking about. I myself have successfully loaded thousands and thousands of BP rounds this way over the years base on Greener's recommendations

Also you now need special powder dispensers for BP, funny that when in days gone by everyone used the iron Ideals, Belding and Mulls and whatever else was around with no problem and modern testing has been done to show just how hard it is to ignite BP with a spark.

Seems to me such practices are more a product of a litigious society than common sense or knowledge from actual use.

Now take heed!!! I am not recommending any one do any of what I have just described above and if you do then it is upon your own head and I can take no responsibility for such rashness!

Be warned or I could suffer from a catastrophic case of solicitor burns.

[Watcher]

Just checked the web site for my local pet warehouse - five litres of corn cob substrate for a fiver!

[dromia]

Just checked the web site for my local pet warehouse - five litres of corn cob substrate for a fiver!

Is that good? How much is five litres in lbs?

[DOGGER2UK]

Do any of you use ultrasonic cleaners?

[DaveT]

Do any of you use ultrasonic cleaners?

Yes and they do work BUT you need a fairly industrial strength model AND they have very low capacity.... Stainless Steel media wet tumblers are better in my view.

[dromia]

What he said about ultrasonics.

Much prefer dry cleaning to wet unless its for BP cartridges and then I find the ceramic easier to manage than the steel pins.

[spud]

Do any of you use ultrasonic cleaners?

Yes and they do work BUT you need a fairly industrial strength model AND they have very low capacity.... Stainless Steel media wet tumblers are better in my view.

what he says

[DOGGER2UK]

I have just started using ultrasonic and have been very pleased with the results. I use Sarsons pickling vinegar 1:5 with water for about 20mins and then a 10min wash.(you get a nice chip shop aroma on the firing point every time you pull the triger !!) what I like the most is how clean the primer pocket and flash holes are. I shoot and load in batches of 50 and can clean 50 cases with ease so it works for me. Top Tip if you can get your hands on the plastic strips used in 20 round ammo packs you can use these in the cleaner to keep the cases standing up during cleaning. some of mine after drying.

[Ovenpaa]

Have you tried just pickling vinegar without the ultrasonic?

[DOGGER2UK]

Next time I clean some cases I'll do a controll soak ...same liquid and time and will report back.