Washing/degreasing bullets?

[tbrice23]

That Comet cleaner works very fast.
Put the bullets in a bowl and spray 4 squirts on them and swish them around in the bowl for maybe 15 seconds and they look brand new. Don't leave them in for way too long like over nite or they'll turn orange.

 

[Bullet bumper]

Yes don't leave the bullet for more than it takes to see the tarnish disappear . Otherwise you are just dissolving some of the jacket over time .
Wash off well with warm water to neutralize any acid residue .
The process does show you that even a new bullet has some slight amount of tarnish and or greasy grime on it that is best removed to do a good coating job.
I have just done some research on Comet Cleaner and on the MSDS if I have the right one says it has Chlorine and Caustic Soda in it . THAT IS VERY BAD FOR BRASS ! It's an alkaline not an acid , I can't see Citric Acid in it .
maybe I have the wrong product but users need to do their own research on what they are using and if it contains any alkaline substance don't use it . Sure it will clean wonderful because it dissolves the jacket quick but it also HARDENS the brass .
Please check I have the right product MSDS https://www.cla.purdue.edu/polsci/d...ofessional_Comet_Cleaner_with_Bleach_msds.pdf

 

[Bullet bumper]

OK it looks like no one will help so I have found this one also Comet Bathroom Cleaner

Liquid Comet® Bathroom Cleaner Spray With Disinfectant
This may be the one referred to , with citric acid but it also has caustic soda and a kind of sodium in it . This is not as bad on brass as the other "Comet Cleaner with Chlorine " mentioned in my previous post . Use at at your own risk but keep the exposure short as possible and rinse really well .
Citric acid alone in water would be fine .

 

[Rich Coyle]

I have just done some research on Comet Cleaner and on the MSDS if I have the right one says it has Chlorine and Caustic Soda in it . THAT IS VERY BAD FOR BRASS ! It's an alkaline not an acid , I can't see Citric Acid in it .
maybe I have the wrong product but users need to do their own research on what they are using and if it contains any alkaline substance don't use it . Sure it will clean wonderful because it dissolves the jacket quick but it also HARDENS the brass .
Please check I have the right product MSDS https://www.cla.purdue.edu/polsci/d...ofessional_Comet_Cleaner_with_Bleach_msds.pdf

So if I get a batch of brass that is a little soft and put the head end in say an inch of this solution the brass will get harder?

 

[Pdvdh]

Citric acid alone in water would be fine .

Citric acid is the only active ingredient I add to water when cleaning cartridge cases in my ultrasonic cleaner. Removes surface tarnish quite well.

I don't think it would be good at removing oils and grease from bullets, prior to HBN coating. I use acetone to remove oil & grease from bullets that have been handled (open boxes). If the boxes haven't been opened, I normally HBN coat them straight out of the box.

 

[Bullet bumper]

That not what it says in the formula of the two Comet products I quoted.
They both have other strong alkalies .
Comet Bathroom cleaner is not as bad but still has caustic soda in addition to Citric acid . I use CLR because it is described as an acidic cleaner and where I come from has sulfamic acid in it no amines . In the USA it could have other acids like Lactic Acid or Gluconic acid . However the main thing is mild acid does not harden brass but amines like Ammonia , Chlorine and Caustic Soda do harden brass.
I know people panic when they hear the word Acid it conjures up fear but look up Stress Corrosion in brass and it tells you how bad Amines like Ammonia are on brass.
Constant use of the wrong product over time no matter how quick or well it works could account for some reloaders case neck splits when you also add on resizing hardening and neck expander ball dies .

 

[Lonewolf74]

How do you know if contents within a cleaner are alkaline? This got me thinking on this cheap cleaner from the Dollar General store I use quite a bit called LA's Totally Awesome. I know it's a decent degreaser and I think it has citric acid in it but looking at the msds I found I'm not sure of the stuff that's all in it.

 

[Bullet bumper]

It's difficult without a degree in chemistry . The product you refer to seems to have Hydroxy Sodium and not much else which is a type of salt acid not like Sodium Hydroxide which is caustic soda and highly alkaline .
So it looks ok to use on brass but no soaking for more than it takes to clean .
If you buy some litmus paper , acids change litmus RED and alkalines change it BLUE.
So any cleaner that changes litmus blue is risky on brass .
Definitely stay away from the corrosive stuff like Chlorine , Ammonia , Sodium Hydroxide in any brass cleaner .
Use cleaners with mild acids and organic acids in them.
For ultrasonic on brass mild acids in water with a small amount of dish wahing liquid is ok . If you can buy citric acid in powder form use that in the solution as then you know exactly what you have .

 

[Lonewolf74]

Thank you bullet bumper.

What about just using the ultrasonic brass cleaning solutions? Do other things do a better job? Otherwise I'll just try to find citric acid and mix with water

 

[Bullet bumper]

People say that they like Frankford Arsenal Ultrasonic brass cleaning solution .
I can't confirm how good it is as it's not available easily to me.
You can buy citric acid on ebay plenty of suppliers or direct from these people DudaDiesel - Biodiesel, Chemical & Solar Supplies, Alternative Energy Store

 

[TracySes23]

Citric acid is passive for copper or brass. It will not change anything thing other than making it look better. It does nothing in my experience to damage or do anything bad. It won't remove oil, grease or carbon from my experience. It absolutely isn't toxic. RealLemon concentrate contains citric acid and it'll make brass shine even if you dilute it. Already corroded brass it won't fix, but copper sulfate on brass will turn the solution a little with a slight blue tine. I bought 5 pounds of citric acid from Amazon 5 years ago & I still have enough to last till I die. Go to this amazon webpage
"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OZFECU/?tag=lrhmag19-20 and you can buy 5 pounds for $13.29. It's cheaper now than it was when I purchased it in 2012.
Or you can search for Spicy World Citric Acid, 5-Pound at Amazon.
A table spoon or two in a quart of water will do the trick.
The only downside to this is it will begin go bad if it isn't refrigerated.
All citrus fruit has citric acid in it. Don't put any of the powder on your tongue. A very concentrated amount of will numb your tongue quickly & take a day or so to feel normal.

 

[tbrice23]

All citrus fruit has citric acid in it. Don't put any of the powder on your tongue. A very concentrated amount of will numb your tongue quickly & take a day or so to feel normal.

Ummmmm?????
You didn't actually try some.............nevermind.

 

[Geno1112]

I pour enuf denatured alcohol in a clean container to cover the batch of bullets, then pour it off and drop the wet bullets in a clean dry towel. Rub them back and forth with the towel, then let them sit on a clean surface for a few minutes until fully dry, then put them in the tumbler with HBN. Works great.

 

[tim_w]

I would wonder more about differences if any in neck tension and release from contaminates such as lubricants on the bulletsthan say it's effect on engraving the lands