Ultrasonic Cleaner - Primer Pockets?

[mohunter55]

With an Ultrasonic Cleaner, do you have to remove primer pockets? I am a little concerned about moisture building up in the pockets with the primers left in. Would running the brass in a corn cob media for say 30 minutes after using the Ultrasonic help out?

 

[mohunter55]

perhaps i should ask if anyone uses an ultrasonic cleaner to clean brass?

 

[rcmodel]

I can think of very little point in even using an ultrasonic cleaner if you didn't de-prime first.

Cleaning primer pockets and inside the cases better then tumbling is the Only good reason I can think of for getting the cases wet in the first place.

But I gave up on liquid case cleaning in 1965, or there abouts, cause it is a royal PITA drying them out.

Course, I have been wrong lots of times before.

rc

 

[4895]

A buddy of mine uses an ultrasonic for his match rifle ammo. He deprimes with a universal deprime die and then washes in solution. He claims the brass doesn't shine like a corncob/wax/tumbler but is very, very clean. No dirt at all. He lays them out on a towel in sunlight (warm in AZ). I would put them on the top of a range over an oven that is on (warm). I would follow his procedure and decap all brass with a LEE decapping die or similar. I

 

[MrBorland]

I can think of very little point in even using an ultrasonic cleaner if you didn't de-prime first.

Agreed.

I gave up on tumbling, and went ultrasonic, depriming with a universal deprimer beforehand. Drying's no biggie, as I have enough clean and dry brass to get by while other stuff is drying.

He claims the brass doesn't shine like a corncob/wax/tumbler but is very, very clean. No dirt at all.

I agree with this, too. "Shiny" doesn't necessarily mean "clean". To prove the point, check out the pic below. Solution "A" is from ultrasonically cleaned brass that's already been ultrasonically cleaned, whereas solution "B" is from the same number of ultrasonically cleaned brass previously tumbled (using fresh media). Ultrasonically cleaned brass may not be as shiny, but it's definitely cleaner.

 

[Blue68f100]

If your going to use a wet cleaner you should deprime. Ultrasonic cleaner do clean better than no agitation. Depending on the cleaning solution they even work better when the solutions are heated.

 

[Nutbustd]

Hi every one My son got a Lyman Ultra sonic from us for Xmas. I was skepticle at first. After heating up the solution and using deprimed 9mm brass I have to say it works very very good. Cleaners work much better when solution is hot and good quality solution is used. We put the brass in for about 5 minutes and even the inside of the case will come clean. After drying we tumble for a few hours and the brass is shiny and jewel like. Even the pocktets come clean. We now even use it on our guns with the correct solution. You cannot clean non-ferrous metas like aluminum though. This cleaner was a very good investment. Happy reloading

 

[kainronin]

After I resize my brass, I run them through my Magnum Sonic Cleaner,blow dry them, and then run them through my tumbler with polish. They look amazing inside and out. I have actually tested sonic cleaned only, and tumbled only. They do not compare to combining tumbling and sonic cleaning, but a sonic cleaner can set you back a few bucks. I am actually happy I got one though.

 

[CMD-Ky]

I de-prime and then use the ultrasonic. I use a teaspoon of citric acid crystals to a quart of water, heated. The cases and pocket are very clean, not tumbler shiny but clean. These are very easy prime and size.

 

[918v]

I graduated from ultrasonic to tumbling in stainless media. The results are way better. I deprive the cases first, otherwise the recalling process is very messy.