For the last 25 years or so I have been cleaning brass using ceramic and a bit of lemon or lime juice. Works well for me in most cases (pun intended). I only have a problem with cleaning the small, straight wall stuff like the 8,15x46R. It gets stuck in the case with 3 pieces side by side. Damn hard to remove. What do you guys recommend for these cases? Steel pins, other forms of ceramic?

so inefficient in comparison to ceramic...

Time?

I once polished cases religiously- took much pride in the fact that my cases would be the shiniest ones on the line. Now, I clean the primer pockets with a RCBS brush and soak the cases for a couple of days in Birchwood-Casey fluid solution. Then I brush the case mouths out and let 'em dry. Not so shiny now, but I'll be darned if they don't shoot just as well as the spiffy guys did. Never even once needed to pick anything out of the cases since I went this way.

I started with walnut media in a Vibrashine which would clean the case OK if you washed them out well first and let it run for a few hours.  Then I switched to using an ultrasonic cleaner, but the max time is 480 seconds so I would have to restart it 5 or 6 times.  A few months back I dug out my Thumbler's Tumbler and got some ceramic 'rice' pieces and tumble for an hour in Lemishine and dish detergent.  I think the ceramic will last years unlike the walnut and the sniny cases will reflect light into the eyes of my competitors and I will WIN

bpjack wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2025 at 10:24pm:


I used to wear "lucky sox" to competitions, they were pink. It was an accident from doing my own laundry as a single guy while drunk. Anyway, I would always point out my "lucky sox" to my nearest competitors and explain I always got a little nookie when I wore them. Whenever they looked at me I would indicate the sox. Got to a point they would avoid eye contact to mitigate distraction....

I suppose I was asking if the desired result is a clean polished case why is time such a critical factor?

I am not sure what the poster meant by his response, hence the question mark, after my response. I would guess it best to pose the question to SchwarzStock. I personally have tried most options through the years, and have found that pins work best for me. In part at least to a good friend who made a huge tumbler for me. Of particular use in cleaning large quantities of brass, which I might mention I rarely do at this point. The advantage with walnut shell is that it polishes nicely with no need to dry. That is what I use for very small quantities. Found the sun and or oven solve the drying problem with a liquid process. Truth be known, to me other than looking spiffy, have not found much difference between sparkling clean and semi dirty from an accuracy point of view. A quick brush through the neck and quick spin with a primer pocket tool is enough for me at this late date. Time for experimentation is running out, better spent at the range when possible. As the Rolling Stones once sang, "Time Waits For No One".