cleaning old ammo

[RJW NZ]

I've just inherited about 100 rounds of oily greasy 303. Can I dump it a pot of turps for 10 minutes to clean them or will it penetrate the ammo and ruin it? thanx

Information

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[jmoore]

If it's only 100rds, why not just don some gloves and manually rub 'em clean whilst watching some old DVD? I've probably done tens of thousands that way (including removing resizing lube from cases)-for some reason i don't like "bathing" loaded rounds.

[Amatikulu]

I've just inherited about 100 rounds of oily greasy 303. Can I dump it a pot of turps for 10 minutes to clean them or will it penetrate the ammo and ruin it? thanx

No, not if you expect them to fire afterwards.

[JBS]

Hand wipe them clean. Do not soak. Do not think of putting them in a tumbler ether. The action will cause the powder grains to rub against each other enough to destroy the retardant coating. Result will be a case full of powder that burns like Red Dot.

[browningautorifle]

I dind't know that would happen JBS, and I know of people who have done it...

[JBS]

I dind't know that would happen JBS, and I know of people who have done it...

Read the safety warnings from the powder makers on this subject.

[Surpmil]

Hand wipe them clean. Do not soak. Do not think of putting them in a tumbler ether. The action will cause the powder grains to rub against each other enough to destroy the retardant coating. Result will be a case full of powder that burns like Red Dot.

That's a rather significant piece of information, to put it mildly. I was going to suggest tumbling in sawdust.

I know a chap here who tumbles all sorts of old ammo to clean it up before sale. He tumbled some for me too!

Is there any documentation or studies to support this?

[RJW NZ]

I agree with surp mill.
For those of us not familiar with the terms am I correct in thinking that a powder that burns like red dot, will mean a very fast ignition, and maybe dangerously high chamber pressures?

[jmoore]

I believe you're correct RJW, but I have heard this powder breakdown theory before, also w/o documentation. Considering that ammo is often shaken for months whilst riding over rough terrain in various vehicles and such, it doesn't seem to me an hour of vibration in a tumbler would be all that much worse. Inadvertent primer detonation (whilst in the tumbler) seems a little more likely...

[Edward Horton]

I reload and have high standards on ammunition so lets put our thinking caps on. You want to take surplus military ammunition that already failed military testing requirements and shake the living crap out of it in a vibrating CARTRIDGE CASE cleaner.

Show me any military vehicle or aircraft that vibrates as much as a vibrating case cleaner and I'll show you vehicles and aircraft sitting on a bombing range.

Live ammunition does NOT belong in a vibrating case cleaner at any time, and I would hate to think that JBS is the only one in this forum with the common sense to read instruction manuals.



WARNING!
Do not attempt to clean loaded ammunition under ANY conditions.



And you wonder why Quality Control Inspectors insist on YOU reading the manuals.