Kitty litter for cleaning brass?

[Lugnut]

Saw someone recommend this on another forum. Went to Walmart and picked up an 8 lb bag of Hartz Corn Cob 100% natural kitty litter today. Looks just like the media I bought at the gun shop... except this huge bag was only $3!!! Anyone try this? I can't imagine it's any different than the reloading stuff we pay a good premium for.

They also had Walnut litter but it looked like the grains were very small... it was only $5. Not sure if this would work.

 

[jhrosier]

Corn cob is good for light cleaning or final polishing & waxing with Simachrome.
Don't use the Simachrome on rifle cases. It's just like oiling your chamber. Works well on .38 Spl & .45 ACP.
It won't do much for heavy tarnish or corrosion.
Walnut is good IF the grains are large enough to not get wedged in the primer flash holes.
The old fashioned clay based kitty litter /speedy dri is just a darn mess! (don't ask how I know)

 

[Lugnut]

Walnut is good IF the grains are large enough to not get wedged in the primer flash holes.

You know... I get the RCBS corn cob still in the flash holes all the time! (I don't decap before tumbling). It usually doesn't come out easy at all so I usually have to press the primers our along with the corn pieces!!

 

[jhrosier]

...

You know... I get the RCBS corn cob still in the flash holes all the time! (I don't decap before tumbling). It usually doesn't come out easy at all so I usually have to press the primers our along with the corn pieces!!

The best plan is to decap before tumbling. The primer pockets will get cleaned and it's easier to poke out any stuck pieces through the primer pocket afterwards.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I haven't tried the Walmart corncob kitty litter, but I have been using some that I bought at Petsmart. I think it was more than $3 though. It is the same stuff that I got with my tumbler. That and a little Nu-Finish car wax and I'm good to go.

I don't bother with the walnut stuff. I don't care how perfect the ammo looks, I just want to get all the grit off before the cases go through the dies.

 

[SKS Ray]

As a kid I always watched my Father use crushed walnut religiously in a tumbler on his brass and nothing else. He reloaded 357, & 44 for IHMSA competition for years using it to clean.
On a side note... I recently got a "care package" from one of his shooting buds that used to reload 8mm Mauser ammo. Lots of bullets, some brass, powder, and a reloading guide. All as an incentive to start reloading. Jhrosier will probably get on to me for this but I've been lazy about it. Those 2 feet of snow days with no range access are coming though so I think I'll get busy this year learning.

 

[Lugnut]

Well... I bought some Walmart walnut kitty litter (I guess this isn't kitty litter but for bird cages) and it works just great. $5 for an 8lb bag- maybe I should start reselling it as brass cleaner for tumblers and make a killing!

 

[Pilgrims Pride]

That and a little Nu-Finish car wax and I'm good to go.

How do you use the car wax?

 

[Lugnut]

How do you use the car wax?

I've never used it nor plan too. Walnut does a GREAT job by itself. However if you do use the liquid car wax just pour it in the mix, let it tumble a bit to mix it up then add brass.

 

[EddieCoyle]

How do you use the car wax?

Make sure it's the Nu Finish in the orange bottle. Squirt about a tablespoon of the stuff onto the media each time you tumble. You don't have to mix it in; just dump it onto the media and brass and it will work its way around. It should cut your tumbling time down considerably.

I've never tried it with walnut; I use corncob. Walnut is a little too aggressive, I like to use my brass enough times (especially the .45) that tumbling it in walnut will shorten the life too much.

 

[Moderator]

I don't reload but, Wouldn't the litter create dust in while being tumbled? Also if there is any moister I think it would make clumps, I think cat litter is a form of clay.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I don't reload but, Wouldn't the litter create dust in while being tumbled? Also if there is any moister I think it would make clumps, I think cat litter is a form of clay.

From the original post:

..8 lb bag of Hartz Corn Cob 100% natural kitty litter...

No clumps, the Nu-finish eliminates the dust. A used fabric softener sheet will remove the dust as well - just put it in the tumbler with everything else.

 

[Moderator]

10-4, Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Lugnut]

Walnut is a little too aggressive, I like to use my brass enough times (especially the .45) that tumbling it in walnut will shorten the life too much.

Is this really true? I've never heard that.

 

[Scrivener]

A used fabric softener sheet will remove the dust as well - just put it in the tumbler with everything else.

I forget where I learned about USED fabric softener sheets, but it is a great tip. For maximum efficacy, cut one into strips. They circulate far better than a whole strip and really catch the powder residue and verdigris.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Is this really true? I've never heard that.

I was tumbling some once-fired nickel plated brass in walnut when I got called away and forgot to turn the tumbler off. I think the brass was in the tumbler for about 8 hours. When I finally got around to taking it out, almost all the nickel plating was removed from the brass. I've left nickel plated brass tumbling in corncob over an entire weekend and it came out fine.

Based on that experience, I'm thinking that walnut removes more material than corncob. If it can strip nickel (which is way harder than brass) off the cases, I wonder what it does to the brass even in small doses.

verdigris

Nice.

 

[Pilgrims Pride]

So refresh my memory,

How long do you tumble to clean brass?
It's been a long time since I even used my tumbler.

 

[EddieCoyle]

So refresh my memory,

How long do you tumble to clean brass?
It's been a long time since I even used my tumbler.

I tumble mine in corncob for a couple of hours.