Brass cleaning with chemicals

[Turkeyfeather]

Hey shooters, I have a question about chemical brass cleaning.  A friend gave me a fresh bottle of Iosso liquid brass cleaner.  The instructions state pour into a plastic container and soak for 20 seconds to 5 minutes depending on the condition of the brass cases.

Does anyone have any experience with this process.  Should I dilute it with water or handle it a special way to get the best results without damaging the brass?

I have some old nasty military brass that I would like to clean up without having it in my tumbler for two days.

I need your experience on this one.

 :grin:

[MickinColo]

I use IOSSO once in a while to clear really dirty brass. I have about 1½ gallons of it right now. It works but you need to keep an eye on your brass as they soak and rinse them good afterwards or it will etch your cases (they’ll turn copper colored). IOSSO cleans the brass really nice on the outside but is less effective on the inside.

I drop the cases in a plastic bucket half full of ISSO and stir them around while watching them. Then I’ll drain them and rinse them in water. After they’re somewhat dry, I’ll tumble them in untreated walnut shells to finish them off. The tumbling process makes sure they’re dry and adds the finishing touches.
 

[gschwertley]

I sometimes use Birchwood-Casey chemical case cleaner, which is a solution of phosporic acid.  It has worked well for me, but I have to mix it a little stronger than the instructions call for to make it effective for really dirty cases.  I have been using it for 15 years or so and haven't had any problems with any cases that have been cleaned with it.  With rifle cases, I usually decap the primers (using a universal decapping die) so they will dry out faster.  Be sure to properly rinse your cases.  I give mine three rinses.