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Cleaning old grungy brass shotgun shells is a lot easier than you might think. These are Winchester brand 10 gauge cases that I want to reload for my Parker Hammer Double made in 1874:
But first, they need a good cleaning and inspection. They're probably a hundred years old and some are in better shape than others. Hopefully, they will all clean up and can be reloaded. The first step is to remove the old primers.
Then, I'll wash the cases thoroughly with hot, soapy water, which gets rid of most of the dirt and grease.
Steel wool removes the really stubborn corrosion, leaving only the stains.
After pouring the water off, a warm bath of regular household vinegar is next. Letting them soak for a while will really brighten them up.
I'll need to rinse off all the vinegar in plain tap water, let them dry, then off they go into a tumbler.
Here's what they look like after a few hours.
Absolutely amazing, and a pretty simple process.
--Larry Potterfield
