# Cleaning Copper?



## fusil (Sep 23, 2008)

Bonjour,
Long story cut very short, guy moving away, selling all his shooting related stuff.

I've just bought a box of 3000 coppercoated 45acp bullets. :smt023
They have been sitting in a box waiting to be loaded for several years. Badly stained and dull.

How do you clean them? 

Merci,
fusil


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## fusil (Sep 23, 2008)

Salut,
the boss (wife) say's..
Vinegar and Salt. Boil item in a pot of water with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar for several hours. Wash with soap in hot water. Rinse and dry. 

She is always right....but what do you think??

fusil


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## SaltyDog (Jan 1, 2009)

Hi Fusil

You cannot argue with the little lady - that is a great home remedy for cleaning but the vinegar may be too acidic for the copper. Try it on a few bullets and measure them to see if there are any size changes or pitting. I wouldn't think there is enough heat in boiling water to deform the round either. You may want to place a flat strainer in the pot with the bullets in them to keep them from lying on the bottom of the pot.

Another solution that is very cheap and have heard works great is Krazy Kloth check the link http://www.sinclairintl.com/product/8859/1056

I know if my wife came into the kitchen and saw me boiling bullets in one of her pots I would catch holy hell for that.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

*Fusil*;

Instead of wasting all that fine, well-aged French vinegar, just cut to the chase and use _glacial acetic acid_. It's vinegar's active ingredient. You can get it from a chemical-supply house, and maybe even from your local _pharmacien_.
No need to boil it, either. Just let the bullets sit in the (weak) acid for a while. Monitor their progress, of course.

Mere discoloration is pretty meaningless. If that's all it is, just ignore it. The bullets won't look pretty, but they'll shoot OK.
However, if it's _verdigris_, and it has measurable thickness, then it has to come off. Verdigris is pretty soft, so tumbling the bullets in corncob media should also do the trick. (Do you have a tumbler?) But you'll probably have to discard the gunked-up corncob stuff when you're done.
In any event, just clean the bullets in the same way that you'd clean fired brass cases.


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

I agree with Steve; if it's just discoloration, then you can use them with no cleaning required. 

If anyone asks, tell them they are special non-reflective "tactical" bullets. :mrgreen:


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## tekhead1219 (May 16, 2008)

DJ Niner said:


> If anyone asks, tell them they are special non-reflective "tactical" bullets. :mrgreen:


Tell them they are "Tactical" bullets and you'll have crowds of people wanting to know "Where did you get those? I want some." "How much will you sell them for?". Using the word "Tactical" seems to be magic with anybody wanting to feel the need to impress. :anim_lol:


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## fusil (Sep 23, 2008)

Merci tout le monde,
the boss found another method.
White vinegar and a hand full of salt. Swirl about in a plastic dish for a few min's. And all the crap fell off.:smt023
I put them in the tumbler for 30 min's and they look like new.:smt082

The boss asked if it was worth it?!?!? I paid €20 for 2700 bullets. Thats a rough gues as I only wieghed them and did the math. I think YES!!!:anim_lol:

Have a great weekend at the range.:smt1099

fusil


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

...Now add a little oil, some red onion and diced tomato, some diced red and green peppers, _et voilá_:
_Salade à la Grecque_!
:mrgreen:


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