Frankford Arsenal Brass Cleaner Review: Our Hands-On Test

You are staring at a drum of dirty rifle brass and need a liquid cleaner that actually removes carbon and residue without marring your cases. This page breaks down how to choose the right liquid solution and pairing media for your tumbler.

What you need to clean rifle brass with liquid solutions

• A liquid brass cleaner: Either a pre-measured packet for tumblers or a bulk liquid concentrate for dips and ultrasonics.
• Cleaning media: Stainless steel pins for tumblers or none for ultrasonic/dip baths.
• A cleaning vessel: Rotary tumbler, vibratory tumbler, ultrasonic bath, or a simple bucket.
• Water: Hot water works faster than cold for dissolving residues.
• A media separator: Essential if using stainless pins in a tumbler.

How to match the liquid cleaner to your tumbler type

The workflow changes based on your machine. Rotary tumblers work best with thin, water-soluble liquids and high-shear media like pins. Vibratory tumblers use thicker additives that lubricate dry media. Ultrasonic cleaners require specific low-foaming liquids to avoid cavitation issues. There is more on cleaning cartridge cases with sound waves in a separate guide.

1. Wet rotary tumbler: Use a standard liquid cleaner or pre-measured pack. Fill the drum with water, pins, and brass. The liquid must be low-viscosity to move around the pins.
2. Vibratory tumbler: Use a tumbler media additive. Mix the liquid with dry corn cob or walnut media to improve cutting power.
3. Ultrasonic cleaner: Use a specialized ultrasonic concentrate. Standard tumbling liquids may foam excessively in the ultrasonic cavity.

Step-by-step: wet tumbling rifle brass with liquid cleaner

1. Sort your brass: Remove any cases with visible cracks, splits, or severe headstamp damage. Check the rim and neck for deformities.
2. Load the drum: Place brass and stainless pins into the tumbler drum. Leave about 1-2 inches of space at the top so media can move.
3. Add water and cleaner: Fill the drum with water up to the brass level. Add the liquid cleaner. If using pre-measured packs, one pack per standard 6-12 liter drum is usually the guide. Check the box.
4. Run the cycle: Tumble for 3 to 4 hours. The water should turn dark, indicating heavy soiling is leaving the cases.
5. Separate media: Use a media separator to pull out the pins. Rinse the brass under running water.
6. Dry and inspect: Air-dry or use a tumbler drying tray. Inspect the primer pocket for carbon before priming.

Step-by-step: ultrasonic cleaning with liquid concentrate

1. Prepare the solution: Fill the ultrasonic tank with water. Add the recommended amount of ultrasonic liquid concentrate (typically 1 part concentrate to 100 parts water). Check the bottle for the exact ratio.
2. Pre-soak if needed: For heavily carbon-caked rifle brass, soak the cases in the solution for 10-15 minutes before starting the machine.
3. Load the basket: Place cases in the ultrasonic basket without stacking them. Crowding blocks the sound waves from reaching all surfaces.
4. Run the ultrasonic cycle: Run for 3-5 minutes. Use a lower intensity for brass to avoid etching; start with the lowest setting and increase only if carbon remains.
5. Rinse and dry: Rinse cases in clean water to remove chemical residue. Dry with a lint-free cloth or dedicated drying tray.

Common mistakes when using liquid brass cleaners

• Mistake: Skipping the water rinse. Fix: Always rinse after liquid cleaning to remove residual chemicals that can affect primer adhesion or cause corrosion.
• Mistake: Using dish soap in an ultrasonic cleaner. Fix: Dish soap foams excessively in ultrasonic baths, which inhibits cavitation and reduces cleaning power. Use a dedicated ultrasonic liquid.
• Mistake: Mixing media types. Fix: Stick to one type of media (pins or chips) per cycle. Mixing them makes separation difficult and reduces cleaning efficiency.
• Mistake: Over-tumbling. Fix: More time does not always mean a better clean. Excessive tumbling can stress the case and thin the brass. Stop when the primer pocket is clear of carbon.

Which liquid cleaner style fits your reloading volume

For high-volume reloader, bulk liquid concentrates or pre-measured packs are more cost-effective and consistent. For low-volume shooters, a ready-to-use liquid dip cleaner saves the hassle of mixing chemicals.

• Pre-measured packs: Best for beginners and consistency. No measuring errors, easy storage.
• Bulk liquid concentrate: Best for high-volume. More economical per batch, but you must measure accurately.
• Ready-to-use dip: Best for quick post-range cleanup of a few dozen cases.

The bottom line

Frequently asked questions