How to clean rusty shells?

[MrTexasFreedom]

I had almost a full case of 7.62 X 54 shells compromised by water. Each round now has surface rust. The integrity of the shells does not appear suspect, but I don't want to introduce these potential abrasive agents into my beloved Mosin Nagant rifle.

I was thinking of putting the shells into a vibratory parts cleaner, but I am wondering if this might risk igniting the primer. There are too many shells for me to clean by hand.

Ideas?

thanks in advance,

mtf

[millman]

I would chuck those out. Surplus 7.62x54R is too cheap to risk using those.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Pull the bullets for later reloading, and dispose of the rest.

[OLD OUTLAW]

Some of those are real bad and integrity is doubtful. I would certainly not risk danger to myself for the cost of that case of ammo.
I would say do as the others suggested, just do not fire it.

[MrTexasFreedom]

Thanks for the feedback. I think the original pics don't quite document the minor extent of the oxidation. It's really purely cosmetic. As a demonstration, I've taken four of the shells you could see in the package in the original photo. Here they are rusty:



I took those four bullets and rubbed the rust away with my fingers and the tail of my t-shirt. Here they are afterwards:




Really, I'm not worried about these things blowing up in my rifle. I'm just interested in cleaning them in bulk so they don't drag a bunch of rust grains into my receiver.

If these are in a tumbler, are they going to explode?

thanks in advance,

mtf

[desdem12]

If you tumble them you may shorten the overall length of the shell and therefore increaseing the pressure maybe to dangerous levels. I would definately not tumble them for that reason alone. I am not sure about the primers exploding but i would not like to find that out either.
MTF

[websterz]

If you tumble them you may shorten the overall length of the shell and therefore increaseing the pressure maybe to dangerous levels. I would definately not tumble them for that reason alone. I am not sure about the primers exploding but i would not like to find that out either.
MTF

Worse than that, tumbling causes the powder granules to break down. That results in a faster burn time and GREATLY increased case pressure. NEVER tumble live ammo!!!

[Rongo]

Pull the bullets for later reloading, and dispose of the rest.

Heed all the previous warnings & then follow JYD's advice. DO NOT USE THIS AMMO!

[Junk Yard Dog]

This ammo is cheap commie crap available from just about every online ammo seller for .25 a round or even less when bought bulk. It's steel case because the commies were cheap bastards who saved a buck were they could, every tiny pit the rust put in the metal has dangerously weakened the case, and steel cases lack the flexibility of brass ones, they can fail at the weakest point. Just the fact that you were concerned enough to post this question in the first place tells me that deep in the back of your subconscious a warning bell is sounding and you know shooting it is a bad idea. When ever there is a question about an ammo's safety you don't fire it, ammo is cheap, even the buck a round stuff is cheaper than repairing any problems that might happen should that case fail in the chamber and tiny bits of steel case end up embedded in your face. You have no idea if the moisture penetrated the case and is rusting it from the inside, there are some risks you have to take in life, and some that can be easily avoided, this is one of them. Pull the bullets for later reloading, and toss any round that shows signs of rust.

[MrTexasFreedom]

Ok. I really was ignorant that even in the chamber the integrity of the casing could be a threat. I thought that the bolt & chamber was strengthened such that the shell casing wasn't anything but a vessel for the propellant.

Per your suggestions, I'm going to dispose of this ammo. It's almost 400 rounds, so I don't have the time to pull the bullets, et. al. Also, I don't reload, so I wouldn't have any use for the bullets. I'm thinking I'll take it with me next time I go offshore fishing in the gulf and dump it in the saltwater. These shells and primers should disintegrate within a matter of months.

--mtf

[MN Fan]

Take them to your local Sheriff's office or police department for proper disposal. There's enough crap in our waters the way it is.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Offer them up in the forums classified section, people reload here and could use the bullets, and I am sure would gladly pay the shipping to get them.

[sclinesr]

You can always sell the bullets or hang on to them. You never know you might decide to reload one day. RCBS makes a hammer for disasembly of cartridges and once you get the hang of it you can disassemble them in no time. Also a good way to take out your frustrations .

[Junk Yard Dog]

Also a good way to take out your frustrations .

I use a .357 mag and a rusty barrel out back for that

[Ironnewt]

If you tumble them you may shorten the overall length of the shell and therefore increaseing the pressure maybe to dangerous levels. I would definately not tumble them for that reason alone. I am not sure about the primers exploding but i would not like to find that out either.
MTF

Worse than that, tumbling causes the powder granules to break down. That results in a faster burn time and GREATLY increased case pressure. NEVER tumble live ammo!!!

Exactly what I was going to sy. I have seen the result and it wasn't pretty

[Ironnewt]

A bullet puller is cheap and will help vent frustrations in short order.

[Junk Yard Dog]

This stuff reminds me of the great deal Paragon Sales gave me on some tracer 7.62x54r just before they went bust, something like 2 cents a round, I was thrilled. When it got here the ammo looked like the pics above, with lots of crusted mud, best of all they tossed it on top of 1000 rounds of US 1942 .30-06 AP rounds on the clip and in the bandoleer. I was weeks cleaning the AP rounds and when I called to bitch the company was out of business. The AP rounds were advertised as D Day ammo found in some French warehouse, still have it all, cleaned up and stashed away The AP rounds that is, the other shit I just salvaged the bullets.

[res45]

This is just me but I would pull the bullets to sell or use later they up really nice after tumbling,use the powder for fertilizer and toss the cases,dispose of them in the safest way possible. It's always disappointing when you have to throw always ammo but you can salvage some of it.

I know when a guy gave me about 200 rds. of vintage Finnish ammo I was excited till I opened the bag. It had been water damaged as well,the cases were so brittle you could break them in half all the powder was rock solid in the case due to water sea page and the cupro nickel bullets which I hoped I could salvage were eaten away on the bottoms as well.

I did manage to salvage a couple of decent boxes and enough good looking rds. to fill them and use them for display but I cant shoot them or would I even try.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I picked up some of that Finn ammo at a flea market a few years ago, forgot about it until now, don't remember were I put it, but the ammo was still good. I keep odd stuff like that for display, had some Finn made .303 Brit also, they made it for the aircraft machine guns on planes the Brits sent them during the Winter War as aid.

[youmightbearedneck]

I'm sure all of these other guys are giving you very good and safe advice.
You should definitely take it.

PERSONALLY - I bought some belted ammo from Ammoman once that was cheap because it was rusty. I pulled it out of the belts and cleaned up on a very fine wire wheel that's on my bench grinder.
Hindsight and all that, I should have maybe used one of those plastic brush wheels or maybe just some steel wool. But there was a couple hundred rounds, so that seemed kinda slow.
They shot fine.
Again, not advising, just sharing.
YMMV