How to clean lead projectiles

[Retired Sarge]

I'm building a display of the cartridges all my weapons take, two of the cartridges were made in the late 1800's. What is the proper way to clean the lead projectiles without messing them up? Also how do I keep them from oxidizing again?

The left cartridge is a 10.4x38R aka Swiss .41, still has the paper where the shell and projectile meet, used in a Swiss Vetterli, plus it's rimfire, like a 22 is.

The center cartridge is a 577 Snider-Enfield.

The right cartridge is a 12 gauge shell for size comparison.

 

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[Gambrinus]

I do what ammo manufacturers do with their live ammo prior to shipping and I put them in the tumbler.
Here is one article about tumbling ammo there are many more articles about this but only a few are against
the practice and they seem to have unsupported claims.
https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2012/10/10/is-tumbling-loaded-ammo-dangerous/

 

[civilman1]

Why

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I've never tried to clean lead other than battery terminals where I didn't care how the surface looked so long as it was clean.... But I think I would try gently scrubbing them with a q-tip and some vinegar to loosen it up and polish them a bit with some 4/0 steel wool. I use toilet ring wax to coat metal I want to preserve because it's cheap and does a good job. Maybe test it out on some scrap lead if you have any old sinkers you've dug or anything like that and see how it comes out before you go for the bullets

 

[Retired Sarge]

I've never tried to clean lead other than battery terminals where I didn't care how the surface looked so long as it was clean.... But I think I would try gently scrubbing them with a q-tip and some vinegar to loosen it up and polish them a bit with some 4/0 steel wool. I use toilet ring wax to coat metal I want to preserve because it's cheap and does a good job. Maybe test it out on some scrap lead if you have any old sinkers you've dug or anything like that and see how it comes out before you go for the bullets

Might try that, not wanting them to look new, but the projectiles are for lack of a better word "Fuzzy". They lasted this long, want them to last another 140 years or so.....

 

[Retired Sarge]

I do what ammo manufacturers do with their live ammo prior to shipping and I put them in the tumbler.
Here is one article about tumbling ammo there are many more articles about this but only a few are against
the practice and they seem to have unsupported claims.
https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2012/10/10/is-tumbling-loaded-ammo-dangerous/

The Snider-Enfield cartridge is rolled brass, don't know how well it would hold up. The Swiss Vetterli cartridge still has the paper on it, I assume the paper wouldn't hold up either.

 

[Megalodon]

I would leave then as-is. They look great.

 

[Retired Sarge]

I would leave then as-is. They look great.

True, my main concern is the continue oxidation of the lead.....they look better than I would at 140 years or so.

 

[Gambrinus]

The Snider-Enfield cartridge is rolled brass, don't know how well it would hold up. The Swiss Vetterli cartridge still has the paper on it, I assume the paper wouldn't hold up either.

Yes that could be a big problem.

"Rolled brass" I had never heard of that method. Just when you think you know a little about a subject you find out you don't know much at all. (Speaking for myself)

 

[gunsil]

Lead oxidation slows way down after a surface coating of lead oxide (the white stuff) is formed. This oxide coating actually seals the lead from further exposure to oxygen and stops the oxidation process. You don't have to worry about the lead eventually oxidizing all the way through, it won't happen. People find lead objects from Roman times, thousands of years old and the lead is still there with it's surface sealed by oxidation. I vote leave 'em alone, they look proper.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

There's not much you can do that won't do more damage than good. Lead dioxide is about three times harder than pure lead. You can wax it to protect the cartridge from further degradation and make it look a little better; or prevent new ones from oxidizing.

Old cartridges tend to look skanky just by their own nature. Mercury and chlorites in the primers eat the brass, as does any acid in the powder (nitric, sulphuric, etc). But if you pull it apart to dump the powder you risk damaging the bullet.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Yes that could be a big problem.

"Rolled brass" I had never heard of that method. Just when you think you know a little about a subject you find out you don't know much at all. (Speaking for myself)

Tell me about it......Sorry used the wrong term it's a coiled brass shell not a rolled brass shell for the early Snider-Enfield cartridge (Rolled brass cartridges do exist and were use in other rifles). If you look at the Snider-Enfield cartridge you can see a diagonal seam, which is indicative of being a coiled brass cartridge.

The Snider Bullet

 

[namxat]

How to clean?

You dont! Thats patina on a 120 year old item. You dont clean a silver dollar to shine, too.


Just my opinion, of cause....

Greets

Namxat

 

[Gambrinus]

Tell me about it......Sorry used the wrong term it's a coiled brass shell not a rolled brass shell for the early Snider-Enfield cartridge (Rolled brass cartridges do exist and were use in other rifles). If you look at the Snider-Enfield cartridge you can see a diagonal seam, which is indicative of being a coiled brass cartridge.

The Snider Bullet

Thanks for the link that looks like a laborious round to make. Are you a collector and is that how you came by those cartridges?
I don't know much about ultrasonic cleaning but I wonder if it would at least work for the Snider cartridge.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Thanks for the link that looks like a laborious round to make. Are you a collector and is that how you came by those cartridges?
I don't know much about ultrasonic cleaning but I wonder if it would at least work for the Snider cartridge.

I'm a milsurp gun collector and overall gun collector. My wife came up with the ideal of doing an ammo display, of the ammo all my guns use and with a few used as they were arsenal upgraded. So many ask what does the ammo look like for a certain gun, well this display will help and also keep me from having to look some of the harder to find ones up on the internet.

As for military style ammo I'm still looking for they are the following.

8x50R Austrian
8x57J

The Snider cartridge is for use in the Snider-Enfield rifle, these rifles started off as a Pattern 1853 Enfield muzzleloader aka the 3 band rifle, and were converted to the Snider breech loading system. Below is the modified barrel/breech of my Snider-Enfield, right after I brought it home.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern_1853_Enfield

 

[Retired Sarge]

There's not much you can do that won't do more damage than good. Lead dioxide is about three times harder than pure lead. You can wax it to protect the cartridge from further degradation and make it look a little better; or prevent new ones from oxidizing.

Old cartridges tend to look skanky just by their own nature. Mercury and chlorites in the primers eat the brass, as does any acid in the powder (nitric, sulphuric, etc). But if you pull it apart to dump the powder you risk damaging the bullet.

I'll leave them as they are, I've seen some over the years that were pretty nasty looking, hence my concerns and questions. Thought about dipping the lead itself in wax.

See below picture, this was ammo from a display that an individual purchased. You can see how bad the lead looks, to the point it looks like the lead is disappearing. I believe with these it was a reaction to the wood case they were displayed in. I was worried that these two would look the same way, so I'm doing my homework now to prevent issues.