Cleaning rimfire ammo

[BRASS]

I have a good supply of Federal 36 gr HP copper plated .22 cal ammo that I've had for almost twenty years. Due to the ammo shortage, I'm shooing it in a Ruger 10/22 for a summer rimfire league. It has performed reliability (feeding and extracting) so far and is reasonably accurate for what it is.

I have started sorting it for rim thickness and weight to improve my groups and noticed either corrosion or the copper coating on the projectile is flaking off in the last box I opened. (Some projectiles look darker and feel dirty.)

I have heard of vibratory tumbling loaded center fire ammo (principally by re-loaders) to clean off lube, etc. after loading and I seem to remember reading of doing the same with rimfire ammo.

If anyone knows of tumbling rimfire ammo, I have two questions:

1. Is it safe to run .22 rimfire through a vibratory cleaner with corn media?
2. Will it clean and smooth the lead/copper plated lead projectiles without harming them?

Thanks

Dale

 

[Cort]

Dale,

I don't know the answer to your questions. However, I would probably shoot them as is because:

1. Rimfire ammo has priming compound in the rim. I am concerned that it would flake away if you ran them in a vibrating cleaner; especially since the ammo is old. I have had several mis-fires from old ammo.

2. The bullet, particularly the lead ones, on most .22 LR is coated with a lubricant. If you cleaned it, the lubricant would be cleaned off and, I think, you would have a leading problem.

I would wipe any corroded cases and pull the trigger. Or, I would just pull the trigger.

Cort

 

[PRECISIONWELDING01]

I have some RWS match ammo with corrosion on the bullets they will still clean a target,put them in the gun and shoot them