Police Product Test: Lyman Turbo Sonic 2500 Ultrasonic Cleaner

With a 2.6-quart capacity, the Turbo Sonic 2500 is large enough for most pistols, bolt carrier groups, and other firearm actions. If you're cleaning brass, you can clean up to 900 pistol or 400 rifle cartridges at one time. The Turbo Sonic's easy-to-read and programmable display comes with five preset run-times that can be customized to your needs. And because it comes with a plastic basket, there is no need to go fishing for the small parts at the bottom of the heated stainless steel tank.

Setup was a breeze and the included solutions were perfect for my needs. I wasted no time heating the solution, dropping a nasty AR-15 bolt group into the tank, and setting the programmable cycle. I walked away and let the Turbo Sonic do its thing. When I came back a few minutes later, I simply lifted out the basket of parts, rinsed them off under the tap, blew them dry, and put them all back together. Everything was remarkably clean, no scraping or scrubbing needed. Considering this particular bolt group had seen about 1,500 rounds before its bath, that was impressive. I tried the same thing with my Glock and it came out looking like new.

For a price of only $150, the Turbo Sonic is a screaming deal and will save you a ton of time and frustration during your gun-cleaning ritual. Need the same cleaning power in a bigger size? Lyman offers two larger sizes, the biggest accommodating a 34-inch barreled action.

A.J. George is a patrol sergeant with the Scottsdale (Ariz.) Police Department who also serves as the SWAT team’s crisis negotiation supervisor.

Lyman Turbo Sonic 2500 Ultrasonic Cleaner Specs:

• Rating voltage: AC 220–240 volts (230-volt model)

• Consumption Power: 170 Watts

• Ultrasonic Frequency: 42,000 Hz

• Material of Tank: Stainless Steel SUS304

• Plastic Housing: ABS 757

• Tank Size: 9.84 x 5.90 x 3.15 inches

• Tank Capacity: 2500ml max

• 5 Recycle digital timer 180s —280s—380s—480s—90s

• Net Weight: 5 pounds 8.18 ounces

• Gross Weight: 6 pounds 9.82 ounces

• Price: $150

If you're a shooter (and I hope you are) you know that with firearms training comes clean-up. Our guns see a lot of range time and the amount of gunk left over is sometimes astonishing. Ever run an AR-15 through a week-long school? Yeah, you'll spend some time on that one. That said, anything I can do to chip a few minutes off the cleaning process is more than welcomed. Lyman understands this and has answered the call with its new Turbo Sonic 2500 Ultrasonic Cleaner.

Branded as a "case cleaner" for those of you who reload your own ammo, the Turbo Sonic 2500 is really an all-purpose ultrasonic cleaner that will power away almost any grit and grime from whatever you throw into it. Lyman offers a wide array of specific cleaning solutions for everything from gun parts to delicate jewelry and even contact lenses. This thing really does it all.