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Cleaning brass
- Thread starter Cola308
- Start date
ShootistPRS
New member
Cola,
No, the inside of your brass doesn't get a buildup of powder residue. They tend to push all the excess down the bore.
You might find there is less work if you use a tumbler type cleaner. Having a group of cases being cleaned while you are loading others is easier than cleaning individual cases with steel wool.
No, the inside of your brass doesn't get a buildup of powder residue. They tend to push all the excess down the bore.
You might find there is less work if you use a tumbler type cleaner. Having a group of cases being cleaned while you are loading others is easier than cleaning individual cases with steel wool.
Cola308
I use 0000 steel wool also , only on the outside neck & shoulder area after I fire each round , works good in two ways , 1 I can check condition of the case for defects & 2 I can pace my shots . As far as cleaning I cleaned my brass with corn & walnuts , once I cleaned in a wet tumbler with stainless steel pins I will never go back to dry . I also cleaned my pockets with the uniformer , now I pop out the primers with a universal decapper without sizing the brass. The brass comes out bright an clean inside & out ,even the primer pockets.
Never liked the idea of the carbon buildup inside the cases , even the media would sometimes build up in the shoulder area , I would see some media on the press when sizing. If your looking for brass looking brand new every time , get a wet tumbler . I changed after 25+ years of cleaning with dry media , gave the vibrater an pounds of media to a friend.
Can't say your groups will get any tighter but I feel it better all around for your dies , reloading & your chamber , its like shooting store bought ammo , only it shoots better.
Hope I Helped . Chris
I use 0000 steel wool also , only on the outside neck & shoulder area after I fire each round , works good in two ways , 1 I can check condition of the case for defects & 2 I can pace my shots . As far as cleaning I cleaned my brass with corn & walnuts , once I cleaned in a wet tumbler with stainless steel pins I will never go back to dry . I also cleaned my pockets with the uniformer , now I pop out the primers with a universal decapper without sizing the brass. The brass comes out bright an clean inside & out ,even the primer pockets.
Never liked the idea of the carbon buildup inside the cases , even the media would sometimes build up in the shoulder area , I would see some media on the press when sizing. If your looking for brass looking brand new every time , get a wet tumbler . I changed after 25+ years of cleaning with dry media , gave the vibrater an pounds of media to a friend.
Can't say your groups will get any tighter but I feel it better all around for your dies , reloading & your chamber , its like shooting store bought ammo , only it shoots better.
Hope I Helped . Chris
Cola308, I make case spinners, for the worst of cases I use 3M Green pads and then finish with steel wool. When loading 20 cases it is faster to spin then load, I also run a brush into and out of the case.
Worst of cases? I use vinegar, vinegar saves me days of tumbling.
F. Guffey
Worst of cases? I use vinegar, vinegar saves me days of tumbling.
F. Guffey
My friend's shiny tumbled ammo doesn't shoot any better than my dull stuff...
R. Lee said the same thing, and then I said I do not want anything between the case and chamber but air, I said I did not want a lot of air because of factors.
I understand the case is embeddable and I understand there is case travel, I do everything I can do to limit case travel. I understand if the case is embedded with dirt, grit and grime there is a big chance the chamber and or case can get damaged.
F. Guffey
Cola308 wrote:
I polish my brass with 0000 steel wool
Fine steel wool, as well as tumbling in corn cob or walnut shell media is sufficient to clean cases. A clean case can facilitate a visual inspection of the case, but there is no need to go overboard and attempt to achieve "surgically clean" brass.
is it necessary for me to clean inside my brass. I clean an uniform primer Pocket and uniform the flash hole and run a brush inside the neck hole. But was wondering if it is necessary to clean inside the brass
It is not necessary to clean inside the brass.
No harm will come from cleaning and uniforming the primer pocket or uniforming the flash hole, but my 38+ years of reloading experience suggest that neither is really necessary.
Don Fischer
New member
Many many years ago I did about the same thing with 0000 steel wool to clean case's. After sizing I held the case in a piece of 0000 steel wool and wrapped some around a brush for that cal. Put the brush in a drill and ran it into the case for just a moment. Then lessened my hold on the case a bit and the brush would catch and spin the case in the steel wool in my hand. Results were the cleanest case's I've ever seen!
Stats Shooter
New member
Like Mr Guffey,
I don't want anything between my case and my chamber except air. I use a wet stainless steel tumbler. After 2 hours my brass looks brand new. If I decap first, the primer pockets are clean too.
In fact, nasty black tarnished range brass looks the same as new never been fired brass after a couple hours in the stainless steel wet tumbler.
But, if you want it to really shine, you need to polish also
I don't want anything between my case and my chamber except air. I use a wet stainless steel tumbler. After 2 hours my brass looks brand new. If I decap first, the primer pockets are clean too.
In fact, nasty black tarnished range brass looks the same as new never been fired brass after a couple hours in the stainless steel wet tumbler.
But, if you want it to really shine, you need to polish also
for those who prefer wet /stainless pin tumbling I would recommend using this before seating for consistent neck tension.
Imperial Dry Neck Lube Convenience Pak
also the peening action of the stainless pins can cause a slight mushrooming near the case mouth so you should also chamfer the necks after cleaning for consistent seating. Not doing also can also cause inconsistent seating tension
Imperial Dry Neck Lube Convenience Pak
also the peening action of the stainless pins can cause a slight mushrooming near the case mouth so you should also chamfer the necks after cleaning for consistent seating. Not doing also can also cause inconsistent seating tension
It's all personal liking. Some go as far as "not wanting anything between case and chamber", and some don't do any cleaning. I reloaded 12 years before I got a tumbler, I just wiped each case with a solvent dampened rag as I inspected it (first step of reloading is inspection). No, I had no ruined dies or chambers, and yes, I could spot case defects. If I wanted "BBQ" brass I shined with steel wool, with cases on home made mandrels in a drill. If one wants virgin looking, glossy cases, fine if that makes them feel better. If one just wipes their brass, fine if that satisfies them. But neither will out shoot the other. I don't have anyone at the range to impress with my reloads and I shoot solo most of the time. I'm impressed with the target results (or not in my case).
No your cases don't need to have the ID cleaned/shined (and for 99% of the cases primer pockets don't either.). But if you want to, go ahead, it won't hurt anything.
No your cases don't need to have the ID cleaned/shined (and for 99% of the cases primer pockets don't either.). But if you want to, go ahead, it won't hurt anything.
I got used to a 2 stage cleaning process.
First I clean range brass with my SS wet tumbler (decapping done prior to that).
Second is preparing the brass (sizing and flaring)
After that I put it into vibratory tumbler with corn cob and nufinish for another 30 minutes to prevent it from getting dull.
In my experience this helps in handgun brass as well for seating the bullets.
First I clean range brass with my SS wet tumbler (decapping done prior to that).
Second is preparing the brass (sizing and flaring)
After that I put it into vibratory tumbler with corn cob and nufinish for another 30 minutes to prevent it from getting dull.
In my experience this helps in handgun brass as well for seating the bullets.
hounddawg wrote:
...also the peening action of the stainless pins can cause a slight mushrooming near the case mouth
I did not know that.
Thank you for the head's up.
One more reason for me to stick with walnut shell.
Years back I worked for a guy who was a Nor East Coaster tight with money.
It hurt him to spend money.
So when he asked I told him to do what he felt better about.
So if you want to polish with steel wool go sheep as it were.
Is it necessary, not in the least.
Ditto for (added) "deep" clean cases, it has some advantage annealing, in between no.
Now granted I also clean my cases after re-size. I don't clean the dies though (rarely, it takes to long to season them where they work right again)
I don't have scratches so it must be ok.
So again, if you over do it and you have the time, that's perfectly ok.
Just don't try to teach it as most of us don't have that kind of patience.
It hurt him to spend money.
So when he asked I told him to do what he felt better about.
So if you want to polish with steel wool go sheep as it were.
Is it necessary, not in the least.
Ditto for (added) "deep" clean cases, it has some advantage annealing, in between no.
Now granted I also clean my cases after re-size. I don't clean the dies though (rarely, it takes to long to season them where they work right again)
I don't have scratches so it must be ok.
So again, if you over do it and you have the time, that's perfectly ok.
Just don't try to teach it as most of us don't have that kind of patience.
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Will see if spotless shinny brass helps . This weekend a friend of mine was having problems with ejecting some cases from his bolt action . I looked at his brass , looked pretty dull . I offered to clean them up with my stainless steel tumbler , he agreed . He only neck sizes , after cleaning his brass , which came out like new , I checked he cases , they looked good but the measurements were all over the place .
Had to F/L size to spec's & trim , on a .223 trim length 1.750 - 60 trimmed to 1.755 . Now I can't tell if his problem was grime or inconsistent measurements . The test will have to be put off . Have to say the rounds look like store bought , let's see how they work .
Had to F/L size to spec's & trim , on a .223 trim length 1.750 - 60 trimmed to 1.755 . Now I can't tell if his problem was grime or inconsistent measurements . The test will have to be put off . Have to say the rounds look like store bought , let's see how they work .