How do you clean your brass? (Poll)

How do you clean your brass

  • I Wet tumble

    Votes: 23 25.8%

  • I Dry tumble

    Votes: 48 53.9%

  • I use a sonic cleaner

    Votes: 2 2.2%

  • I use multiple methods

    Votes: 10 11.2%

  • Clean my brass! Silly people, I resize and GO!

    Votes: 2 2.2%

  • I have alternative methods (AKA other)

    Votes: 4 4.5%
  • Total voters
    89
  • Poll closed .
Shadow9mm said:
Vibratory tumblers are aggressive in relation to the speed and frequency of the vibration, the only control one has is the duration. While the effect may be minimal if the duration is short, it will have an effect, the only question is to what degree.
Click to expand...

I think there lies part of your issue. You're assuming everyone is using a vibratory tumbler. I only rotary tumble. Two completely different animals

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk
 
For Bolt Guns. Deprime, wet tumble with Woolite Dark, Lemishine, Cold water, no pins.

For pistol cartridges and AR cartridges. Corncob with Lucas Oil Metal Polish and Tumbler Additive.
 
I dry vibrate pistol brass to clean it. I rarely tumble rifle brass, though I do quickly clean the necks with steel wool. The extra work getting rifle brass shiny isn’t worth the effort unless you need to show off for your friends.
 
I did a home experiment 1 year. I reloaded 3 rounds with ball, flake and stick powder. I did 4 of each examples. I started the tumbler and pulled out 1 of each kind every week. At the end of the month time the last rounds had tumbled for 30 days. Each time I pulled out the rounds I broke them down. Used brand new cases with the 0 tarnish or contamination. Each time I broke down the cases that was 0 evidence of powder dust or anything else. I figured if a round can tumble for 30 days straight, 5 minutes in the tumbler. will be okay
 
I have a vibrating tumbler which works for me.... When I do tumble that is. I never clean my brass every time I get back (unless Black Powder). Simple wipe with paper towel before going into the resizing die. None of my brass hits the ground, therefore I usually resize and go. All depends on if I think they need it or not. The cartridges shoot just as well as if bright and shiny :D .
 
Last edited:
FWIW, cleaning brass is as much about consistency and keeping the chambers and dies in the best possible condition as anything else. Dirty dies don't make consistent rounds.
 
Dry tumble/vibratory cleaner for 45-60 minutes. Corn cob or walnut media, with a cut up dryer sheet for some dust control.

I’m not going for factory shine level brass, just want to get the dirt and gunk off before running through my dies.

Rifle rounds go back in for 15 minutes or so after loading to get rid of lube residue.
 
Rifle brass: decap, then ss liquid clean. Dry tumble after sizing, etc.
pistol brass: size and decap, then ss liquid clean.
 
This is a surprising poll ... all the talk is about wet tumbling and how great and wonderful it is how it cleans the inside , outside , primer pockets and the kitchen floor ...Then you got Sonic Cleaners , multiple methods and alternate methods and NO methods

But the Poll Shows 50% still dry tumble ...50 % ... compared with all the other methods and the No Method ... 50 Freaking Percent !

AWESOME POLL !!!

I was sure only myself and two others used that old fashioned Dry Media method that came over on the Mayflower ... Looks like there are still a lot of us Dry Media Tumblers out there ... Guys , Keep On Keeping On !
Gary
 
I can sure suggest what NOT to do...don't wet tumble with out stainless pins...I did using only the blue duck soap and limashine and all the case mouths took a beating bad.
 
I still have my vibratory tumbler but it doesn't do a large enough load & doesn't do it fast enough as my home made wet tumbler. I still use it for small loads just to polish.
My wet tumbler is very easy to use, I just put dirty brass in, this 2' PVC tube.(about1500 9mm cases)



Add water up to mark, warm water does a little better but cold will work.


Add small amount of Dawn (about 1/8" in container)


Add small amount of Lemi-shine


And clean brass comes out 2hrs later. :eek:(most of the insides of the cases come clean without pins)

If I add pins they would be real clean, but I don't like cleaning up the pins.
And this is clean enough for me.
 
Let me help out.

If you put stick powder in a blender, to exacerbate the vibration type effect, what will happen is that your rifle powder will turn into a pistol powder and burn DRAMATICALLY faster. This is a fact, not a myth.

But tumbling is super less than blender. But stick rubbing against each other, probably has small impact. Small. IN confined space. under extreme vibration. Which is way different than container rocking around in a truck.

This is tested and proven. (Blender that is)

as far as cleaning brass. Here is a proven method you may like. Pretty standard, just add ShineBright.

http://www.natoreloading.com/cleanbrass/
 
Last edited:
wet with pins, a dishwasher tablet, and a pinch of Lemishine. Also been known to wipe the neck and shoulder with a piece of Neverdull and call it good.
 
Wow ... this poll is even more surprising today ... 54 % dry tumble .

All the talk about wet tumbling and how clean it gets the pockets , cleans the insides , cleans the outsides , shines the brass , heals the sick and raises the dead ...
... yet only 26 % of the people do it !

Sure seems like an awful lot of folks , me included , still Dry Tumble !
If so many do it ... the old way must still be a good way !
Gary
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top