Cleaning Brass

[Irishlad]

I probably shouldn't ask this since I've been reloading a long time now...but!

Sometimes I don't "plan" my brass cleaning well enough and I end up grabbing "dirty" brass, doesn't look that bad though, spray some One-shot on and load.

Seems to load fine and works in the gun just fine also.

So, I "should" clean the brass each time so I don't "scratch" or damage the dies?

Is that the only reason I ( we) clean brass first?

[LPatterson]

I first started reloading for a revolver and I never had dirty brass because it went from the cyclinder back into the box. Now that I reload for a semi automatic, I am picking brass out of sand and dirt so I always clean first before reloading. I have a set of RCBS 45 ACP dies with a carbide insert in the sizing die that is scratched beyond use from not cleaning brass first.

[Irishlad]

Well, if it destroys the dies, that's reason enough to clean.

Too bad though!

[EricW]

Irishlad,

I don't plan well either. That's where the big Dillon tumbler and 5 gallon buckets of pre-cleaned brass come in.

Also, if you want to start out on the right foot, I've gotten spectacular products and service from http://www.edsbrassandrelaoders.com My brass was cleaned, sorted by headstamped, and very economical considering I didn't have to do any of the work.

And Leroy is correct, once you scratch a die, you might as well write off the next hour because that's what it takes to repolish the carbide sider ... if it's repairable at all.

[Irishlad]

EricW,

Thanks for the info. I'll look into them.

Although I "knew" the answer, I was hoping for some replies like, " Yeah, I don't clean them and it doesn't damage the dies".

[EricW]

...I was hoping for some replies like, " Yeah, I don't clean them and it doesn't damage the dies".

Well...give 'er a whirl. Short term I doubt that it's a big deal at all. Long term, you're going to have issues sooner or later.

[warpspeed]

I know a couple of guys who load then tumble.

I like the inside a litte cleaner than picked up off the floor or even with moon clipped brass.

I'd tumble for at least 20-30 min at a minimum to get all the crap out and off.

[Rising Sight]

All my brass gets tumbled before I put it through my dies. I put my loaded ammo back through the tumbler just to be sure they look nice and pretty on match day.

I try and stay away from those dirty brass people.

[Steve Anderson]

You'll also notice less effort required to work the press with cleaner brass, those with joint pain will appreciate that.

SA

[D__]

I always do for the health reasons and just makes it a little cleaner process.

[Micah]

You wouldn't drive with a dirty windshield on a 10 hour trip...right? Take the time to clean your brass, and make your ammo as reliable as possible. FTF's can cost you a match!

[Irishlad]

I'm cleaning them...I don't want to be the " dirty brass guy" and shame my fellow shooters.

[slavex]

I double clean mine. I have semi dirty media that the brass first goes into. Then when I've done a bunch of that I swap out tumbler bowls and use my clean media to finish them off. Once that media starts to get "dirty" I toss out the real dirty stuff and start a new clean one, moving the new dirty stuff down the line.

I used to tumble after I loaded my ammo when I used case lube on the cases, but now with the 1050 I don't lube my cases. Although I still do that with my rifle ammo. I find the addition of a cut up anti static sheet really makes a difference as well, it keeps the dust down, and helps absorb some of the finer dirt.

One other thing I do when I first get brass home, is I run it through my media sorter, to get out as much dirt, gravel, wood, bugs etc as I can, before it goes into the tumbler. This has made a huge difference to how long my media lasts.

[Lee Bell]

Question/informtion for the topic.

When I first started cleaning brass, I used walnut media. I still do for particularly dirty brass. While this media cleaned the brass, it left it with a soft finish rather than a shiny one. I had heard that corn cob media would give me a brighter shine.

Somewhere on his site, Brian says that he does not sell the corn cob media because it's cheap to buy from the local feed or pet store and expensive to ship. Taking his advice, which has always been good, I picked up a 25 lb bag of Sunshine Cob, 1/4" (I didn't see the size before starting this message) Avian & Small Animal Bedding for less than I could have bought 10 lbs for on line. The stuff does what I wanted with only one problem. It tends to stick in the primer pocket of my .44 magnum rounds. That's the information.

Here are the questions.

Is there a finer grade of the same stuff, available for a comparable price savings? If so, what should I be asking for?

Would putting the stuff I have through a meat grinder give me something that would work as well without getting stuck in the primer pockets?

Finally, I feed dried corn to squirrels. Has anyone tried using a meat grinder to make their own media out of the cobs left behind? I kind of like the idea of making use of something that, otherwise, goes in the trash.

Lee

All my brass gets tumbled before I put it through my dies. I put my loaded ammo back through the tumbler just to be sure they look nice and pretty on match day.

I know this is a silly question by the fact that you say you do this, but does everyone agree tht it's safe to vibrate loaded rounds?

Typically, I clean all my brass, including the new stuff. Dillon's manual mentions that new brass sometimes sticks on the belling funnel and suggests cleaning as a solution. So far, so good. On most pistol cartriges, I don't lube before sizing. I've found, however, that dry .44 cases are hard enough to size to make lube worth the time and effort. So far, I've been lubing, sizing and decapping, and then cleaning the brass again before priming and loading. If it's safe to clean brass after loading, I can speed the process up considerably by leaving the lube on the cases until they're completely reloaded.

Lee

[Mistral404]

I clean my brass before I reload it. I use rice from Costco. 25 lbs for about $4-$8.

I use One-shot to lube my cases which makes it a lot easier on my 1050.

I also clean my base afterwards in the same rice media to take off all the residue.

The brass is has a nice bright brush finished. It is not as bright as new but clean and bright.