Is it manditory to clean your cases?

GJJ · April 15, 2007, 11:45 AM

I am getting started with a Classic Lee loader in .38 special. Do I have to do the whole corn cob media cleaning thing? Or, can I just wipe down the exterior of the cases?

Will the dirty interior hurt anything?

CrustyFN · April 15, 2007, 12:23 PM

No you don't have to clean the inside of the case. As far as the outside of the case, yes they should be cleaned before they go into the resizing die. Uncleaned cases can scratch you die and ruin it. There are many ways to clean the cases but IMO the tumbler is the easiest. I can throw them in the tumbler and do other things while they clean them self. You can also clean them in the sink with dish soap and other things but then they have to be dried and it is very time consuming. I have seen posts where some people wipe the outside of each case and again very time consuming. I always have a batch of cases ready to load. I will throw 300 to 400 cases in the tumbler for 2 hours in walnut. In that 2 hours I have loaded close to 400 on my Lee Classic Turret. I take those cases out, put the next batch in and start the process all over again. I only had to spend 5 to 10 minutes loading and unloading the tumbler instead of an hour or more cleaning them by hand. I guess it all comes down to how much time you want to spend cleaning cases.
Rusty

Shoney · April 15, 2007, 01:08 PM

It is difficult to give you the best answer unless we know how much you shoot. If you are just starting as a reloader, your volume will increase with time. Loading less than 500 cartridges a year doesn't warrent a tumbler if you are on a low budget. 500 a month certainly requires a tumbler IMHO.

Do you need to clean the outside of the brass? - most certainly. Do you need to clean the inside? - not unless it is range brass or otherwise has crud in it.

From 1960 to the early 90's, I wiped down my brass with small strips of clean cotton rag covered with modest amounts of sizing lube. For Dirty brass, I put them in an old sock or old nylon stocking and ran them thru the wash with other clothes. Mom had a fit, then later, the wife had a fit. Whats that old saying

. "Punishment only makes bad behavior more devious."

In the early 90's I started competetive pistol shooting and had to get a tumbler. I can't imagine being without one now.

PointOneSeven · April 15, 2007, 01:09 PM

Yes, outside of the cases must be cleaned.

You can do them individually with fine steel wool by hand.

I shake about 200 deprimed cases in a dried/cleaned milk jug with dry rice for about 15 minutes. Then I move the cases over to a dishsoap water milkjug and shake those for 10 minutes to get the remaining residue off. Yes it's work, but it's also almost free: no tumbler required.

gwalchmai · April 15, 2007, 08:41 PM

You can also just dump the brass in a bucket with a 20% solution of Simple Green or one cup of white vinegar/gal of water and stir or agitate for five minutes. Some folks use laundry powder, too. Drain off the water and dry the brass on a towel and you should be good to go. It won't sparkle like tumbled brass but it'll be perfectly serviceable.

Another trick is to put cases in a coffee can with tumbling media. Seal it up and put it in the trunk of your wife's car for a week. They come out nice and shiny...

Dave R · April 15, 2007, 09:10 PM

Dirty brass can cause wear. Its not mandatory, but you should clean. The whole first year I reloaded, I cleaned them by hand like pointoneseven said. Except I used a a green dish thingie.

**Mike Irwin** · April 16, 2007, 12:14 AM

No, it's not mandatory in the least despite what some people would tell you. .

As long as there isn't active, green or deep red colored corrosion on the case (if there is, it should probably be tossed), and as long as it's not covered in grit, grime, grease, mud, etc., there's no need to clean your cases unless you personally like them nice and shiny.

I've got 30,000+ rounds through some of my guns, most of them reloads. I've yet to have any of my 60+ guns wear out from dirty cases.

If I ever do get cases that are brutally filthy, such as from an autoloader that's ejected the brass into the mud and dirt, I'll wash those cases in a 5 gallon bucket with some lysol, rinse them well, and then spread them on an old sheet to dry.

Art Eatman · April 16, 2007, 10:42 AM

I pretty much gave up on worrying with tumbler-cleaning brass, unless it was really grungy. I'll wipe rifle cases before resizing; automotive shop rags do fine for that. I do a thorough wipe-down after I'm through loading a batch of whatever kind of ammo.

Carbide dies for pistol resizing...

Art

dgc940 · April 16, 2007, 05:59 PM

Tumbeling brass is for pretty at the range just like a pretty rifle does not mean a good shooter. But Im talking of dirt,lube and tarnish! Try to keep your brass of the ground and I turn my emptys neck down in my case especialy when windy

April 15, 2007, 11:45 AM	#1
GJJ Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2006 Posts: 164	Is it manditory to clean your cases? I am getting started with a Classic Lee loader in .38 special. Do I have to do the whole corn cob media cleaning thing? Or, can I just wipe down the exterior of the cases? Will the dirty interior hurt anything?

April 15, 2007, 12:23 PM	#2
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	No you don't have to clean the inside of the case. As far as the outside of the case, yes they should be cleaned before they go into the resizing die. Uncleaned cases can scratch you die and ruin it. There are many ways to clean the cases but IMO the tumbler is the easiest. I can throw them in the tumbler and do other things while they clean them self. You can also clean them in the sink with dish soap and other things but then they have to be dried and it is very time consuming. I have seen posts where some people wipe the outside of each case and again very time consuming. I always have a batch of cases ready to load. I will throw 300 to 400 cases in the tumbler for 2 hours in walnut. In that 2 hours I have loaded close to 400 on my Lee Classic Turret. I take those cases out, put the next batch in and start the process all over again. I only had to spend 5 to 10 minutes loading and unloading the tumbler instead of an hour or more cleaning them by hand. I guess it all comes down to how much time you want to spend cleaning cases. Rusty __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.

April 15, 2007, 01:08 PM	#3
Shoney Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2002 Location: Transplanted from Montana Posts: 2,311	It is difficult to give you the best answer unless we know how much you shoot. If you are just starting as a reloader, your volume will increase with time. Loading less than 500 cartridges a year doesn't warrent a tumbler if you are on a low budget. 500 a month certainly requires a tumbler IMHO. Do you need to clean the outside of the brass? - most certainly. Do you need to clean the inside? - not unless it is range brass or otherwise has crud in it. From 1960 to the early 90's, I wiped down my brass with small strips of clean cotton rag covered with modest amounts of sizing lube. For Dirty brass, I put them in an old sock or old nylon stocking and ran them thru the wash with other clothes. Mom had a fit, then later, the wife had a fit. Whats that old saying . "Punishment only makes bad behavior more devious." In the early 90's I started competetive pistol shooting and had to get a tumbler. I can't imagine being without one now. __________________ I pledge allegiance to the Flag - - -, and to the Republic for which it stands….Our Forefathers were brilliant for giving us a Republic, not a democracy! Do you know the difference??? and WHY?http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissue...les.asp?id=111

April 15, 2007, 09:10 PM	#6
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,073	Dirty brass can cause wear. Its not mandatory, but you should clean. The whole first year I reloaded, I cleaned them by hand like pointoneseven said. Except I used a a green dish thingie. __________________ I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).

April 16, 2007, 12:14 AM	#7
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,390	No, it's not mandatory in the least despite what some people would tell you. . As long as there isn't active, green or deep red colored corrosion on the case (if there is, it should probably be tossed), and as long as it's not covered in grit, grime, grease, mud, etc., there's no need to clean your cases unless you personally like them nice and shiny. I've got 30,000+ rounds through some of my guns, most of them reloads. I've yet to have any of my 60+ guns wear out from dirty cases. If I ever do get cases that are brutally filthy, such as from an autoloader that's ejected the brass into the mud and dirt, I'll wash those cases in a 5 gallon bucket with some lysol, rinse them well, and then spread them on an old sheet to dry. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

April 15, 2007, 01:09 PM	#4
PointOneSeven Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2006 Posts: 579	Yes, outside of the cases must be cleaned. You can do them individually with fine steel wool by hand. I shake about 200 deprimed cases in a dried/cleaned milk jug with dry rice for about 15 minutes. Then I move the cases over to a dishsoap water milkjug and shake those for 10 minutes to get the remaining residue off. Yes it's work, but it's also almost free: no tumbler required.

April 15, 2007, 08:41 PM	#5
gwalchmai Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2001 Location: outside the perimeter Posts: 333	You can also just dump the brass in a bucket with a 20% solution of Simple Green or one cup of white vinegar/gal of water and stir or agitate for five minutes. Some folks use laundry powder, too. Drain off the water and dry the brass on a towel and you should be good to go. It won't sparkle like tumbled brass but it'll be perfectly serviceable. Another trick is to put cases in a coffee can with tumbling media. Seal it up and put it in the trunk of your wife's car for a week. They come out nice and shiny...

April 16, 2007, 10:42 AM	#8
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	I pretty much gave up on worrying with tumbler-cleaning brass, unless it was really grungy. I'll wipe rifle cases before resizing; automotive shop rags do fine for that. I do a thorough wipe-down after I'm through loading a batch of whatever kind of ammo. Carbide dies for pistol resizing... Art

April 16, 2007, 05:59 PM	#9
dgc940 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2005 Location: Graham Texas Posts: 258	Tumbeling brass is for pretty at the range just like a pretty rifle does not mean a good shooter. But Im talking of dirt,lube and tarnish! Try to keep your brass of the ground and I turn my emptys neck down in my case especialy when windy __________________ Some people say what they think! Some say what they know! Then there's those that think they know what they are saying!