cleaning cases

[Micro man]

I am fairly new to reloading and was considering cleaning my cases before reloading. My budget is limited as well. I have read comments in favor of both a tumbler and a ultrasonic cleaner and am unsure of the way to go with my limited finances. Any advice would be appreciated.

[243winxb]

See posts by unclenick http://www.thehighroad.org/showthrea...ight=unclenick

[jepp2]

Case cleaning can be as simple as wiping them off prior to sizing. This protects your dies, and cost nothing but a bit of time.

You can probably go with an inexpensive case tumbler as the next lowest cost option (considering equipment and supplies). Slightly more expensive would be the Lyman 1200 turbo tumbler. Cost around $50 if you shop around. Will last for many years.

[Bart B.]

Wiping off fired cases is OK, but I suggest using some naptha (lighter fluid) on the rag. That'll do a better job of taking off any grit that the die may have on it. Unless that grit's removed, it'll gall your die.

It's also a good idea to run a bore brush in the fired case mouths first to get rid of a lot of powder residue and make the expander ball in your dies come back up through easier.

[t45]

My Lyman case tumbler is one of my prized reloading tools....

[sawdustdad]

I've been using my RCBS vibratory case cleaner with walnut hull media for years. Works great.

[catgunguy]

I wash mine in a solution of citric acid and Dawn soap in a bucket.
One teaspoon citric acid and a squirt of Dawn in a plastic bucket with about a gallon of hot water for 15 minutes. Stir them with a wooden spoon every couple minutes then rinse a couple of times with clean water. Put them on a flat surface in the sun until dry. It works better if you use a universal deprimmer so the solution can help clean the primmer pockets. If you are a clean primmer pocket freak like me, I usually go a head and run the primer pocket brush in them before I wash them. The pockets are as shiny as the brass after the wash. It does save the cost of a tumbler.

[sailnaked]

I understand that the outside of the cases should be clean when they go in the die, but how much difference does a little soot on the inside of the case make? I threw my current project in the laundry and they mostly came out clean on the outside. there is still some residue on the inside. I have tried a mix of alcohol and citrus and dish soap and laundry soap with boiling hot water and sloshed them about for a few min, well it got out some of what was left but not the magic solution I was looking for.

is there a solvent for what is inside a case that totally dissolves the residue?

I do not really care if the outside is shiny, (unless that is required)

does a media gizmo clean the inside? how often does media get stuck in the primer hole?

PS, not trying to hijack the thread, it was really close to the question I am interested in, just expanding it

[hdbiker]

I cleaned fired cases for years with Birchwood Casy Case Bright.It's a cheap concentrated liquid you mix with water.I used to keep my mix in a large deli pickel jar for future use.Cleaned very well but diden't polish.Mixture lasted a long time for many cleanings . hdbiker

[DaleA]

I did the 'lighter fluid on the rag' cleaning with .45 ACP brass for a few years when I was staring out, was mostly broke, and didn't shoot all that much.

Later on I got a Midway vibrating cleaner with corncob media. Still have it and use it. Saves a lot of time, wear and tear on the fingers (that's getting more and more important as I age) and the only downside was the noise-the noise IS a consideration but almost anyone can figure a way to take care of that problem. Media gets stuck in the primer pockets sometimes but it's not very often and not a big deal to correct.

I've heard the wet cleaners using the stainless steel pins REALLY clean all gunk off the brass including the stuff inside.

There's ultrasonic cleaners too but I know little about them.

http://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arse...s+case+cleaner

Not my case cleaner but mine is similar.

[mikld]

I reloaded mebbe 12 years before I got a tumbler. I inspected every case I reloaded and when looking at them I wiped them with a mineral spirits dampened rag. Nope, I didn't wear out/scratch any dies, and yep, I could spot any defects.

I think too much emphasis is placed on certain reloading procedures and the amount of equipment needed for a new reloader. If a new feller bought every tool, piece of equipment recommended to get started he'd be in the hole several hundred dollars, not counting powder and bullets! I use a tumbler with corn cob/walnut media and keep it simple. I don't clean/polish my brass every reloading and have no idea why someone would want the interior of the case and the primer pockets pristine, virgin looking (yep, I've tried wet tumbling and it's too involved for me). The only brass I use that is shiny/polished is that used in my 45 ACP and my 30-06 Garand. They are easy to spot in the dirt/rocks/stuff on the ground where I shoot. But some folks want the bright polished brass and if that makes them happy shooters, great!

[.45C-SWC]

I agree that shiny brass probably don't shoot any better but I like its appearance. When I returned to reloading, I read many comments on many forums. Wet tumbling technique is more involved and the equipment is more expensive but it works very well. I use citric acid, Dawn soap and stainless steel pins. This works even on brass loaded with black powder. I decap the brass first and the pins remove the carbon residue from the primer pockets. Sometimes, pins will lodge in the primer flash hole but these are easily removed with a long-nose pliers. For me, the biggest disadvantage is drying the brass. Reloading is an enjoyable activity to me so the extra steps are not burdensome.

[mikld]

Reloading is an enjoyable activity to me so the extra steps are not burdensome.

45C-SWC

This right here is the whole enchilada in one sentence. If one reloads for an ammo supply, then mebbe the little extras are a chore. If you enjoy reloading/handloading for itself, then there isn't much of a down side to any part of the procedure. I like to weigh most of my powder charges, some will only measure 1 out of five or ten charges. I don't scrape primer pockets on 90% of my reloads, but there are some that lovingly clean and re-form the pockets on their brass. My 30-06 Garand ammo gets my full doting care on each step and I even weigh the cases I sorted by headstamp year of production, and deburr the flash holes too! It's all a matter of each individual's likes and dislikes. If you wanna do it, then do it. The Reloading Police ain't gonna kick down your door and confiscate your handloads 'cause you did it "wrong"...

The only reason I bring up steps that may be unnecessary is so new reloaders won't get overwhelmed with "necessities" in getting started. I started "pre web" so I made good, safe ammo with just my Lee Loader and didn't know I was doing it wrong...