Cleaning new brass

swimmer · September 24, 2012, 08:14 PM

Hello everyone,
I was just wondering how many of you find it necessary to clean your new, never fired, brass before loading? I know some people have issues with lubrications from the brass being processed and others say they have not. Just looking for a general consensus. Try to keep everything relaxed, everyone's opinions is appreciated. I'm not looking for advice I'm just kind of curious on the difference on how everyone does everything. Please specify if you are talking about pistol or rifle rounds, as that make a difference. Have a great one everyone.

smith627 · September 24, 2012, 08:22 PM

No - pistol / Starline, Remington, Winchester - nothing to clean on the new brass I have bought over the years.

4runnerman · September 24, 2012, 09:35 PM

I never clean new rifle brass,but i do FLS before loading first time. Pistol brass-- I have never paid for it. Range brass is fine for pistol. Im not much for pistol shooting in first place. I can hold my own,but i know there are those in here that can pick a fly at 50 yards so to say. ( god i hate them ha ha

).

hk33ka1 · September 24, 2012, 09:50 PM

I just load new brass as is. Sometimes I get fancy and chamfer the neck and then uniform primer pockets and debur flash hole. I never clean or size as it's already cleaned and sized from any of the manufacturers I bought.

603Country · September 24, 2012, 09:53 PM

I'd say exactly what 4runnerman said, but he said it first.

FloridaVeteran · September 24, 2012, 09:54 PM

I chamfer and de-burr, out of habit. But I have a lot of time, so TLC like that is easy enough.

jepp2 · September 24, 2012, 10:09 PM

Handgun new brass - for the first loading I just prime and let the expander make the case mouth round. No other actions taken.

Rifle brass - two different approaches:

- general run of the mill accuracy I run the expander through the neck to make it round, I chamfer the inside and outside of the neck.

- for my accuracy brass, I run the expander through the neck, trim and chamfer inside and outside of the neck lightly, uniform the primer pockets, deburr the flash hold and weigh and sort by similar weights.

I haven't found any new brass to have any residue on it, and that is 10's of thousands of rounds (Remington, Winchester, Lapua, Lake City, Hornady) I also have never seen the need to size new rifle brass. I do check the shoulder datum length versus my standards by rifle. But what I find on new rifle brass is the shoulder is already set back further than necessary to insure it will chamber in "everything". I realize others have found problems that they now FL size new rifle brass.

4runnerman · September 25, 2012, 07:35 AM

hk33ka1 --New rifle brass is neither FLS or fire formed. It is in some in between phase. No one really counts on new brass being real accurate first load,but FLS new brass really does help.

Just for fun try it once. Load 10 new and FLS 10 new. I think you will be amazed at the difference when you shoot them.

p5200 · September 25, 2012, 08:06 AM

New brass is not FLS? didn't know that but next new bag of rifle brass I get I'll try loading 10 rounds both ways.

jcwit · September 25, 2012, 08:29 AM

Have never cleaned any as of yet, been reloading since the 1960's. I do chamfer tho.

spacecoast · September 25, 2012, 08:37 AM

What would you expect to remove by cleaning it?

4runnerman · September 25, 2012, 12:16 PM

P5200-- All i can say is-You will be amazed at the difference.

September 24, 2012, 08:14 PM	#1
swimmer Junior Member Join Date: May 13, 2012 Posts: 5	Cleaning new brass Hello everyone, I was just wondering how many of you find it necessary to clean your new, never fired, brass before loading? I know some people have issues with lubrications from the brass being processed and others say they have not. Just looking for a general consensus. Try to keep everything relaxed, everyone's opinions is appreciated. I'm not looking for advice I'm just kind of curious on the difference on how everyone does everything. Please specify if you are talking about pistol or rifle rounds, as that make a difference. Have a great one everyone. Last edited by Brian Pfleuger; September 24, 2012 at 09:55 PM.

September 24, 2012, 08:22 PM	#2
smith627 Member Join Date: April 27, 2008 Location: Central Mississippi Posts: 15	No - pistol / Starline, Remington, Winchester - nothing to clean on the new brass I have bought over the years. __________________ NRA Life Member *Shoot Safely, Shoot Often, & Share Your Sport - Shooting USA*

September 24, 2012, 09:35 PM	#3
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnsota Posts: 1,840	I never clean new rifle brass,but i do FLS before loading first time. Pistol brass-- I have never paid for it. Range brass is fine for pistol. Im not much for pistol shooting in first place. I can hold my own,but i know there are those in here that can pick a fly at 50 yards so to say. ( god i hate them ha ha ). __________________ NRA Certified RSO NwCP- Performance Isn't Optional

September 25, 2012, 07:35 AM	#8
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnsota Posts: 1,840	hk33ka1 --New rifle brass is neither FLS or fire formed. It is in some in between phase. No one really counts on new brass being real accurate first load,but FLS new brass really does help. Just for fun try it once. Load 10 new and FLS 10 new. I think you will be amazed at the difference when you shoot them. __________________ NRA Certified RSO NwCP- Performance Isn't Optional

September 25, 2012, 08:29 AM	#10
jcwit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2007 Location: Upper Indiana Posts: 462	Have never cleaned any as of yet, been reloading since the 1960's. I do chamfer tho. __________________ U.S. Army Veteran NRA Certified Range Officer

September 24, 2012, 09:50 PM	#4
hk33ka1 Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 2010 Posts: 275	I just load new brass as is. Sometimes I get fancy and chamfer the neck and then uniform primer pockets and debur flash hole. I never clean or size as it's already cleaned and sized from any of the manufacturers I bought.

September 24, 2012, 09:53 PM	#5
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 1,711	I'd say exactly what 4runnerman said, but he said it first.

September 24, 2012, 09:54 PM	#6
FloridaVeteran Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2012 Location: Central Florida Posts: 399	I chamfer and de-burr, out of habit. But I have a lot of time, so TLC like that is easy enough.

September 24, 2012, 10:09 PM	#7
jepp2 Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,019	Handgun new brass - for the first loading I just prime and let the expander make the case mouth round. No other actions taken. Rifle brass - two different approaches: - general run of the mill accuracy I run the expander through the neck to make it round, I chamfer the inside and outside of the neck. - for my accuracy brass, I run the expander through the neck, trim and chamfer inside and outside of the neck lightly, uniform the primer pockets, deburr the flash hold and weigh and sort by similar weights. I haven't found any new brass to have any residue on it, and that is 10's of thousands of rounds (Remington, Winchester, Lapua, Lake City, Hornady) I also have never seen the need to size new rifle brass. I do check the shoulder datum length versus my standards by rifle. But what I find on new rifle brass is the shoulder is already set back further than necessary to insure it will chamber in "everything". I realize others have found problems that they now FL size new rifle brass.

September 25, 2012, 08:06 AM	#9
p5200 Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2008 Posts: 205	New brass is not FLS? didn't know that but next new bag of rifle brass I get I'll try loading 10 rounds both ways.

September 25, 2012, 08:37 AM	#11
spacecoast Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: Sunshine and Keystone States Posts: 3,405	What would you expect to remove by cleaning it? __________________ My guns include S&W and Colt revolvers, Colt and Ruger pistols, Remington 870 shotgun, Henry and Marlin .22LR rifles, Hi-Point 9mm carbine and Lancaster Arms AK. I reload handgun rounds with a Lee hand press, over 18K rounds since Nov. 2009 with nary a squib nor kaboom.

September 25, 2012, 12:16 PM	#12
4runnerman Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: Minnsota Posts: 1,840	P5200-- All i can say is-You will be amazed at the difference. __________________ NRA Certified RSO NwCP- Performance Isn't Optional