Cleaning brass questions

[twins]

I reload for sight-in/hunting purpose. Not looking for bench-rest competition accuracy so 1.5 inches groupings @100 yards are plenty good for me. Having shiny brass isn't a big deal for me.

Questions:
Besides cleaning out the primer pocket after firing (if needed), do I need to clean the brass (ie, ultrasonic or tumble media method) if it goes from reloading bench, firing at range, and back into ammo carrying case?

Will a simple wipe down with damp towel on the outside of the brass suffice prior to reloading?

Any safety issues?

Thanks for your assistance.

[Sport45]

Will a simple wipe down with damp towel on the outside of the brass suffice prior to reloading?

That'll do it. The only reasom I use a tumble is becaus i pick up a lot of brass that's been laying on the ground a while.

If I was loading for a bolt rifle where the brass went from the chamber back to the box I wouldn't bother.

But dampen your rag with rubbing alcohol or leave it dry. I don't think I'd use water.

[golfnutrlv]

You don't really need to unless you are tied to the appearance. If my brass is not really that dirty, a little Hoppes #9 on a rag, then a dry rag does the job just fine. Keep it away from the primer's if they are already primed though.

[Edward Horton]

Cosmetics are one thing but remember "any" material embedded in the outside of the case can and will scratch your reloading dies. Clean is always better for your cases, dies and rifle, I have read that the black carbon residue left inside the case can actually act like sand paper and increase bore wear.

Cleaned, checked and ready to go. (Gauge shows more than bent paper clip and web thinning)

[snuffy]

Reasons for cleaning brass in either a tumbler or ultrasonic;

1. Inspection of the brass is just plain easier than if they're tarnished or dirty. Cracks and splits are much easier to see.

2. Finding brass in the grass is much easier.

3. It's a sign of pride in your handloads to have them shiny.

4. Hard dirt that can scratch dies will be gone. Most of what is on the ground IS hard enough to scratch dies.

5. Simply wiping cases off with a rag just moves the dirt around, or embeds it in the rag to contaminate the next case.

Reasons NOT to clean your cases;

1. They MAY shoot as well as clean cases.

2. You don't care how they look.

3. Cracks, splits and partial case separations will/may go unnoticed.

4. You're lazy.

I use a midway vibratory tumbler with a polishing additive. Either midway polish, or flitz. I also have some nu-finish, but haven't tried it yet. I also have a Harbor freight ultrasonic cleaner. I want shiny cases that are free of grit. I don't care about the carbon inside of cases, it does no harm to barrels. if I were concerned, a trip through the UC removes every bit of carbon from the inside of the case and the primer pocket.

[Rifleman1776]

snuffy said it, I'll repeat.
Inspection is much easier with cleaned cases. I consider that an important step in reloading.
For many, including myself, there is a sense of satisfaction in using clean brass. It shows that care is exercised in all stages of reloading.
But, in a practical sense, dirty brass is OK to reload.

[twins]

Thanks all for your replies. In the past, I've ultrasonic or tumble my fired brass prior to reloading but now I'm thinking it may be overkill.

My reason is that I've read the Lyman, Nosler, Speer, Sierra, Hornady, Barnes, and Lee reloading books and don't see any writing about mandatory cleaning of fired brass prior to reloading. They do mention "polishing" the brass with the tumbler for aesthetic purpose and prior to inspection (which I do right after firing and after depriming at home). I eject my case into my hand so the only contaminant would be from the firing residue.

I would think these manufacturers of reloading accessories would be a stickler about clean brass for safety purpose.

I guess it is like checking the oil, tire pressure, fluids every time before I start my car. It is good practice but I don't think it is necessary every time.

I'm not countering any replies, just giving you my thoughts.

[twins]

Here's an excerpt from page 62 of "Modern Reloading, 2nd Ed" book by Richard Lee that got me thinking about starting this thread:

" I have never found any evidence that clean cases shoot one bit better than dirty cases. "

No mentioning of cleaning a fired brass for safety reasons...not in any of the books I listed above either. Now I believe mechanically cleaning the case after every firing is a personal choice rather than a necessary step in reloading.

I'm relatively new to reloading (been at it for about a year) so if you have real life experience with safety issue/concerns with this method, please provide.

Thanks.

[demigod]

In the past, I've ultrasonic or tumble my fired brass prior to reloading but now I'm thinking it may be overkill.

If you have the tumbler, why not use it?

Hand wiping brass will work fine if you're only loading a handful of rounds though.

My rifle brass gets tumbled twice. Once to clean, and once to remove case lube after sizing.

[Taroman]

The purists will scream, but I've taken to using - the washing machine. Dump 'em in a lingere bag and run with a few towels to cushion things. Decap first with a universal decapper. This gets them squeaky clean, not totally polished, but about like new factory rounds. Good enough and easy, too.

[demigod]

The purists will scream, but I've taken to using - the washing machine. Dump 'em in a lingere bag and run with a few towels to cushion things.

Unless I were reloading with fully encapsulated bullets and lead free primers, I WOULD NOT WANT lead conamination in my washing machine and on my towels.

[theshephard]

Gave it my all, but I'm just not a fan of 'wet' cleaning methods for cases.

Did multiple disciplined trials (yeah, log book and everything). It seemed messier, and I didn't have a whole lot of luck getting the primer pockets clean unless put them through multiple 8-minute cycles. Getting more aggressive with solutions often meant a neutralizing step. Then there's the dry time.

So I mean it worked, but it took more hands-on attention.

Sure, manually cleaning pockets is hands-on attention, but only takes zombie-like attention. Flip on the TV and chuck that brush in a variable speed dremel tool and zone out.

Or maybe the ultrasonic work just reminded me of that horrible dishwashing job as a teenager.

This time around I've decided to stop cleaning the primer pockets on my pistole ammo. We'll see how that works. Kind of developing the attitude that you only need to clean primer pockets when it 'matters'. If your target is a pie plate at 100 yrds (or better yet <25), it probably doesn't matter. If it's X's at 2, 3 or 600 I'm dreaming of, then it matters.

[testuser]

Wet cleaning works for me. I've been playing around with the concentration for a while now. Turns out 1/2 tsp of citric acid, 1 tablespoon of any type of detergent per one gallon of water and the brass gets clean without causing any discoloration or leaching. Sometimes, I use 1/4 tsp of citric acid if the cases aren't too dirty. I dry them in an old toaster oven at 200 degrees. Decap before washing.

[William T. Watts]

I agree with Snuffy & Edward Hortons' response, IMO clean is better. William

[bbqncigars]

I like mine sparkly, inside and out. I switched to stainless steel media in a Thumler just to get the entire case (including primer pocket) clean. That's probably overkill for some, but it makes me happy.

[4runnerman]

Clean and shiney here. As stated many times and once more from me.Easier to see cracks,splits,ect. I can't say if they shoot better as i have never fired a not clean one before. But for me and a lot others in here,it's a hobbie and it's part of the hobbie,just like cleaning primer pocket and flash hole,Does it make a difference??. Don't know again never fired a round that has not been done. I read somewhere(i think in here) each stage can add a certain % of accuracy. I bench shoot so im looking for every % i can get.

[farmerboy]

Snuffy said All that needs to be said about this.

[DoubleUp]

As stated probably pro's and con's on both sides.

I wanted my cases clean, clean but not just the outside. Tried the ultrasonic and worked okay on small batches like 20 at the time. Went to the Thumblers and SS media and won't go back. Cleans outside, inside, and primer pockets free of grime and carbon all at one time.

I was concerned about the carbon build-up inside the case particularly since I anneal after 3 firings and don't want the carbon to be cooked into the case neck, nor did I want the carbon build-up fired down the barrel with successive cases not cleaned internally.

[wncchester]

"Will a simple wipe down with damp towel on the outside of the brass suffice prior to reloading?" Yes.

"Any safety issues?" No.

Let's be real about "clean" cases vs. polished cases, we should CLEAN our cases but that can easily be done by hand with a dampened cloth. SHINE is no more than eye candy...for those who are fond of candy. Actually, polishing cases does have a potential down-side; it removes the shiney stretch ring that warns of a coming head seperation. And I have never had any trouble spotting defects - cracks - in any cases; sooty, tarnished, shiney, all clearly show cracks and my eyes are getting quite old.

Case internal carbon deposits are basically harmless, considering the effects of the high pressure and intense heat of the burn the possiblity of bore damage from that carbon means nothing. The potential build up is quite limited. Whatever "abrasive" qualities those deposits may have, they are no more than a tiny remainder of what gets blown down the bore during ignition and burn so worring about what remains in the case is pointless. And, upon the next firing the soft carbon won't get any thicker so it really makes no difference to us.

I don't clean my cases in the clothes washer for practical reasons but it's safe. The infintesimal amount of horrible "lead" left in a few hundered fired cases is so tiny that when diluted with several gallons of water and pumped out it sure won't poison anyone's clothes.

Any of us can, and perhaps should, go to any extremes in handloading as seems good to us. But we should also recognise that much of what we do after a certain point doesn't mean a thing for our ammo or weapons. I take some pretty pointless measures with my cases but I KNOW it's only for my personal comfort so I don't even tell what I do, much less suggest others might want to duplicate what I do!

[dlb435]

For quick reloads I've just washed the brass in a good degreaser (Simple Green or similar product) and let the cases dry in the sun. Wipe off any dirt or resedue left behind and reload. It's not pretty, but it works. All you need is good clean brass.

[Clark]

I know a guy who does not clean his brass.
He also says, "Bathing is highly over rated."

Obviously, not a bow hunter.

[twins]

DoubleUp,
I just read about that Thumbler and SS cleaning media. Very nice but a little on the pricey side. Looks like it does the job with very dirty/old brass. I would think SS damages the brass but it doesn't look like it.

Wnc,
Well said. My thoughts exactly.

I reload to have ammo ready to shoot (I don't see it as a hobby, yet) so not having to spend any extra time for shiny brass is quite appealing to me.

[mikld]

OK, my .02...

Bright shiny brass is nice, but not necessary. For prolly 16 or 17 years I only wiped the cases with a rag dampened with mineral spirits as I inspected prior to reloading. Of course I checked for grit and on cases where the dirt/grit was too dificult to remove, it went into the "later" bucket. I did have a problem caused by polished brass, setback in my S&W 629 with heavy magnum loads. Cases were hand polished and too slick to get a good grip on the cylinder walls (same can happen with oily brass in rifles). Since 99% of my reloading was handguns I could see inside and out of all the brass I reloaded, and split necks, wear and tear, weren't too hard to find...

BTW, What did reloaders do before vibrators?...

[DoubleUp]

Yes, it takes a couple of hundred bucks to get the tumbler and media, but like lots of other reloading tools, it is a one time investment. SS Media can be used thousands of times without wear. I've been using this method since May. The only expendables after the inital outlay are a little dishwashing soap (Ivory, Dawn, etc.) and some lemishine available at Wally World. Just a squirt of the dishwahsing soap and about a 9mm case full of lemishine.

I understand it isn't for everyone, but then many who speak about it only have opinions and not practical experience with the method. There is no work-hardening of the brass that I can tell.

Everyone has to get something they are satisfied works well for them. Don't fault anyone for that, but I do know what works best for me. If I didn't anneal, then I might feel differently, but I doubt it.

[rdmallory]

Those of us reloading 5.7x28 we use Simple Green and 3 parts water.

It does a good job removing grime but does not make them shiny.