Question about Brass Cleaning Frequency

[HuntClub]

In reading one of the other threads about BR shooters, on of the posters indicated that the shooters [do not need to trim but just wipe with a cloth an use a nylon brush on ID of case neck.]

Well, then, how often does one need to clean brass?

I recently purchased a tumbler from Harbor Freight, some SS pins and am very happy with the results over media/vibration cleaning. But, I did just try neck sizing only on three cases, without cleaning, and had my best group on a 120 grain load i have been struggling with for my 7mm08. Group measured 0.492" - nice triangle pattern just above dead center.

But, point being, i did not clean the brass before taking them out for a second firing since last cleaning.

Look forward to hearing input on the best frequency to clean brass.

 

[Cryhavoc]

I clean the brass before running any of it through a die...whether it's just a body die, full length or neck...dies are too expensive to be ruined with dirt or grit...but then again, that's just me....

 

[jepp2]

Well, then, how often does one need to clean brass?

As mentioned, anything that can be abrasive to your die needs to be removed. But wiping it with a rag will do this. Next step up is tumbling in dry media. Next step beyond that is either ultrasonically cleaning or SS wet pin tumbling.

How often, after every firing. Your choice on what you want your brass to look like.

 

[Texas10]

I have the HF tumbler and SS pins and can confirm it works great. I have an Ultra sonic cleaner I use occasionally and C. Cob media to dry tumble that I never use anymore. SS pins are the only way to go as far as I am concerned.

But they do change the neck tension, as compared to a fired case with the neck simply brushed before reloading. And depending upon what type of die you're using, a FL die with expander ball, or a bushing die, or shoulder bump die, or simple neck sizing die, you're going to get different results with your cleaning method of choice.

I neck size only and SS clean my 223 brass for best results. My 6mmBR likes a bushing die and brushed necks with frequent annealing and cleaning about every third time. The 22-250 prefers clean and polished brass. My 308 doesn't give a shi* about clean brass but it's a hunting gun only.

So it's up to you to figure out what your particular gun likes. Good luck and check back with your results. Always interesting to know what works best for other shooters.

 

[Richard Coody]

Depends on what you are doing.

Bench gun plucking the brass out of the chamber and into a loading.block. Wipe the brass off with a patch soaked in ballistol, clean out the primer pocket with my crockagator, brush the.neck and lightly chamfer the neck. Ballistol makes a good sizing lube for small benchrest cartridges. Works loading at the range. Every 3 to 5 firings anneal and ultrasonic clean.

Most brass i tumble in corn cobb media to keep the carbon in the neck in tact with periodic anneal and ultrasonic cleaning to clean the inside of the cases.

Whenever they are ultrasonic cleaned you must replace that neck carbon. I use the imperial dry graphite neck lube on sizing and bullet seating. Not like residual carbon but.better than nothing.

 

[ImBIllT]

I've gone 20-30 firings without doing anything beyond wiping a little lube on the neck. The only guns I shoot large amounts of ammo through are comp guns with tight necked chambers, and I'm usually neck sizing only.

Clean after annealing. For sure.

 

[hogpatrol]

I tumble and ultrasonic clean before annealing. Other than that, I clean up the brass with scotchbrite, wipe clean and trim if necessary, clean the primer pockets and load. Having said that, everyone has their own tried and true method that works for them.

 

[Fotheringill]

I clean the brass before running any of it through a die...whether it's just a body die, full length or neck...dies are too expensive to be ruined with dirt or grit...but then again, that's just me....

Not just you.

I don't care one way or the other about shiny brass, but I don't want whatever is on the inside or outside then neck or case burning off during the next use of that piece of brass.

If you anneal to the appropriate temperature, you will see the burn off, evidenced by a small puff of smoke at the end of the annealing cycle. I then deprime with a dedicated decapping pin, followed with a tumble to hopefully get residue out of the inside of the case and the outside of the neck, then either neck or full length size. A real PITA with an extra step in there, but it is for my own mental well being.

 

[yukonal]

Not just you.

I don't care one way or the other about shiny brass, but I don't want whatever is on the inside or outside then neck or case burning off during the next use of that piece of brass.

If you anneal to the appropriate temperature, you will see the burn off, evidenced by a small puff of smoke at the end of the annealing cycle. I then deprime with a dedicated decapping pin, followed with a tumble to hopefully get residue out of the inside of the case and the outside of the neck, then either neck or full length size. A real PITA with an extra step in there, but it is for my own mental well being.

You should be de-capping before annealing. And I get all the carbon off of the outside of the neck before annealing.

 

[Brians356]

Cleaning brass, frequently, to a jewelry-like gleam is one of the fastest-growing hobbies. But for reloading, wiping off the outside of the case with a clean rag is all that's required.
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[Prose]

I did a test with a .20 Vartarg using steel pin cleaned brass vs uncleaned brass. Five rounds of each over five loadings. For the dirty, I just reprimed, neck sized, loaded case and fired again. The clean stuff got the full treatment.

The dirty stuff had better accuracy, lower ES and SD, and took a lot less time. Not a scientific test and I still clean my brass, but it sure takes a lot less time. I'm sure somewhere between the extremes would work fine for ya

 

[Rsadams]

As above , I clean mine to get the carbon and garbage off before running into the die.. I just find it easy to throw it in some walnut media and let it run while I do something else.. I hardly ever catch up on all the reloading I need to get done.. For rifle I throw it in there to clean it up and back in there after resizing to get the lube off.. Its really just personal preference...

 

[50bmg1979]

The only time I cleaned my brass with ss pins the force to seat the bullet was horrible. So was accuracy. Now I only use walnut. Not saying its right, just that it works for me

 

[tcoz]

Cleaning brass, frequently, to a jewelry-like gleam is one of the fastest-growing hobbies. But for reloading, wiping off the outside of the case with a clean rag is all that's required.
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I agree with the first part of your statement but I think it's a lot easier to dump a couple hundred cases into a dry tumbler than to wipe each one down. I can't see spending a couple hundred dollars on a wet tumbling setup though and then having to dry all of it. Having brass that looks brand new doesn't help it shoot any better.

 

[HuntClub]

I agree with the first part of your statement but I think it's a lot easier to dump a couple hundred cases into a dry tumbler than to wipe each one down. I can't see spending a couple hundred dollars on a wet tumbling setup though and then having to dry all of it. Having brass that looks brand new doesn't help it shoot any better.

Man, they have these food dehydrators setups now and they dry brass in quite the skinny minute. My whole setup is a Harbor Freight tumbler ($45), 2 lbs SS bag of pins w/lemmi shine sample ($20), and the food dehydrator ($50).... I will never buy anymore media, listen to the crazy loud media machine vibrating for two hours, clean media from the flash holes, or choke on the dust when separating brass from media again!

My whole operation, from tumbling to drying, now takes two hours alone - and when I'm done, I'm done.

My tumbler will clean 35-40 7mm08 brass at a time. If that is not enough then buy the double barrel tumbler for $55 and do twice as much. The dryer will definitely handle the higher brass count with ease - and then about 150-200 more.

 

[Richard Coody]

I agree with the first part of your statement but I think it's a lot easier to dump a couple hundred cases into a dry tumbler than to wipe each one down. I can't see spending a couple hundred dollars on a wet tumbling setup though and then having to dry all of it. Having brass that looks brand new doesn't help it shoot any better.

Difference is volume. Bench guy will be doing 20 or 30 cases over and over.

Volume reloading is a whole different matter.

 

[yukonal]

My tumbler will clean 35-40 7mm08 brass at a time.

I dump 100-708 cases into my 25 year old Hornady tumbler at a time. And when I'm done, in 4 hours, I still have the precious carbon inside my neck.

The dust does get annoying sometimes, tho.

 

[Brians356]

Man, they have these food dehydrators setups now and they dry brass in quite the skinny minute.

My dad gave me one of those cheap plastic food dehydrators, a stack of aerated trays with an electric heater coil in the bottom. It worked great for making jerky, which took several days as I recall, but my electricity bill spiked alarmingly. I set it aside for decades and I think I actually tossed it in the trash not long ago.
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[Prose]

Man, they have these food dehydrators setups now and they dry brass in quite the skinny minute. My whole setup is a Harbor Freight tumbler ($45), 2 lbs SS bag of pins w/lemmi shine sample ($20), and the food dehydrator ($50).... I will never buy anymore media, listen to the crazy loud media machine vibrating for two hours, clean media from the flash holes, or choke on the dust when separating brass from media again!

My whole operation, from tumbling to drying, now takes two hours alone - and when I'm done, I'm done.

My tumbler will clean 35-40 7mm08 brass at a time. If that is not enough then buy the double barrel tumbler for $55 and do twice as much. The dryer will definitely handle the higher brass count with ease - and then about 150-200 more.

I use my new wave oven to dry if necessary. Temp setting goes all the way down to 125 and there is a fan for circulation. Can do a few hundred cases at a time. Plus, you can cook food in it when not using it for it's designated purpose!

 

[seymour fish]

I did a test with a .20 Vartarg using steel pin cleaned brass vs uncleaned brass. Five rounds of each over five loadings. For the dirty, I just reprimed, neck sized, loaded case and fired again. The clean stuff got the full treatment.

The dirty stuff had better accuracy, lower ES and SD, and took a lot less time. Not a scientific test and I still clean my brass, but it sure takes a lot less time. I'm sure somewhere between the extremes would work fine for ya

Prose, you have arrived at the contrarian answer, which is "never clean brass"