cleaning brass everytime, is it necessary really?

[rockwind1]

getting different answers on this verbally with folks who reload. some are very concerned with carbon getting in their expensive FL dies, others that i know are more hunters will fire 2 or 3 times before or until the brass actually looks pretty bad. my once fired brass looks pretty good to me.

so question is, with uncleaned brass, even if you wipe the cases with a micro fiber cloth to get rid of actual dirt particles, does the remaining carbon really do that much to your dies?

is there another factor that is being missed here (by me)

has anyone on here who doesn't have ocd and has an experimental nature, taken a step back and tried it both ways to see what happens to your groups and es and stuff?

i totally respect ocd since i have it myself but I am trying to apply my ocd to MY PERSONAL end goal here which is shooting more but with still very consistent ammo. I LOVE SPARKLING CLEAN, PERFECTLY MACHINED AND CONSISTENT CASES but i also am willing to suppress my ocd towards sparkles, skip not so important steps (if so) that do not affect my style of shooting. non-competition, long range hunting and target shooting.

in fact, if the big concern here is ruining my dies after loading 5000 rd or something, i think i am willing to just do that and order new dies.

thoughts, thanks?

 

[marchboom]

All it takes is for one speck of dirt to scratch a sizing die. That's enough for me. Besides I'm like you...I LOVE SPARKLING CLEAN, PERFECTLY MACHINED AND CONSISTENT CASES. After depriming I soak the cases in a Lemishine solution for an hour, let them dry then tumble in very fine crushed walnut media for an hour. The Lemishine does most of the cleaning (found in the dishwasher detergent section at markets). They come out looking great.

This is what I use. It will NOT get stuck in flash holes. Cheap at Amazon.
Zilla Reptile Terrarium Bedding Substrate Desert Blend Walnut, 10-Qt.

 

[ireload2]

Brass need not be reflective like a mirror but it must be clean and free of dirt or it will scratch your. FL die.

 

[BoydAllen]

Generally my brass does not hit the ground. If it was dirty I would wipe it off. People that are into shiny will make their brass shiny, but I have never known one one short range benchrest shooter who used a tumbler or vibratory cleaner on his brass on a regular basis. In that situation I use some 0000 steel wool to remove powder fouling from the outside of case necks and wipe the residue off. That is the extent of my usual case cleaning.

 

[JRS]

Using walnut/corncob media in a tumbler/vibrator will actually leave a thin abrasive coating on the brass that needs to be wiped off.

 

[dcali]

I would say that cleaning brass is never necessary. It keeps your equipment and hands a little cleaner if you do, and can make defects in cases a little easier to see but that’s about it. There isn’t enough crud on dirty cases to ruin your dies. But it will build up and mix with any oil and make something of a mess.

 

[retired]

bs if one uses fine ground corn cob( blasting media) and nufinish car polish.
12 years in the commercial /retail brass business.

Using walnut/corncob media in a tumbler/vibrator will actually leave a thin abrasive coating on the brass that needs to be wiped off.

 

[retired]

how much do you shoot ?
what type of shooting ?
as boyd says bench shooting you can simply steel wool and wipe
if you get them dirt dirty, then i suggest you clean them.
while i mostly shoot from a bench with my brass on the bench,
ii have shot in mud and snow.

 

[JRS]

bs if one uses fine ground corn cob( blasting media) and nufinish car polish.
12 years in the commercial /retail brass business.

Corncob/walnut media are abrasives. Thats how it cleans the brass, or removes paint/rust. The carbon the media cleans from the brass contributes an additional abrasive.

 

[Richard Coody]

personally i wipe the outside of.the cases with a clean rag dempened with ballistol. i often do this at the range while others are posting targets or waiting for.my barrel to cool. put them in a ziploc and they are ready for sizing when i get home or right then at the range.

on the smaller.cases the ballistol makes a good sizing lube. just wipe it off with a clean dry cloth after sizing. leaves the carbon in the neck untouched.

 

[retired]

and when you tumble the cleaned brass to remove the corn cob, the media and dust goes away.
when the polish will no longer support the carbon and dirt, add more polish or change media.

Corncob/walnut media are abrasives. Thats how it cleans the brass, or removes paint/rust. The carbon the media cleans from the brass contributes an additional abrasive.

 

[rockwind1]

one reason i ask is that i know a fellow hunter who has reloaded for years, is a very, very good shooter, and produces reloads that have sd's 7-15. es up to 20. i would like to be a little better than that numbers wise but he doesn't clean his brass. he has high end hunting rifles/all rifles. he goes and pracitices out in the desert on a shooting matt just like me, shooting at steel out to 1300, rocks further out. i just like the idea of cutting out steps that don't really matter in terms of functionality and ES in that range

i just like seeing other folks opinions, especially those who have been there, done that.

 

[rockwind1]

hi retired

and when you tumble the cleaned brass to remove the corn cob, the media and dust goes away.
when the polish will no longer support the carbon and dirt, add more polish or change media.

hi retired, (I also am retired)

i rarely shoot on a bench. but 60% of the time i am on a concrete slab shooting at steel, 30% out in the dirt (usually with a midway shooting mat cause i am a big baby) and 10% just out in the mouintains/desert shooting at rocks.

my brass does occassional fall in the yucky icky sand/dust/dirt we have here in nevada

 

[hogpatrol]

I use scotchbrite pads in the finest grit and run the cases in a 21st Century shell holder in a battery drill. Wipe down with a rag dampened with mineral spirits. If time is at a premium, as others have posted clean with some sort of solvent at the range while shooting.

 

[JRS]

If you think you need to add something to the media, stay away from the Nu-Finish

 

[jimmymac]

personally i wipe the outside of.the cases with a clean rag dempened with ballistol. i often do this at the range while others are posting targets or waiting for.my barrel to cool. put them in a ziploc and they are ready for sizing when i get home or right then at the range.

on the smaller.cases the ballistol makes a good sizing lube. just wipe it off with a clean dry cloth after sizing. leaves the carbon in the neck untouched.

I do much the same. Once I'm done with a group I wipe the cases down with lacquer thinner. Takes care of the carbon on the outside of the neck and leaves the cases clean enough to run through my dies. My brass doesn't have to be shiny.

 

[Rsadams]

As you can see most people like to clean to keep dirt out of their dies etc.... I actually run it twice , once before I resize and once after to get the imperial out of the necks so the powder doesn't stick to the inside of the necks....

 

[Martin52]

.....to get the imperial out of the necks so the powder doesn't stick to the inside of the necks....

If you use an expander mandrel, try using imperial dry lube instead of the wax - it saves having to tumble a second time.

 

[Bc'z]

Not only do I clean, but clean pockets and trim cases.
Accuracy comes with consistency. IMO
PITA for pistol brass.

 

[retired]

please tell us why ?

If you think you need to add something to the media, stay away from the Nu-Finish