Cleaning brass and annealing...

[Judd]

For those of you who do not tumble (either SS or vibratory) what do you do before or after you anneal to clean the inside if the neck. I assume, I haven't done it, that the carbon turns nasty with heat and makes a mess.

Just trying to decide if I really want to just start wiping off my brass.

Thanks

 

[3dogs]

I chuck up a nylon brush in a drill and give the neck a quick in and out

 

[Immike]

RCBS has handles I purchased from sinclare and I use the nylon brush by hand as I go. If I don't have time to tumble I use a case holder for the drill and steel wool the outside clean and brush the inside also. After sizing I then take a pocket uniformer and clean the primer pockets by hand. Prime and load.

 

[BaconFat]

For those of you who do not tumble (either SS or vibratory) what do you do before or after you anneal to clean the inside if the neck. I assume, I haven't done it, that the carbon turns nasty with heat and makes a mess.

Just trying to decide if I really want to just start wiping off my brass.

Thanks

I'm curious as to why you would take the time to anneal your brass, but you wouldn't bother to clean it first. There are some pretty easy ways to clean your brass without using any machines. I'm not ragging on you, I'm wondering what your thoughts are on this.

 

[LHSmith]

The melting point of Carbon is 6300' F, annealing temp. @ neck should be pretty far below that point, so structurally the carbon is not changing. I just brush the neck with a nylon brush also. That layer of carbon provides me with consistent neck tension......I don't want to get rid of it.....it's akin to fouling a bore just after cleaning. Carbon in the throat and bore is where it turns nasty and makes a mess as it layers with copper....for that I use Iosso.

 

[Judd]

For those of you who do not tumble (either SS or vibratory) what do you do before or after you anneal to clean the inside if the neck. I assume, I haven't done it, that the carbon turns nasty with heat and makes a mess.

Just trying to decide if I really want to just start wiping off my brass.

Thanks

I'm curious as to why you would take the time to anneal your brass, but you wouldn't bother to clean it first. There are some pretty easy ways to clean your brass without using any machines. I'm not ragging on you, I'm wondering what your thoughts are on this.

Currently I run all my brass thru a stainless steel pin bath after every shot and every third shot I anneal. Someone told me I needed to stop giving them the bath and just leave the carbon an clean off the outside if he cases then a nylon brush to the necks. I thought what a mess when it comes time to anneal, I didn't realize the melting temps would be that far apart.

Thanks guys.

 

[BaconFat]

I tumble all my brass with SS pins and one thing for sure, this method gets your brass "squeaky clean". I'm thinking it's a little too clean and was wondering about using some dry lube on the necks before I neck size or at least before seating the bullets.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

This is one area that I have interest in and have experimented with every possible method. Using a force gauge to measure seating force, I can tell you the method that gives the most consistant seating force is, clean the outside of the case with crazy cloth or steel wool (walnut tumbler seems to work ok too), anneal, brush the inside of the neck with a stiff nylon brush, done. Stainless steel media, ultrasonic, dry lube, steel wool on the inside of the neck, using and expander, ext. all gave me inconsistant seating. Not saying that seating force directly correlates to neck tension or bullet release, but it is the easiest way I know to give me an idea of my process. I have tested these methods on paper as well to 1k. I have the least vertical with the above method.