Cleaning inside of case necks

[mikecr]

Just imagine how much better you could have done, had you NOT fiddled with the carbon layer inside necks :

 

[alf]

Maybe he could have done this......

Two guns, eight targets, .2008" agg..........

 

[alf]

Point is, there needs to be several groups shot side by side, over the chrono, at distance, the same day, rotated back and forth.

It would take more than a couple of groups each to even begin to see a pattern, or statistical average to say one is better, worse, or no change.......

I know what works for me, so I'm not going to mess with anal cleaning.......

 

[DaveWhite]

The SS media setup is the only way to fly.
Takes about 3 hrs. for 50 cases.

It certainly may be one way, but is not the only way.

I still use a vibratory tumbler (still working after 15 years) with corn cob or walnut media and get 100 .308 cases done in one hour. I may do the inside of the necks one of every three loadings, and that step takes about half an hour. I have never seen much crud building inside my primer pockets, and a quick application of a pocket uniformer seems to do an adequate job when there is such a need.

I also have spare drums for use with moly coating, or walnut media.

BTW, a tip on removing case lube and/or tumbling dust: I dump the 100 cases on to a beach towel (dedicated for shop use...) and roll it into a long tube. With one hand gripping either end, I alternate raising and lowering the ends and in 15 seconds or so the brass is cleaned of any of that residue. I do inspect the primer pockets for any errant grains before resizing or priming, but the process takes virtually no time and works like a charm. Then the beach towel finds its way into the laundry basket (no complaints from the BSU (beloved spousal unit) to date). 8)

 

[dave7mm]

alf
I look at it from a standpoint of saveing time and consistency.
Im not scrubbing my necks by hand or my primer pockets.
Not that those two practices are in inconsistant.
I do the same thing every time and have not found it to be a problem.
And my cases are always clean.
I dont do it to be anal.I do it because I dont like scrubbing necks and cleaning primer pockets by hand.
I think I can find a better use for my time.

Granted there are many methods ...many methods that work and work well.
In the grand sceme of things a good set of wind flags and the time spent learning how to read them IMHO would be time better spent......



dave

 

[dave7mm]

Nice shooting on the steel plate Dave!

Thanks Frank


dave

 

[Waskawood]

Dave,

What are using for SS media?

 

[geordiesniper]

Hi, I usually give the necks a clean with a bronze wire brush with very fine wirewool wrapped on the brush on my drill.
Just a few seconds does the trick and then before seating the bullet, I coat the inside with dry neck lube.
I use a Wilson seater and get a consistent feel when the bullet is seated. I have not tried leaving the neck dirty, but might give that a go and see what happens.
Guess there are more thoughts on this than Chairman Mao had ;D

 

[amamnn]

I'm with Lawrence on this. Wandering around behind the firing line at major short range matches reveals no exotic chemicals or drills, but a lot of neck brushes. I've cleaned necks all the way down to the brass and beyond and never seen any benefit downrange.........

 

[geordiesniper]

Hi Lawrence. Got a feeling you are correct on this issue. I used to shoot a 6ppc in short range benchrest and just used to give the necks a quick in and out with a nylon brush and then use dry lube.
I now shoot long range in F class here in the UK and try to get my cases as clean as possible and anneal each time and must admit to hate cleaning the necks. So will not clean and see if there is any major difference in seating tension and results at the long range.
Thanks, Les

 

[mikecr]

Where you might see a difference is when you clean necks squeaky clean without a follow-up with dry lubing before seating.
Squeaky clean necks grab & gall bullets. This varies seating force even more with tension variance & with that, resultant seating depth requires more attention.

A solution to this is provided by the carbon layer, so it really makes no sense to mess with it one way or any other.
Scrape the pockets for solid primer crush, wipe/tumble off the cases/case lube. Good to go.

IMO, the SS & ultrasonic efforts are pure foolish.
Not one single benefit over standard reloading practices, yet they introduce degrading potentials.

 

[LongRanger]

Anybody getting brass to copper bonding when using moly'd bullets? I havent noted it on mine.

Also am interested in Les's results of not cleaning inside necks after annealing.

Frank B.

 

[DennisH]

Scotch Brite on a smaller brush works great and last longer then steel wool. Great for cleaning necks.

The SS media cleaner is the way to go. I always noticed carbon buildup from the flash-hole and getting thicker moving towards the sides. The SS media cleaner is the only way to get this out! So about every third load I use the SS cleaner.

 

[artbosco]

After tumbling my 3 times fired brass and chucking a nylon brush in my drill and running in and out of my 6.5X47 cases there is still carbon/soot baked on inside of case neck and more in spots than others, I don't have an ultrasonic or SS media setup and I am hesitant to use a bronze brush inside neck chucked in a drill, looking for a way to get inside necks clean. Anyone have any common household chemicals they use? Or any other methods you recommend?

The nylon brush in and out of the neck a few times is all that's required. A little soot is sometimes cherished as a lubricant for the bullet. No need to over due things.

 

[in2deep]

I think often times overlooked is that when using stainless media or any other method that gets the inside necks squeeky clean is that it allows you to use a larger neck bushing to achieve the same neck tension as the brass has more holding power in that condition.

If you don't increase the bushing size you are adding considerable extra tension.

 

[mikecr]

No, tension has nothing to do with seating friction.
It is provided only by springback to a given area.

All you're doing with squeaky clean necks is increasing seating force possibly to a point of damage to bullets -without increasing the bushing size. But then you've swapped one problem to another.

 

[lurcher]

Out of interest how many apply graphite or mica to the case neck before seating?

 

[seanhagerty]

I use a SS tumbling media (actually use brass media instead of SS). This clean neck to bullet seating issue is something I have wondered about.

I have an rcbs lube pad and rub the primed case neck mouth while holding the case straight up and down on my RCBS pad as a lube. It gets a bit of lube into the case mouth and little to none on the outside that cant be taken care of with a shop towel after loading is complete. Is this an ok process?

 

[GarethMarijt]

Out of interest how many apply graphite or mica to the case neck before seating?

Silly question, is that before or after filling with powder? I was thinking about getting some mica or using some Imperial Dry neck Lube for this reason, but wondered if it would affect the powder fill.

Gareth

 

[in2deep]

"No, tension has nothing to do with seating friction.
It is provided only by springback to a given area.

All you're doing with squeaky clean necks is increasing seating force possibly to a point of damage to bullets -without increasing the bushing size. But then you've swapped one problem to another."


This is not true at least in my case it actually decreases seating force to allow the same grip using a larger bushing which allows for moving the brass "less" than your method and I seat bullets by hand using "single finger" pressure as described by Neal Jones and it works great.

It makes sense that if you have a lubricant like carbon in your necks then it takes more tension to hold the bullet from moving. Generally one doesn't lube something they want to stay put but honestly there is such a division on this that it's doubtful to make a difference on paper and is more urban legend than anything as both methods produce good results for many shooters.