Do you clean brass every loading?

[Jason_A]

Recently I have read some people saying they don’t clean brass every time they reload. Is this common? How often do you clean brass?

Thanks.

 

[MGYSGT]

Every time.

 

[fgcook]

I clean almost every time but, I like things clean and I have a pretty good easy system. I don't think it makes much difference in performance but being dirty could wear on those barrels that don't last very long anyway. Anything can help.

 

[stork]

Every time. They don't need to be jewelry store bright & shiny, but they have to be clean.

 

[AWS]

I haven't cleaned brass in 50 yrs of reloading other than to wipe it off, shoots small groups and kills stuff and I save a lot of time. I do brush the inside of necks and clean primer pockets.

 

[dcali]

Sometimes. I've gone years not cleaning it. It doesn't need to be clean - wiping any crud off with a towel is plenty. But.. when you lube dirty cases, you can sometimes create a black sludge that gets on you hands, bench, clothes, etc. Depends on how you lube, and what sort of rifle you're talking about. But basically cleaning brass is just that - cleaning. It doesn't help function or accuracy.

 

[Drop Port]

Recently I have read some people saying they don’t clean brass every time they reload. Is this common? How often do you clean brass?

Thanks.

Depends on your definition of cleaning, sometimes I clean it by wiping it down, sometimes i clean the necks (old soft scotch bright and baltistol) sometimes I tumble. Always some sort of cleaning.

 

[Uthink Uknow]

Step number one is to brush the inside of the neck. Wipe the necks off with a small rag with a bit of the same stuff with which I clean the bore. My reasoning for that step is that I don’t care to stick a cruddy neck into an expensive die. Then I lube the outside of the neck with Carmex Lip Balm and size the case and decap it. Then clean out the primer pocket and wipe the neck again.
I shoot bench rest only and we bench resters are an odd bunch.

 

[agr516]

I run a nylon brush into the neck each time I reload and wipe with a rag with brake cleaner on it before and after sizing. The first time is to keep the dirt and crud out of my sizing die and the second time removes the sizing lube.

 

[jimmymac]

Pretty brass doesn't shoot any better than tarnished. A ballistol wipe down while still at the bench takes care of the neck crud very nicely.

 

[Richard Coody]

Pretty brass doesn't shoot any better than tarnished. A ballistol wipe down while still at the bench takes care of the neck crud very nicely.

What i do with my bench guns. Decap and wipe off with a rag dampened with ballistol while others are.posting targets or waiting for my barrel to cool. Ballistol is more.than acquit lube for sizing. You can size them and load.at.the range.or.wait till you get home. Dry rag wipe down after sizing cleans them right up.

Now for other cartridges it's decap and tumble In corn cobb media.

Not looking for jewelry

 

[Bill K]

I only clean (tumble) when the brass is looking tarnished, but I clean or wipe it off every time, after sizing, mouth chamfer and trimming, prior to reloading.

 

[M-61]

I do but I'll say there's a bunch of definitions of 'clean'.
I knock the primers out by hand. (don't want the dirty brass in my die)
Put them in a vibrating (tumbler?) The media is a mix but nothing special. Never got to the stainless pin routine for a bunch of reasons.
Take them out. Chuck a primer cleaner in my drill and clean the pockets.
Roll the cases on an RCBS pad with RCBS 2 lube and size them.
I'll wipe the very small amount of lube off each case as I prime them.
I guess that's the end of my version of clean and cleaning.
After about 30 years I did replace the lubing pad.
The above has worked well for me for a longer than Id like to say.
Don't think it's one bit better that any other system but I do know it works for me.

 

[Texas10]

I have a crap ton of once fired brass I was given that I'm going through and SS pin tumbling. Once sized and clean, I'll box and store. I may anneal at a later date, but for now it's shooting well.

Some will insist that a little carbon in the necks will make bullet release more consistent, ES and SD will be lower, better for long distance shooting. At 200 yds and under is makes little difference though.

I like the bullet seating consistency that little bit of carbon in the neck provides so I am in the "don't clean unless necessary" group. I brush the primer pockets, wipe down the necks before sizing. But I no longer SS pin tumble after every cycle, but then I don't shoot competitively.

 

[dolek]

I clean every firing , I also like to keep my bench and equipment clean... just saying.

 

[Arky]

Plus one for agr516 it's worked for me for 60 years

 

[lb-ft]

I like keeping my dies, chambers, ammo boxes and my hands clean. I clean every time. Makes a consistent flame read when annealing brass easier, too.

 

[Jason_A]

Interesting replies.

My situation is primarily hunting bolt guns so round counts will be low. Sounds like blue shop towels and some solvent will be enough for my situation.

 

[Rsadams]

Yes , I don't want the carbon in my dies and it really doesn't take that long to tumble the brass....

 

[Plumsask]

I clean almost every time but, I like things clean and I have a pretty good easy system. I don't think it makes much difference in performance but being dirty could wear on those barrels that don't last very long anyway. Anything can help.

Could you expand on how it would wear on the barrel? I'm by no means a benchrest shooter and feel I may be missing something.

Thanks

Ave