Don’t want to damage dies or cases...

[Jody Simcox]

I use a vibratory tumbler and corn cob media after every firing. I’ve only loaded 3-400 cases. Tonight, I ran a batch of 25 cases of Nosler brass (270 WSM) for 90 minutes. Bodies were really shiny, but not so much the outside of the case necks...more carbon? Powder residue? Black stuff visible on the brass, and I don’t recall this ever being the case before. I can’t feel it but it’s definitely there... am I ok to go ahead and FL size this brass? I’d hate to harm my dies or brass in any way... thanks for your thoughts.

 

[JohnKielly]

Try wiping the necks as you shoot them with a cloth dampened in carbon solvent. Residue hardens on the neck with time just as it does in a barrel & takes more to clean.

 

[243winxb]

Fine steel wool to clean the neck and shoulder. Brush inside of neck with RCBS nylon brush and lube. Wipe off whole case or if 50 brass, put in towel and roll around. Ready to size.

 

[dcali]

You will not harm the dies. Tumbling brass is optional.

 

[PatMiles]

I clean my necks with Flitz after every firing. This is done before annealing so the muck muck on the neck and shoulder isn't baked onto the brass. The complete cartridge is cleaned after the second firing before annealing and resizing.

 

[Richard Coody]

how many firings on the brass?

you did say that this is an unusual amount of carbon didn't you?

could be the necks are work hardened and aren't sealing to the chamber walls as they should. annealing could heip. a good rife cleaning concentrating on the throat could help.

if you would take a clean rag dampened in ballistol and put it in a zip lock in your range bag where you don't forget it and when at the range while the range is cold or you are waiting for your barrel to cool just wipe the cases.off and put them in another zip lock till you get home. carbon wipes off easily if you get it before it hardens.

at any rate that carbon on the necks isn't going to hurt your dies.

back in the olden days for short range benchrest if a fired case had a sine wave pattern to the carbon on the necks all was right with the world.

 

[Milo 2.0]

90 minutes isn't very long in corn media, try tumbling longer with charged media.

 

[divingin]

Remember that tumbling media wear out, as well. 3-400 rounds isn't much, but eventually you'll find it stops cleaning as efficiently as when new.

Media also loads up with contaminants (carbon/range dirt/whatever else it takes off.)

I do agree with Milo, though: I used to run brass for a couple/few hours, minimum, in corn cob; an hour or two in crushed walnut shell.

 

[Rsadams]

Just FYI you can get Walnut media at harbor freight for $25 for 25 lbs....

 

[riflewoman]

Just wipe them in a carburetor or brake cleaner. But they’re good to go as is.

 

[Davidb187]

Maybe it's time to add a little Nu Finish to your media.

 

[cw308]

I wipe my necks an shoulder at the range after each shot with 0000 steel wool , also gives the barrel alittle cool down time , only takes a few twists . Most likely it's caused by reloading with a mild load . Its always best to size with clean brass , in this case your asking if it will damage the die , you haven't been doing it for a long time . Dies are pretty strong again will be trouble free with clean cases . I even switched to wet tumbling with stainless steel pins , makes brass look brand new inside and out . Hope I Helped

Chris

 

[JSH]

Put a few table spoons of mineral spirits in your media while it is running, run for a minute or two and add cases.
I am with others,90 minutes is not much if they are real dirty. I have left them running for 4-6 hours or more.

I guess I am either doing something right,or something wrong. I can't say I ever had issues with carbon. Seems like that is all I hear about is carbon, carbon,carbon. Before there were bore scopes, what did we have to worry about?
Jeff