How do you clean your brass?

[Kevin1990]

So I used to use a vibratory tumbler, With corn cob media, and it never really got my brass clean how I wanted it, and I wasn’t a fan of the dust it left on the cases.

Now I use a tumbler with water, soap, and lemi shine. And the cases come out looking non brand new.

Questions:
If you’re going for supreme accuracy, how do you clean your brass? Do you leave carbon in the neck or start with a like new case?

If you fully clean your brass, what lube do you use, if any for FL sizing the inside of the neck and seating the bullet?

 

[Dave M.]

Easy answer >>>>> Dont’t clean it.

 

[Explorer1]

Easy answer >>>>> Dont’t clean it.

Oh, I might wipe down my brass used in competition or occasionally tumble extremely dirty range pickups.

 

[David Christian]

SST to like new—no carbon in necks.

OneShot in a gallon ziplock bag per 100 cases for sizing.

No lube for necks when seating bullets.

 

[Sundown]

Five Quart Ice Cream pail, Tablespoon Dawn And a shot of white vinegar along with water to cover brass. Place cover on pail and shake for 3 to 4 minutes. Let sit in pail for 10 minutes then rinse with cold water. remove brass from pail and dry off best you can. I have a perforated aluminum sheet metal panel I place brass in oven on a cookie sheet and stick in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes which dries them out.
I don't size or do anything to the brass until they reach room temperature. (A couple hours)

 

[Straightshooter1]

So I used to use a vibratory tumbler, With corn cob media, and it never really got my brass clean how I wanted it, and I wasn’t a fan of the dust it left on the cases.

Now I use a tumbler with water, soap, and lemi shine. And the cases come out looking non brand new.

Questions:
If you’re going for supreme accuracy, how do you clean your brass? Do you leave carbon in the neck or start with a like new case?

If you fully clean your brass, what lube do you use, if any for FL sizing the inside of the neck and seating the bullet?

How I clean really depends on how dirty my brass is. Wet tumbling is good for when brass is really dirty from being ejected into dirt and mud . . . which is a rare time for me. I shoot from a bench and my brass never touches the ground and the number of brass I clean at a time is 100 or less and wiping down the case necks with a couple turns of steel wool that cleans them up pretty good (it actually doesn't take long). After sizing with Imperial Neck Lube, I vibrate tumble them with medium grain rice (no dust), which removes the lube real well and leaves some carbon deposit in the neck for good lube resulting is very consistent seating pressure.

 

[47WillysGuy]

With water! Dry in the south Texas sun!

 

[M-61]

Exactly the way you stopped.

 

[jds holler]

When I do it, which isn't often, it's in a stainless pot on the stove with nearly boiling water and automatic dishwashing soap. Rinse and drain then bake in a 200 degree oven for an hour or so. My wife has hillbilly roots, and she doesn't mind a bit. Hell, I do most of the cooking anyway. jd

 

[swd]

I wipe it off with a paper towel..

 

[6MMsteve]

I quit the cleaning just wipe off with acetone

 

[Stray8]

Kaytee walnut bedding from Amazon or store + nufinish. Cleans great and is way less dusty than the vibratory stuff you buy that’s marketed for guns. When it starts taking longer add more nufinish.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

I dont clean brass either - other than a cursory wipe of the neck to keep the FL die clean, usually with WD40

Having said that, some ammo doesn't get used so much - hunting or fun gun ammo -and if it looks a bit dull, ill chuck it in the tumbler with some car polish.

Talking about cleaning - who cleans a barrel without a borescope?

(Answer - me, until recently, now I can see properly, I wouldn't be without it!)

 

[Andy Work]

Forum Boss's recommendation of wiping brass with ballistol right after firing works very well.

 

[jackieschmidt]

I don’t clean brass aside from wiping the die wax off after sizing.

 

[JSH]

Vibratory tumbler, New Finish car polish, a couple of table spoons of mineral spirits. Load it up turn it on covered and let it do its thing. Once fired brass, a few hours, range brass maybe 12-20.

I have wayyyy to much media to swap to pins and water and buy a new tumbler and fool around with drying out cases with or without a case dryer.

 

[Propbndr]

I deprime, run them through my ultra sonic cleaner for 15 minutes (I use the Lyman Brass Cleaner concentrate), then tumble them using pet store walnut shells with a teaspoon of brass polish. I put a used dryer sheet in with the brass to collect dust. My brass comes out looking like new. I find the primer pockets are clean with minimal if any carbon left inside the necks or brass.

 

[Owens85]

Don't clean just wipe off lube from sizing. Only time I clean is after turning necks.

 

[DaveTooley]

I clean the outside of the neck with a Scotch Brite pad and sometimes roll them between paper towels with acetone to remove lube. I like carbon on the inside of the necks. Most uniform, predictable lube there is.

 

[joshb]

With water! Dry in the south Texas sun!

These days, that might anneal your brass too.