How do you get pretty brass?

[DRNewcomb]

Maybe a dumb question: How is it that some shooters get their brass to so high a polish that you can see yourself reflected in their rounds? I've been using a Lyman turbo tumbler with corn cob media and a dab of Dillon Rapid Polish. My brass comes out clean and shiny but nothing like some other folks' brass. Do different brands of brass polish up better than others? Are there better methods or materials? Just curious. ???

 

[Raythemanroe]

I would question that practice! I want my casing to have a little pressure on my chamber walls and not just my bolt face. I would expect a Better seal.

 

[CatShooter]

I would question that practice! I want my casing to have a little pressure on my chamber walls and not just my bolt face.

Huh????

 

[amlevin]

A tip from an old rock polisher I knew. Cut up a piece of car chamois into strips and put it in with your polishing media.

For me, the Stainless Steel Pin media does a fine job of making the brass clean and shiny enough. Clean inside, outside, and primer pockets too.

This is rifle and pistol ammo, not jewelry to wear to a nighttime party.

 

[Lapua40X]

Don't be fooled. It's all done with smoke and mirrors, with a little help from some well positioned lighting.
I doubt that anyone sits and runs brass through a Blitz cloth; that's reserved for military busy work. I admit I have been known to grab a handful of rounds when it's my wife's turn to select which TV program we're watching and exercise my fingers using a polishing cloth to brighten up some dull looking ammo, but it doesn't shoot any better.
Clean it best you can in fresh media of choice along with a few drops of polishing liquid, wipe it off and blow out any residue, reload and shoot. The guy shooting next to you will be more impressed with the target you turn in than how shiny your ammo is.

A tip from an old rock polisher I knew....

Thanks for sharing the tip, amlevin. I'll give it a try myself.

 

[Willoughby]

stainless media in a rotary tumbler
there is no better way to clean brass
when it comes out
its cleaner than new INSIDE & out

 

[TaterInTheSouth]

Jewelers rouge with crushed Walnut media..

 

[bigedp51]

Topic: How do you get pretty brass?

I sprinkle estrogen on my crushed Walnut media and take them out to eat once a week to make them look pretty. You can really bring out the shine if you rub them with a mink fur glove.

 

[DRNewcomb]

Topic: How do you get pretty brass?

I sprinkle estrogen on my crushed Walnut media and take them out to eat once a week to make them look pretty. You can really bring out the shine if you rub them with a mink fur glove.

Thanks! I needed that chuckle. ;D

 

[280nosler]

I use walnut media and recharge it with car way every 6th load through. Mine comes out pretty clean. With Walnut, you need to control the dust.

That being said, I had a 30 minute call with Redding last week and he was telling me that brass that is "too clean" can lead to getting stuck cases when resizing. I have been reloading for 15 years and never heard of that. Something about allowing the brass to begin to tarnish will give better lubricity (even when using imperial sizing wax). Redding implied that sticking .1% (1 in 1,000) was a rather high rate. I personally thought it was low, but maybe I have been doing it all wrong.

 

[XTR]

Redding implied that sticking .1% (1 in 1,000) was a rather high rate. I personally thought it was low, but maybe I have been doing it all wrong.

Think about it from a production line point of view, how many times a day would you have to shut down a line if you were sticking every 1000 cases?

 

[drumcorpschamp]

Two words.....Krazy Kloth!

 

[bdale]

DRNewcomb as for myself i just squirt some Flitz Polish in my Thumblers Tumbler or even some liquid car polish along with corn cob media and it always comes out nice and shinny and clean. I probably use three table spoons or more in the media every few cleanings.

 

[jo191145]

There are no trophies for pretty brass. I like mine dirtier than pretty.

 

[BaconFat]

I've used my K&M shell holder in my cordless drill to spin the cases and use Nevr-Dull. I'll then use a microfiber cloth to finish polishing them. Thing is, after a few days, the cases start to tarnish again. But they were shiny for a little while. ;D

 

[CatShooter]

I use walnut media and recharge it with car way every 6th load through. Mine comes out pretty clean. With Walnut, you need to control the dust.

That being said, I had a 30 minute call with Redding last week and he was telling me that brass that is "too clean" can lead to getting stuck cases when resizing. I have been reloading for 15 years and never heard of that. Something about allowing the brass to begin to tarnish will give better lubricity (even when using imperial sizing wax). Redding implied that sticking .1% (1 in 1,000) was a rather high rate. I personally thought it was low, but maybe I have been doing it all wrong.

That is pure dumb... I am surprised at Redding.

Do you know the name of the person that said that?

 

[spclark]

This is rifle and pistol ammo, not jewelry to wear to a nighttime party.

Hey, these days you never know! There are probably folks out there who'd take a couple cases, put rings in 'em & hang 'em from the holes in their ears just for party grins....

22LR'd be enough to carry around though, don't wanna even imagine 300WM or 50BMG ;-|

Be kinda cool for a gal shooter though, when you stop to think about it. Matched 45ACP cases in 24K gold, one on each ear with diamonds for primers....

 

[thefitter]

Squats, lunges and bridges. 8)

 

[dabibbee]

To get that outstanding shine on brass cases try 1/3 walnut hulls with rouge and 2/3 corn cobb media.
Range brass requires about 4 hours in the tumbler & repeat brass about 2 hours. Other shooters notice
the outstanding jewelry that you created and reflects the absolute perfection that we are propelling
into the heavens. LOL

Nice shiny brass is part of my brass prep and takes no extra time to perform. Just need to remember to
shut it off after the right amount of time.

Best Regards,

Dave

 

[amlevin]

I use walnut media and recharge it with car way every 6th load through. Mine comes out pretty clean. With Walnut, you need to control the dust.

That being said, I had a 30 minute call with Redding last week and he was telling me that brass that is "too clean" can lead to getting stuck cases when resizing. I have been reloading for 15 years and never heard of that. Something about allowing the brass to begin to tarnish will give better lubricity (even when using imperial sizing wax). Redding implied that sticking .1% (1 in 1,000) was a rather high rate. I personally thought it was low, but maybe I have been doing it all wrong.

That is pure dumb... I am surprised at Redding.

Do you know the name of the person that said that?

I'm not surprised. More and more, people staffing the "Customer Service" phones aren't selected for their expertise, merely their ability to answer the phone.

I could write a book of "Dumb Answers" I've received lately from companies that are supposed to be "leaders in their industry".