Is cleaning brass a necessity ?

[TC]

I'm curious to know if cleaning brass (ultrasonic, stainless steel etc) is a necessity when it comes to improving accuracy ?

Assuming the primer pocket and flash hole are cleaned and uniformed is there any merit in then just wiping clean the outside of the case (to protect the die) and using a neck brush to clean out the larger crud; effectively leaving the inside of the case with a residual coating of carbon.

I presume the carbon will thicken on the inner case walls over time ? Also, would the carbon be considered a good lubricant ?

Does anyone swear by not cleaning their brass or is this step considered critical in the accuracy process ?

 

[dreever]

A lot of short range Benchrest shooters do just that loading at the range.
Myself I've used the same old Lyman 1200 with corncob media for over 20 years and have found no reason to jump on the new bandwagons. In fact you can get the brass to clean. A little carbon inside the necks helps with bullet seating consistancy in my opinion.

Danny

 

[artbosco]

I'm curious to know if cleaning brass (ultrasonic, stainless steel etc) is a necessity when it comes to improving accuracy ?

Assuming the primer pocket and flash hole are cleaned and uniformed is there any merit in then just wiping clean the outside of the case (to protect the die) and using a neck brush to clean out the larger crud; effectively leaving the inside of the case with a residual coating of carbon.

I presume the carbon will thicken on the inner case walls over time ? Also, would the carbon be considered a good lubricant ?

Does anyone swear by not cleaning their brass or is this step considered critical in the accuracy process ?

Show up at a short range Benchrest match, local, regional, or national, and you'll see that the best of the best, in the heat of competition, may or may not, wipe off necks, may or may not, clean a primer pocket, and may or may not, run a brush inside a neck. At some point they reload. And, continue to go about their winning ways, and sometimes in the process set new world records. Is cleaning brass necessary for accuracy? Not from my observations and experience.

A well built custom rifle by a gunsmith who also happens to be a winning competitor, custom made bullets, a scope that doesn't lose zero, well prepared brass and load, and a whole bunch of time practicing behind wind flags ... is what, in my opinion, improves accuracy. Shiny brass only looks pretty.

 

[jonbearman]

I clean my brass to be able to see any contaminants that might get on the brass on windy days.

 

[fullersson]

In a tight built gun a dirty primer pocket won't allow the bolt to close. Alot of people will probably say I built my gun too tight, but that's how I prefer it. I know you said that you keep the primer pockets clean but I just thought I would mention it. I don't think you have to clean your brass every time but I do believe it should be kept fairly clean especially in a tight built rifle.

 

[HolyMeekrob]

I decide whether I'm going to clean my cases based on just how dirty they are. If not very, for example there's only a little carbon film around the necks, I just wipe em off, knock the crud out of the pockets and continue on. If they're quite dirty then they get tumbled, and every few firings, anywhere from 3 to 6 or whenever I anneal, I soak the cases with some soap and then wipe the carbon out of the interiors. Of course I shoot small batches of brass, no more than 30.

 

[RonAKA]

For the outside I just wipe them off (usually). Primer pockets I do clean. I use a neck brush with graphite powder to clean and lube. As far as the inside of the case goes, I figure they get a high temp blast clean every time I pull the trigger.

 

[jlmurphy]

The carbon does build up inside the case. I have a borescope and can see how much there is after even a few firings. The volume of the case interior has to be reduced, getting the carbon out is hard. Tumbling in a rotary tumbler with stainless steel media seems to be the best.