Pollishing before and after annealing

[Boomer79]

I do not have a tumbler but only a sonic cleaner. The neck of the brass often continues to have a slight powder residue. Does this need to be cleaned and what product is good before annealing. After annealing would the sonic cleaner be sufficient or another technique.

 

[alf]

www.nevrdull.com

 

[johara1]

You clean after you anneal, so why do it twice?....jim

 

[Killshot]

Polishing before and after annealing

I do not have a tumbler but only a sonic cleaner. The neck of the brass often continues to have a slight powder residue. Does this need to be cleaned and what product is good before annealing.

The best? Stainless media. Next best? use a new bore-brush on the inside of the neck. Chuck it up into a drill.

After annealing would the sonic cleaner be sufficient or another technique.

You'll want to size after annealing, so use what ever you've previously used after sizing to remove lube. MidwayUSA has the Frankford Arsenal Tumbler kit on sale now for $53. A good deal.

 

[markm87]

Yep. I use the vibratory, then anneal, then size, then Stainless steel media for the final cleaning and lube removal.

 

[ReedG]

I still use walnut media in an old Lyman vibrator. I like the way it makes the brass look and I don't mind kicking a kernel or two out of the primer pockets.

I also like my brass to have that burned-on soot in the necks and believe it is an asset for consistent neck tension. I'm probably getting too old because I don't see the need to clean the inside of my brass. No harm, no foul meant to those who do. You're probably just farther along the path to knowledge than I am.

I never clean brass after annealing because I like seeing the color line left from the process. I never lube the inside of a neck because I either use a Lee Collet Die or a bushing die without an expander.

I enjoy reading and seeing the different processes used by handloaders. I think there is a definite gap developing between loading for the different styles of shooting. It appears that the needs of long-range shooters have created regimens that the point-blank shooters may not need.

Years ago, most of the PPC shooters at our matches were "bag-squeezers", probably because loading a round was a two-handed job to get the bolt open and extract the fired round with the proverbial "click" and to close the bolt on the new round. Not until the advent of the 30 BR (perhaps just a coincidence) did I see guys shooting with joy-stick rests, rock-hard bags, and opening and closing the bolt with their fingers. The era of the 30 BR seems to have hosted in the concept of FL sizing every time, bumping the shoulder each time, etc.

Having recently got my first 6 PPC and asking lots of questions, I still get info from shooters who don't know what the weight of the powder is they use because they only throw from the clicks on the measure. Now we have shooters spending hundreds of dollars and manhours to clinically weigh every charge to unprecedented accuracy -- wanting scales that react to each kernel of powder (!).

Modern machinery and skills have given us the best equipment ever and our inventiveness, anality, and competitiveness knows no bounds. What a great time to be a shooter/loader.

 

[markm87]

Having recently got my first 6 PPC and asking lots of questions, I still get info from shooters who don't know what the weight of the powder is they use because they only throw from the clicks on the measure. Now we have shooters spending hundreds of dollars and manhours to clinically weigh every charge to unprecedented accuracy -- wanting scales that react to each kernel of powder (!).

We were having that conversation with our Rifle Smith. He was talking about how some benchrest guys don't weigh the charge... the don't have time. They throw and go.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Only problem with "NOT" cleaning before you anneal is if the brass has stains on it, the heat will set the stain and it's booger to get off. No more shiney brass. And if you don't get the inside of the necks clean before, the burnt powder will flake off inside the case.
Want good (like new) looking brass? Clean it inside and out before you apply any heat.
And we all know good looking brass shoots better than dirty grungy looking stuff. At least we can fool the guys around us to think so. ;D JMHO, Mike.