Question about Brass Cleaning Frequency

[Prose]

Prose, you have arrived at the contrarian answer, which is "never clean brass"

I know right?! How can that possibly be the right answer? If that were right than why are there so many cleaning products! What aren't we being told!

 

[mongo chicago]

I hate reloading. I am lazy! I do it to save money and get better accuracy than factory. I clean it every time I reload. It doesn't hurt anything and is supposed to protect the dies and the brass. Getting better accuracy may be the exception more than the rule. Do what works for you or makes you feel better. I'll continue to clean because just like a clean gun is a happy gun --- clean brass is happy brass. Time for my medication now....

 

[Macropod]

I vibratory clean only with corncob media after decapping with an LCD and unifying primer pockets. After blowing out the cases with compressed air, annealing and shoulder bumping and neck sizing takes place.

I leave the carbon inside the neck, corncob media does nothing to shift it. Clean, polished cases may not shoot any better but it looks professional (especially with precise annealing) and it feeds and extracts effortlessly. Why some people go to all the trouble of achieving an excellent chambering job and then proceed to feed it with filthy brass I'll never know. It's easier to spot defects in clean brass too.

 

[n zeder]

i use to clean using corn cob media in hornady tumbler method,i would only neck size and bump shoulder,how ever after 5 or so reloads i needed to f/l size and couldnt believe the carbon flakes comming out..as big as my little finger nail,in a small case like the .204.as i was getting easily 15 reloads decided to go s/s method and just graphit inside the necks before seating,only takes a few minutes to do 100.For me theres no down side.

 

[seymour fish]

I know right?! How can that possibly be the right answer? If that were right than why are there so many cleaning products! What aren't we being told!

Prose, I lied. I do wipe brass off on my t-shirt. Seymour

 

[loneranger04]

I hate wet tumbling with SS pins for precision rifle shooting. I do it for my .223 and pistol brass but not with precision rifle brass. As another has stated, it wipes all of the carbon out of the neck. I recently bought some used brass that looks brand new that has been wet tumbled and seating bullets has been hard, even using Imperial graphite neck lube. Bullets take a lot more pressure to seat. I'm thinking of spraying the necks with One Shot and trying that but I won't ever wet tumble my precision rifle brass. I run them through a vibratory tumbler to keep my dies from getting scratched, anneal, bump the shoulders then run them through the vibratory tumbler again to take the Imperial sizing lube off then neck size in a Lee collet. It's amazing how much better bullets seat with the carbon in the necks.

 

[Zebragun]

But for reloading, wiping off the outside of the case with a clean rag is all that's required.
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Normally use corn cob media, but have used a clean rag only from time to time with no issues.