When is it time to fully clean your brass?

[Ajwilly96]

I have brass that I cleaned maybe four firings ago. I found that when I cleaned the brass it caused my seating pressure to go up.

So I started brushing the next with some dry lube prior to seating bullets, took my seating pressure to around 35 psi with a hydro seater. My most recent reloading batch for its fifth firing. I only brushed the necks with a nylon brush and no lube. My seating pressures for this batch were very consistent around 10 psi.

This is the only change I can think of that would cause my velocity to drop from around 2660 down to about 2620. Is this an indication that it is time to fully clean my brass back to a new state? Or is there possibly something else that I need to look at?

 

[mongo chicago]

You must be using a wet cleaning system. I use a vibrator and dry clean only. The inside of the neck always has some soot remaining and it acts like a dry lubricant so I never had that problem.

 

[Clancy]

Think you just realized why consistency is key. Whether I wipe cases off with a micro fiber or tumble for an hour, I do it the exact same way every time.

I do always brush the inside of the neck with a nylon brush before seating, no matter what!

 

[R.Morehouse]

I brush out the necks with nylon, 3 times in and out ( OCD ). I tell myself it keeps everything going in the right direction. When FL sizing I use Imperial and it seems that when I wipe it off the case it takes the soot with it. Neck tension is consistent as are the numbers over the chrono for the life of the brass. I use an AMP after every firing and wipe the brass off with a rag before annealing.

Regards
Rick

 

[Ajwilly96]

Think you just realized why consistency is key. Whether I wipe cases off with a micro fiber or tumble for an hour, I do it the exact same way every time.

I do always brush the inside of the neck with a nylon brush before seating, no matter what!

So do you think that using a dry neck lube to brush would have actually increased my seating pressure?

 

[Kracken McGraw]

So do you think that using a dry neck lube to brush would have actually increased my seating pressure?

Not the one your asking, but I have read here that some think that graphite is a little abrasive. I like the 21st Century moly dry lube better.

 

[Ajwilly96]

Not the one your asking, but I have read here that some think that graphite is a little abrasive. I like the 21st Century moly dry lube better.

I picked up some of it after I realized I was using the Redding dry neck lube without media, and the media helps it be applied. It’s good stuff!

 

[drop_point]

I can't control how dirty brass is. I can clean it every time and apply the same lube to the neck every time. Consistency...

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

rotary tumble in rice for xx amount of time to achieve the desired carbon layer you want. start at 3 hours and work back. welcome to a whole new world of tumbling.

you won't go back to anything else, completely dust free and clean process compared to anything else.

 

[Bronsin]

I never tumble my brass. Just clean off the necks and wipe off the lube.

 

[RabbitSlayer]

Several top shooters don't clean brass. I believe eric cortina doesn't clean brass and neither does Lou Murdica. I personally wet tumble with dawn and lemi shine after FLS with NO PINS for 15 minutes only to get the lube off. I clean the primer pocket and thats it. I never do anything with the neck, but if I didn't do the wet tumble which removes the lose stuff I would brush the neck.

 

[Dave M.]

I have brass that I cleaned maybe four firings ago. I found that when I cleaned the brass it caused my seating pressure to go up.

So I started brushing the next with some dry lube prior to seating bullets, took my seating pressure to around 35 psi with a hydro seater. My most recent reloading batch for its fifth firing. I only brushed the necks with a nylon brush and no lube. My seating pressures for this batch were very consistent around 10 psi.

This is the only change I can think of that would cause my velocity to drop from around 2660 down to about 2620. Is this an indication that it is time to fully clean my brass back to a new state? Or is there possibly something else that I need to look at?

Never.

 

[marchboom]

I guess it doesn't really matter as long as you do the same thing every time. I go thru the full cleaning process every time. it's all part of the handloading game.

 

[Dgd6mm]

rotary tumble in rice for xx amount of time to achieve the desired carbon layer you want. start at 3 hours and work back. welcome to a whole new world of tumbling.

you won't go back to anything else, completely dust free and clean process compared to anything else.

Do you ever put a polish in the tumbler?

 

[762willdo]

“Accuracy is nothing more than consistency“

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

Do you ever put a polish in the tumbler?

i don't see any reason to.

if my brass ever needs shined up (after like 5-10 firings), i vibratory tumble with treated corn cob and and cap full of flitz and leave it go for 8-12 hours. your brass possibly can't get any more shiny!!!!

 

[Homerange]

When is it time to fully clean your brass?​

When it goes to be recycled in order to get top $.

 

[Dolomite]

What exactly does brushing the inside of the neck do? Remove the lose carbon?

 

[rebs]

I clean mine every firing with crushed walnut in a vibratory cleaner

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

What exactly does brushing the inside of the neck do? Remove the lose carbon?

Yes just removes any particles, if there is any.
After doing 50 or so cases there will be a little bit of black carbon "dust" on you work bench