why do case necks turn black?

[songdogslayer]

This is probably a stupid, newb question, but I just have to ask . . . why does the case neck turn black after firing my reloads? I suppose it's something really simple and, hopefully, harmless . . . but I'm into tumbling my brass so I can thoroughly inspect them. After reading a lot of posts in here I'm beginning to contemplate the "no tumbling" option. But those case necks are awful black and difficult to inspect . . . any feedback would be much appreciated. BTW, my reloading is specific to .223 REM and .243 WIN, both for bolt action Savage rifles.

Many thanks!
~Scott

 

[doubleDarms]

In most reloads it's just a very small amount of burnt powder/soot escaping aroung the case before the neck has swelled enough to seal the chamber. It happens to some degree on almost all calibers/rounds. Maybe the tight neck match shooters don't get much, I'm not sure. But the rest of us just more or less have to live with it. Super light loads will often soot badly, sometimes even onto the shoulder and case body itself. Shooting hotter loads will help somewhat if that's the problem. But then you run into split necks, throat erosion, etc.
The sooner after firing you clean them, steel wool or whatever, the easier the soot comes off.

 

[fdshuster]

songdogslayer: I believe the ugly black case necks are the result of carbon fouling, the same fouling being depositied in the bore, as I can see with my "Hawkeye" borescope. Some powders will carbon foul worse than others, ball being the worst. I had especially dirty fouling with Win. 748, H414, & H380, and for that reason stopped using them. For me, extruded powders like Varget and all the VihtaVuori seems to burn cleaner. "The Benchrest Shooting Primer" has an article discussing this very problem, and bears out my thoughts on some of the ball powders. H335, although a ball powder seems to foul less, so that's my favorite in my AR-15s'. I also like to keep my case necks clean, and having to use steel wool,?) to remove the dirt was not my favorite pastime. Just some of my experiences, hope it helps.

 

[jb77]

songdogslayer, try the Iosso or Birchwood Casey liquid brass cleaner. I use the BC and it works great for me. I haven't used my tumbler in years.

Ultrasonic is another option, but from what I have read here it seems to be alot of hassle. If you can make it work, supposedly your cases are spotless inside and out.

 

[2506]

Get you some Nevr-Dull polishing wadding made by Eagle One in the auto section of Wal-mart or auto parts places. It is a metal polish in a silver can with blue logo. It looks like old sofa stuffing. Take a piece of it and wipe the necks of your cases and it will take off the black and polish the brass to look like new in a heart beat. It also is the best stuff I have ever found to clean the chrome wheels on my truck.

 

[Preacher]

songdogslayer, try the Iosso or Birchwood Casey liquid brass cleaner. I use the BC and it works great for me. I haven't used my tumbler in years.

Ultrasonic is another option, but from what I have read here it seems to be alot of hassle. If you can make it work, supposedly your cases are spotless inside and out.

I've used a US for years and never found it to be a hassle, and it has a on and off switch that makes it work. Mix the solution and pour it into a beaker, put the empty cases in and get to cleaning, they will be spotless inside and out.

 

[songdogslayer]

Hey thanks for all the feedback, folks. I certainly appreciate it! It looks like I'll begin the Ultrasonic process in the very near future.

Thank you, everyone, for your help!

~Scott

 

[Elkbane]

Just give them a light twist with fine steel wool. cleans them up fine and is not messy at all.
Elkbane

 

[jb77]

Preacher, I'll trust your judgement. But I have read a lot about selecting the right beakers and the run time on the machine and the right number of cycles and to suspend the cases or not and how to place the beakers in the machine how many pieces of brass per beaker, yada yada yada.

It just seems simpler for me to put my brass in the Birchwood Casey solution wait 3 or 4 minutes take the cases out of the solution, rinse and let dry, voila! clean shiny cases.

Simple, no machines needed.

 

[songdogslayer]

Hey guys, if you do not use a tumbler or ultrasonic, how do you thoroughly clean the carbon from the inside of the brass? No disrespect here at all - just wondering how you do it.

jb77, is there an article or link you can share regarding the use of the BC? What do you use to rinse your brass after the immersion in BC?

Many thanks!
~Scott

 

[jb77]

SDS just plain tapwater, if the water is really hot the case will dry almost immediately.

As far as carbon inside the case it doesn't hurt anything.


http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/sport/maintenance_index.asp?categoryID=2&subcat=3&prodcat=57

 

[keithcatfish]

SDS,

Soak your cases overnight in carburetor cleaner; the soot on the necks wipes right off, most of the crud in the primer pocket falls out and the inside of the cases are pretty clean. Its all I bother to do and my factory Savage aggs .5 to .6 day in and day out.

 

[doubleDarms]

Hey guys, if you do not use a tumbler or ultrasonic, how do you thoroughly clean the carbon from the inside of the brass? No disrespect here at all - just wondering how you do it.

Never really worried about it, I guess if you were getting into the nth degree of competition shooting it would make a difference on case volume/accuracy. But that's beyond the scope of what most reloaders are trying to accomplish. No disrespect intended.