the value of cleaning brass?

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basicbill

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Hi,
I'm just getting started in the joy of reloading (just ordered a Lee turret).
I will be loading primarily 9mm. I've followed all the threads on different reloading rigs and the economics of reloading small calibres....but I've decided to go those ways.

I've read through a couple of reloading manuals but I haven't seen a definitive answer on the value of cleaning the brass.

How necessary Is a vibrating or sonic cleaner?
Is it necessary to clean the inside of the brass?
How necessary is it to clean the primer/flash hole?

Thanks for reading and for any light you may shed on my questions.
 
basicbill said:
Hi,
I'm just getting started in the joy of reloading (just ordered a Lee turret).
I will be loading primarily 9mm. I've followed all the threads on different reloading rigs and the economics of reloading small calibres....but I've decided to go those ways.

I've read through a couple of reloading manuals but I haven't seen a definitive answer on the value of cleaning the brass.

How necessary Is a vibrating or sonic cleaner?
Is it necessary to clean the inside of the brass?
How necessary is it to clean the primer/flash hole?

Thanks for reading and for any light you may shed on my questions.
Click to expand...

Pick up a Vibrating Cleaner
Fine crushed walnut with one of the brass cleaners added to the walnut
you can pick up crushed walnut at one of the larger pet places
??? lizard bedding ??? or at a gun store

You can also pick up a plug in wall timer

the vibrating cleaner will clean the inside of the brass clean enough for your needs

primer flash yes no maybe it depends do you feal like doing the extra work
 
Any value in cleaning brass for me is just keeping dies "gunk" free so you don't need to clean them so often. I don't think there's a pick-up in accuracy for hunting purposes-some may disagree however.

I do use "NeverDull" wad cleaner to clean the outside of fired brass necks though. About three twists with that stuff and the brass looks new. Primer pockets get cleaned using a Lee pocket primer cleaning tool (removes carbon deposits) and that's it.
 
i shoot for fun and practice, but i don't compete.

i clean my brass with vibration and walnut media. i do it so it's a bit easier on the dies, but it also looks much better IMO.

i don't worry about the inside a whole lot, though it is nice to have a clean case when charging with a progressive. i don't even think about the flash hole or primer pocket.

my $1.24
 
I have never loaded 9mm, I mostly reload 6ppc. But I just use "neverdull" as well, cleans them right up. And I always clean the primer pocket. Then when I have finished necksizing, I just put a little lighter fluid on a paper towel, and give it a rub. Nothing works better to take off lube.
 
When I started reloading, I started with a Lee Loader. Take a case fired in your rifle, drive it in the die to resize it, knock out the primer, put in a primer, charge, seat bullet, shoot. All there really is to it. I now go nuts. Tumble, uniform primer pockets, trim, uniform flash holes. I find that tumbling shows up case defects better, gives me a little piece of mind on die wear, but it isn't really necessary to clean your brass. Wipe it off, before you put it in the die, that'll do it.
 
I'm with Suputin- I don't have a tumbler either, I just use the phosphoric acid method, rinse them well, dry them over an air vent.
I can't see any reason to clean the insides, and I used to clean primer pockets, but can't be bothered anymore. They all go bang whether the outsides, insides, and primer pockets are cleaned or not.
Another needless bit of kit: powder trickler. Use your thumb and forefinger instead.
 
I'm just getting into reloading as well, rifle only for now, but plan on pistol soon. I have been overbuying now using the saying "buy once cry once" so I picked up a thumler's tumbler and some stainless media. A one-time purchase for both, and good longevity it seems, have read about people using their thumler's for 50 years. Cleans everything - brass come out looking better than new, inside shiny and even cleans the primer pocket so it saves a step with a pocket reamer.
I got mine in the US so I saved some $ that way, it was $179 at midwayusa.com.
 
basicbill said:
Hi,
I'm just getting started in the joy of reloading (just ordered a Lee turret).
I will be loading primarily 9mm. I've followed all the threads on different reloading rigs and the economics of reloading small calibres....but I've decided to go those ways.

I've read through a couple of reloading manuals but I haven't seen a definitive answer on the value of cleaning the brass.

How necessary Is a vibrating or sonic cleaner?
Is it necessary to clean the inside of the brass?
How necessary is it to clean the primer/flash hole?

Thanks for reading and for any light you may shed on my questions.
Click to expand...

There are several good reasons to have some form of case cleaner...

My local range uses recycled granulated tires for a floor in the shooting shack, when a hot case lands in it and gets kicked around it quickly fills the case and sticks inside of it.

Mixed in with that rubber is years worth of dust spit and Timmy's coffee so if it is at all humid outside you end up with some sticky gnarly brass...

When I started reloading pistol brass I figured I could avoid the cost of cleaning it but my situation dictated soon enough that I had to do something or I would be forever cleaning mud from my dies and breaking decappers on bits of hard rubber and small rocks....

I found the most efficient and econical route was to buy a media separator to shake the rubber and rocks out and an ultrasonic machine to wash off carbon and boogers, I can process thousands of pieces of brass in a hour or two without the racket of a vibratory cleaner or the dust, now concern about neck peening of my rifle brass or stainless pins being wedged in my cases by the thumbler and my brass comes out squeaky clean even after being soaked in sizing lube.

If your range is clean then you won't need to clean your 9mm brass, I still toss the odd piece of clean brass straight from my range bag into my brass bin and have zero issues with it.
 
Cleaning brass is 98% Esthetic and 2% function related.
I have been to matches where the winners were using brass that had obviously not been cleaned for an extended period of time.

I still do not clean my brass after each firing, regardless of chambering.
I wipe the necks of bottleneck cases with fine steel wool after firing.

If you like the looks of clean shiny brass, that is fine....go for it.
But it certainly is not a necessity in most cases.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
Some reasons to clean brass is to protect your dies. If you are using carbide dies it is a good idea to make sure the brass is clean as foreign material can scratch and damage the carbide ring. Clean brass does not shoot any more accurate, but it is easier to see defects in it when it's clean. As for the primer hole, just make sure nothing is blocking it.
 
twig_40 said:
Some reasons to clean brass is to protect your dies. If you are using carbide dies it is a good idea to make sure the brass is clean as foreign material can scratch and damage the carbide ring. Clean brass does not shoot any more accurate, but it is easier to see defects in it when it's clean. As for the primer hole, just make sure nothing is blocking it.
Click to expand...

Okay, so explain how my RCBS carbide dies for my 357 Magnum have sized about 10,000 cases, most of which were not cleaned particularly well, and no scratches of any kind in the Carbide ring?

BTW, I do agree that defects in brass are easier to spot with clean brass.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
Eagleye said:
Okay, so explain how my RCBS carbide dies for my 357 Magnum have sized about 10,000 cases, most of which were not cleaned particularly well, and no scratches of any kind in the Carbide ring?

BTW, I do agree that defects in brass are easier to spot with clean brass.
Regards, Eagleye.
Click to expand...

X2

That carbide ring should be twice as hard as any gunk your brass has on it...

Non carbide dies tho...
 
I clean my brass because I like clean brass. Clean brass is ###y. I do find it easier to spot on the ground also. I don't like driving dirty vehicles either.
 
Alot of powders used in 9mm and other pistol calibers are quite dirty. I oick up alot of brass that is nearly black. Once that crap gets into your re-sizing die, cases start to stick a little which makes the whole proceess kinda "chunky" rather than a smooth run. Then you will find yourself stopping to clean the thing fairly often. If that doesnt bug you then not cleaning wont be a problem. Personally I rotary tumble with a walnut/corn cob blend with a little Meguirs car polish (about 2 tablespoons to 700 casings). They come out shiny and smooth, makes cracks stick out much better, and that alone is worth it.

Oh, and I tumble before I deprime, never bother cleaning the primer pockets and in 6000 rounds, I have never had a problem. The deprimer goes through which ensures the flash hole is clear and thats all you need
 
Who wouldn't want to work with clean brass? I prefer it that way and it keeps my dies clean. Producing a good looking load just works for me.

I would recommend using corncob rather than crushed walnut as walnut has oil in it. If you want a shiny finish with corncob there are inexpensive additives that will give the desired effect.
 
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