clean brass??

[Kazul]

I'm new to reloading(thanks for everyones help in what to buy) and I'm wondering how clean the brass needs to be??
There is some black near the neck.Not alot and it doesn't come off easy rubbing with a clean rag.
Is there a cleaner I could or should use??
Will the black damage the brass?? or will it just make the dies dirty???
Will this affect accuracy??
I'm not wanting to buy a tumbler(yet) to keep costs down so any helpfull hints would be greatly appreciated.

 

[t-star]

bite the bullet and buy the tumbler- it's one of the most essential pieces of reloading equipment- even a cheap one will do- that black stuff is powder residue and will make everything dirty and concieveably INCREASE PRESSURE in the chamber, possibly beyond limits- THERE'S REASONS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO , IN STEPS,AND DON'T VARY FROM IT-

 

[Bishopus]

THERE'S REASONS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO , IN STEPS,AND DON'T VARY FROM IT-

It's not _quite_ as bad as t-tar is making it out here

Soot on your brass is not a safety issue unless you're talking about a LOT of soot, like enough caked around the neck to stop it from expanding in the throat when fired. Lube on the case is far more dangerous, and any reloader should worry more about cleaning off lube than cleaning off soot.

The worst thing slightly sooty brass can do is scratch the walls of your dies, and your rifle's chamber, and even that is a 'maybe'. Much more commonly it just makes everything dirty and sooty, and that's kind of a pain the butt.

Most reloaders eventually come to tumble their brass, but it's by no means a 'essential' step--it's a convenience.

If you're loading rifle ammo in small batches, just use a bit of solvent (Hoppe's or CLP very sparingly) on a rag to wipe the soot before you lube and size the cases, and the same treatment to take off the lube at any point after sizing--after seating the bullet is fine. I did this for years with zero trouble.

In fact I only got a tumbler when I started loading multiple pistol cartridges. The first time I sat down in front of 400 dirty once-fired cases, I had to make some 'process' changes, and a tumbler was #1. Now I can't imagine living without one, but then I also can't imagine living back in the Dark Ages before the RCBS Chargemaster combo...


(edit, that's RCBS...)

 

[t-star]

there's one more argument for cleaning cases-how the heck do you inspect for cracks and splits when both the crack and case are black? the reverse is also true- what looks like a crack may only be powder residue

 

[Eagleye]

I have a solution that I have used for years for that soot on case necks after firing them. I take a small wad of fine steel wool with me to the range. As soon as I extract the fired case, a quick twist or two with the steel wool will make those necks/shoulders clean as a whistle. A quick inspection at this time usually reveals any issues with cracks etc. The soot comes off very easily when it is fresh, but if left on the case for a few hours becomes more difficult to remove, so as soon after firing as possible works the best. Regards, Eagleye.

 

[Kazul]

They are once fired brass.Not alot of residue. I'm not worried that I'll miss a crack or split.
I'm only reloading small batches of rifle and I just spent $$$ on all the necessary equiptment,that's why I didn't buy a tumbler.

Shinny brass isn't worth the divorce.

 

[Dmay]

Little metal polish (Mothers, Autosol, etc) smeared into a rag...couple twists of the neck, then a twist in a clean part of the rag will keep necks clean.
Biggest concern, IMO, is keeping grit out of your dies.