I use nut tumbling Media to clean my brass , does a great job on the outside but after I whipe them all down with a rag to get that fine dark red powder off them I run a Q-tip inside them and find that dark red powder on the inside wall of the brass , I'm worried it will make my shots inconsistent having a foreign substance mixed in with smokeless powder . Any tricks that's quicker then sticking a q tip inside there , is there some kinda liquide I could soak them in ?
Cleaning brass
- Thread starter Remtac
- Start date
1. Wet tumble with stainless steel media.
2. Wash brass after dry tumbling with walnut media.
3. Home made brass cleaners.
Homemade Firearm Cleaners & Lubricants
http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm
I prefer to wet tumble with SS media, because semi-autos throw perfectly good brass away to land in the dirt. The wet tumbling will remove any dirt or grit embedded in the brass that can scratch your dies. Before I had any semi-autos most of my case cleaning was done with vibratory cleaners and walnut media.
2. Wash brass after dry tumbling with walnut media.
3. Home made brass cleaners.
Homemade Firearm Cleaners & Lubricants
http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm
I prefer to wet tumble with SS media, because semi-autos throw perfectly good brass away to land in the dirt. The wet tumbling will remove any dirt or grit embedded in the brass that can scratch your dies. Before I had any semi-autos most of my case cleaning was done with vibratory cleaners and walnut media.
You say wash brass after tumbling but you don't say what to wash brass with ?
The walnut is harder so it cleans well, but the downside is it's dusty.
Try and 40/60 mix of walnut and corn cob media (i use frankford). Add a few drops of nufinish - make sure you tumble with no brass for about 30 minutes to break up the clumps of nufinish (else it will get stuck in the brass).
Cut up swifter sheets, about 1.5" square and add 2 or 3 with every batch of brass. Some recommend used bounce sheets, but I find the swifter really picks up the dirt & dust.
Not as good as wet/steel tumbling but works well. I don't swab the inside of my cases (unless there's a buildup of crap) and never had any problems
ETA: for pistol brass....
Try and 40/60 mix of walnut and corn cob media (i use frankford). Add a few drops of nufinish - make sure you tumble with no brass for about 30 minutes to break up the clumps of nufinish (else it will get stuck in the brass).
Cut up swifter sheets, about 1.5" square and add 2 or 3 with every batch of brass. Some recommend used bounce sheets, but I find the swifter really picks up the dirt & dust.
Not as good as wet/steel tumbling but works well. I don't swab the inside of my cases (unless there's a buildup of crap) and never had any problems
ETA: for pistol brass....
I'd think just putting them in the kitchen sink in a strainer, run the water and agitate? It's just a matter of rinsing off the media dust, yes? I haven't experienced your problem, I'm set up with a SS wet tumbler.
My advice is to NOT tumble your brass in the first place. Use a bore cleaning brush to brush the carbon off the inside of the neck, and then put graphite on the ID with another brush just before you seat the bullet. Graphite will not contaminate your powder or primer, and it helps provide a light and uniform neck tension grip on the bullet. Residual carbon in the body of the case from previous firings is not a problem at all. Every time you fire the case, the inside gets high temperature blast cleaned!
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- West Quebec
+1 That should take care of it...
He actually said he doesn't have the problem, just making a suggestion
...
Keep tumbling. Eventually most of the red dust will be removed from the media. I add Cabelas brass polish to every batch (it seems to be the only brand that is ever in stock).
I ultrasonic clean first to help keep the walnut free of dirt/sand.
I use a large coffee can to rinse as needed (hot water). I let dry in an old ammo crate with a towel in it.
I ultrasonic clean first to help keep the walnut free of dirt/sand.
I use a large coffee can to rinse as needed (hot water). I let dry in an old ammo crate with a towel in it.
Ron, do you actually do that yourself? Not clean the brass except for the inside of the neck? Because I've never heard of that practice before, though I've only been reloading for a bit over a year.
I'd expect that by the sixth or tenth use of that casing, it's internal volume will have been reduced from the accumulation of carbon inside, causing increased chamber peak pressure at firing. By how much depends on how clean and at which temperature the powder being used burns. It's not just a high temperature blast cleaning, it's a high temperature surface carbon coating, repeated multiple times.
Ron, do you actually do that yourself? Not clean the brass except for the inside of the neck? Because I've never heard of that practice before, though I've only been reloading for a bit over a year. I'd expect that by the sixth or tenth use of that casing, it's internal volume will have been reduced from the accumulation of carbon inside, causing increased chamber peak pressure at firing. By how much depends on how clean and at which temperature the powder being used burns. It's not just a high temperature blast cleaning, it's a high temperature surface carbon coating, repeated multiple times.
Yes, I absolutely do not clean the outside or inside of my cases, except for the primer pockets, and the inside of the neck. Yes, they get a wipe with case lube and a wipe off after that, but that is it. Worse than that, I have been doing it that way for over 50 years!
My view is that the requirement to tumble and clean cases is a myth. Those new to the game, assume because others do it, and there is equipment to buy to do it, then it must be necessary. I believe it is a purely cosmetic practice, and has absolutely no impact on accuracy of the cartridges. I certainly would do it, if I thought for a second that there was a benefit, but try as I might, I just can't find a reason.
Perhaps I am wrong though, and I am missing out on the accuracy improvement that case cleaning would bring. This is what my filthy practice forces me to live with:
WT SS. Haven't used the corn cob/walnut dry tumblers since; don't like the dust.
Bought 1F 44Mag brass, dry tumble, had difficulty sizing, required lots of force on HDY LNL, bullet seating was very inconsistent. WT SS, sizing is now nice and smooth, seating consistent.
Bought 1F 44Mag brass, dry tumble, had difficulty sizing, required lots of force on HDY LNL, bullet seating was very inconsistent. WT SS, sizing is now nice and smooth, seating consistent.
Yes, I absolutely do not clean the outside or inside of my cases, except for the primer pockets, and the inside of the neck. Yes, they get a wipe with case lube and a wipe off after that, but that is it. Worse than that, I have been doing it that way for over 50 years!
My view is that the requirement to tumble and clean cases is a myth. Those new to the game, assume because others do it, and there is equipment to buy to do it, then it must be necessary. I believe it is a purely cosmetic practice, and has absolutely no impact on accuracy of the cartridges. I certainly would do it, if I thought for a second that there was a benefit, but try as I might, I just can't find a reason.
Perhaps I am wrong though, and I am missing out on the accuracy improvement that case cleaning would bring. This is what my filthy practice forces me to live with:
You are correct, cleaning is 100% cosmetic. As is almost every other cleaning chore done by humans.
With that settled...I can't go through the whole reloading process and wind up with sh!tty looking ammo at the end. So I sonic clean then tumble in rcbs media.
It's no so much the primer pocket I'm worried about it just seems like in some casings the dust from the walnut media sticks to the lube inside the casing I had to swab a few and flakes where coming out . So that means every case has to be swabbed after tumbling for 2 hours , it just makes the cleaning of casings long , I should not have to swab them .
