cleaning brass

[stevenwr]

I'm new to reloading, so please bare with me. When I clean my brass should I leave the used primer caps in the brass or should I remove them first before putting the brass into the tumbler?

 

[cbabes]

I leave mine in and all the reloaders I know do the same. You can remove the spent primers first if you like but you will get your tumbler media stuck in empty primer pockets. Just more time consuming.

 

[stevenwr]

Thanks for the info. I've tumbled one batch so far and left the primers in but noticed pieces of cob stuck inside the primers (inside the brass the primers have a small hole). When I then go to remove the primers will that piece of cob damage the die?

 

[CeeZer]

Don't use corn cobs, use walnut shell media, get it wherever you do, I get mine at pet stores as 'reptile bedding'.

 

[stevenwr]

I just got a bag of walnut from the pet store down the street. What about sand or the media used in bead blasters?

 

[CeeZer]

Some report success with plastic media used in bead blasting, it doesn't and shouldn't be abrasive (not much). Walnut shell is abrasive just enough and it seems the crud from cases sticks to it, dunno about plastic. A bag of 5.5 (dry) liters of media lasted me ~ year and ~8-10K reloads if I recall correctly. The bag is $10 at my local store for 'premium reptile bedding' .

 

[stevenwr]

I purchased walnut bird bedding, I noticed the reptile bedding is ground a lot finer then the bird bedding.
Thanks again for the info.