Do you have to clean the brass
- Thread starter jacky
- Start date
At first I just used a plastic coffee can and hot water with dish soap. Shake that thing for 5 minutes straight and it'll get all the gunk out. Make sure you're not mixing 9mm and .40 S&W (like I did) or the 9's will go inside the 40's and they'll never dry out.
I think you'll be impressed with the results, I almost convinced myself that I didn't need a tumbler the first time I did this.
I think you'll be impressed with the results, I almost convinced myself that I didn't need a tumbler the first time I did this.
It also depends on where you get your brass. If your brass has range pickups that have been out in a rain, then a tumbler is highly recommended to get rid of corrosion and crud. At the other extreme, if you are using once fired Winclean brass from an indoor range, then no cleaning is needed.
- Location
- Thunder Bay ON Canada
I don't clean my cases, unless I drop them in the dirt. A tumbler is optional for a newbie.
mike shickele
Regular
IMO, it's not one of those absolutely necessary things, but highly recommended. I find that cases seem to size better, look better, and I can find flaws easier when cases are cleaned. I clean them both before, and after sizing; the first time around to scrub the powder residue off, and the second time around to clean the lubricant off. I suspect that getting the powder off makes the sizing die last longer, and getting the lubricant off makes less case head thrust.
Others may disagree, but "OH well!"
Mike
Others may disagree, but "OH well!"
Mike
I agree with what Canuck223 said if you want clean brass (inside and out)
All you do is throw the brass in the tumbler for 3-4 hrs .....clean brass no easier way of doing it.
A quote:Because 50 years ago people weren't loading shooting/loading 1000-2000 rounds a week.. Guns were built by hand and had larger tolerances..
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Shucks, here I thought the pre 64 Model 70s, et al, had pretty darn precise clearances!
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Shucks, here I thought the pre 64 Model 70s, et al, had pretty darn precise clearances!
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the tumbler is the last thing I have bought for getting into reloading.
I bought the cabelas starter kit and let me tell you that for under 100$ taxes and shipping included, you get an amazing kit. They use Berry's model 400 tumbler (only difference is the colour and cabela's tag). You get a sifter, polish, big bag of media.
I clean brass every firing now (unlike before, I cleaned with steel wool by hand when dirt was too obvious) and found that a used sheet of bounce keeps the media cleaner (if you're just that cheap to think media is too expensive, cause my media is about 20 cleanings old and I havent changed it yet)
I bought the cabelas starter kit and let me tell you that for under 100$ taxes and shipping included, you get an amazing kit. They use Berry's model 400 tumbler (only difference is the colour and cabela's tag). You get a sifter, polish, big bag of media.
I clean brass every firing now (unlike before, I cleaned with steel wool by hand when dirt was too obvious) and found that a used sheet of bounce keeps the media cleaner (if you're just that cheap to think media is too expensive, cause my media is about 20 cleanings old and I havent changed it yet)
