I like it dirty

[futz]

So I never clean my brass..... Am I a bad person? Is there any danger to this?

No danger that I know of (that hasn't already been mentioned here). I haven't been reloading for very long, but all I've done so far is toss the dirty brass in a bucket of hot water with some dishwasher soap (mild caustic). I agitate it well and let it soak for a couple hours, agitating occasionally several more times. Then I drain and rinse thoroughly and get all the cases flat on a towel so they all drain. Then dry them in the oven at 180-190F for an hour or two and they're ready to load. They're not as shiny and pretty as the tumbled/vibed cases, but totally clean enough. Eventually I plan to buy a cleaner of some sort...

 

[Ganderite]

For the first 40 years I never cleaned a case.

Then i got a Lyman vibrator and now clean all pistol brass before I size it.

I also tumble loaded ammo to get the lube off.


My ammo looks better. can't say it is really any better.

 

[Ryvax]

Thanks everyone. Was just wondering if I was the only one. I think I may try building a tumbler for fun eventually. I do have an old drill I don't use anymore and I do like tinkering.

 

[joe-nwt]

Instead of tossing stained brass I switched to SS and a thumblers, now everything is shiny!

Which pretty much proves that the stained brass is fine to reload in the first place.

 

[Cleftwynd]

Which pretty much proves that the stained brass is fine to reload in the first place.

It sure is! My dad to this day still just wipes them off and loads them, he won't spend any money on bling, he finds it pointless. He is right.

 

[kamlooky]

One could only imagine that clean shiney ammo would load way sooo much easier.
Big snarly fur and dirty ammo.....not in my books.

 

[Johnn Peterson]

For the first 40 years I never cleaned a case.

Then i got a Lyman vibrator and now clean all pistol brass before I size it.

I also tumble loaded ammo to get the lube off.


My ammo looks better. can't say it is really any better.

X2. Same here. It's just in the last couple of years that I've started cleaning/polishing my brass. With retirement comes spare time. I went with an RCBS Sidewinder which gives me an option to use a chemical solution media for the more difficult cleaning. I can't say the reloads perform any better but I am hooked on the shiny 'pretty' look.

 

[ykkid]

And, this ol' boy can't see any merit in soaking brass in a "mild" caustic. No reason to attack the metal - that is what is sealing all that loverly pressure in the chamber for a millisecond. No sense attacking it with a caustic just for pretty.