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cleaning brass

Hello All. I am a budding reloader and have a question. I am cleaning some pistol brass with Tuffnut media. My question is, it leaves a red dust on and in the cases, do I need to worry about it?Also, should I deprime before I clean?

Comments

  • .257roberts.257roberts Member Posts: 54 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    My nephews rock tumbler died and I'm ready to start searching e-bay for a decent unit to clean my brass. An suggestions? Features you couldn't live without or wish you had? Best deal for the buck?
    Thanks,
    Rob
  • buddybbuddyb Member Posts: 5,235 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Unless brass is very dirty I always size,which also deprimes as you probably know and trim before I tumble the brass.I tumble it last to remove the sizing lube.If it is very dirty I tumble it in walnut hull first and use corn cob after its sized.
  • .257roberts.257roberts Member Posts: 54 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    So I don't need to worry about the dust?
  • brier-49brier-49 Member Posts: 7,023 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dump the brass on an old towel and rub the dust off.
  • Kari PragerKari Prager Member Posts: 67 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dear .257Roberts,
    I may be in the minority here, but I necksize only my particular brass for each rifle that I shoot so I just clean the head and neck of the case with fine steel wool before doing anything with dies. I can't see running a dirty case into a nice precision die. My steel wool method takes only a few seconds a case and I am done before I ever was with cleaning media out of cases, primer holes, etc.
    Clearly there are lots of ways to do it.
    One other trick - I use Hornady One-Shot but out of one of my wife's hair spray bottles. Much finer mist, no blobs on the cases, dries faster, just seems to work better in general.
    Have fun, reloading is a great hobby and makes your rifle shoot better as a rule. Check every step you make at least twice and CONCENTRATE when you are reloading, esp. when dropping powder charges.
    Best regards,
    scrmblerkari
  • sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    .257Roberts,

    Welcome to the forum!...that's my first favorite cartridge by the way[:D].

    I do what Keri Prager does for most of my rifle reloading. Except I don't use steel wool. I use Lymans spray lube. Let it sit for 15 or so minutes(usually never past 1/2 hour) and then wipe the necks down as I resize. Re-lube as necessary before running them into the die of course. It's a whole lot less work than putting them into the tumbler and cleaning them that way. Now, if I have a dirty lot of brass ...into the tumbler they go.

    In your case, since you are loading pistol, I would tumble before you re-size. My method of cleaning for rifle doesn't work too well with small straight-walled cases. Again too, as Keri noted, why run dirty brass into a good precision die? You also take a big chance of blocking the flash hole with cleaning media. It only takes one missed case and you have misfire waiting. You can then also can inspect a clean case as you wipe it down. Not a dirty case that may hide a crack. -hope that helps
  • goldeneagle76goldeneagle76 Member Posts: 4,359
    edited November -1
    I also use the tufnut media. I will wipe the outsides of the case but it has never affected any of my reloads. There is some dust inside the case but not much.
  • midnightrunpaintballermidnightrunpaintballer Member Posts: 2,233 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    i usually take my brass out of the tumbler, throw it into my home made case/media seperator, and after that's done i have a bowl (or box) of clean but dusty cases. i then head out to the garage and blast the whole bowl with the air compresser (everybody has an air compressor right???) btw: make sure there's good ventilation, you don't wanna breathe too much of that. air compressor blast works great!
  • .257roberts.257roberts Member Posts: 54 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it. Took me forever to get into this forum, Not really computer savey. But am glad to be in good company finally. Thanks again, Robert
  • gotstolefromgotstolefrom Member Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have my ritual too....Then A MIRACLE OCCURRED, I got my bro'n'law into loading. He is loading straight brass....as you.

    He used a pail of Simple Green, 50/50, and an onion sack. Dropped them in/out about 10 times, then the same to rinse in hot water, then compressed air and sunshine dry. It takes him less time to do 150 cases than it takes me to unload my tumbler and separate.

    I've got to say......it seems to work fine.
  • greystonegreystone Member Posts: 194 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Simple Green? I love the stuff and use it for about everything. Never even thought about it for brass. Huh
  • Kari PragerKari Prager Member Posts: 67 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dear Sandwarrior et al.
    I like your idea of using Lyman spray lube and I am going to try it. I am not crazy about my steel wool method because of all the wire dust that it generates. Also besides your Lyman method I am going to try wiping with GM Top Engine Cleaner, which does the best job on carbon in the rifle bore of anything I have tried, and also Carbon Killer, which I have just started experimenting with. I'll let you (and the jury) know if either of these compounds work to just melt off the carbon.I think our methods are the best for finding incipient cracks in case necks and also a chance to look for the ring at the base indicating case separation.
    Good shooting!
    Kari
  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390
    edited November -1
    Hello Try IOSSO Case Cleaner Elk Grove IL 847-437-8400
  • Kari PragerKari Prager Member Posts: 67 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Deaer Sandwarrior et al.
    I tried my little experiment las night. I had a vot 25 cases to clean, so I dampened an old wawffle-weave t-shirt with Slip 2000 " Carbon Killer" and did 10 cases. It worked very well, a couple of turns and no more carbon, the necks not shiny, however. It took about the same time as steel wool. Next I tried 10 cases with GM Top Engine Cleaner, which I expected would be the best one, and it worked sbout the same as "carbon killer". Clean necks, not shiny, kind of what I would have expected. No carbon whatsoever, but the necks not shiny, either. I think I am going to stick with
    0000 or 000 steel wool, it leaves the cases so bright, it is very pleasing to the eyel
    Regarrds
    Kari
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