Do you really need to clean your cases before reloading?

[Sikvenum93]

I have quite a few .380 and .38 cases that look pristine after firing. Like they are still shiny and show no signs of dirt or gunk. Do I need to still clean or rinse them?

[CSACANNONEER]

You don't need to but, cleaning brass is one way to help make your dies last longer.

[Grunt81]

You don't need to but, cleaning brass is one way to help make your dies last longer.

^^^Exactly, the rounds will function fine and won't damage your weapon in any way. But the argument is pushing a fired, untumbled case with some un-obvious grit, will eventually wear away at the inside of your resizing die. I wouldn't know though. I've never put an untumbled brass case through any of my resizing dies.

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

No you don't need to clean them. And if you buy good quality dies, they have a lifetime warrantee available should you wear them out or damage them.

[J-cat]

Yeah, scratch up your dies by not cleaning the brass and then send them back to the manufacturer for a replacement. Then the rest of us will have to absorb the costs in the form of increased prices. Sure, that's a real good plan.

That's how the trailer trash and others so inclined go through life and that's why 2/3 of the state budget is spent on social services.

[BigBronco]

That's how the trailer trash and others so inclined go through life and that's why 2/3 of the state budget is spent on social services.

Well said.

CLEAN YOUR BRASS SONNY!!!

[gogohopper]

[Cowboy T]

The "save your dies" point is true, if you're using a non-carbide resizing die, i. e. the "older design" all-steel ones. Otherwise, no, you don't have to clean your cases if you get the more modern "carbide" (actually tungsten carbide) dies, which are the ones typically sold today. That carbide ring is far harder than any carbon build-up.

So, why do it? I do so for three reasons:

1.) I like the shiny new look,
2.) it makes it easier to find flaws during case inspection, and
3.) while any burnt-powder grit won't hurt the carbide ring, it could scratch up the brass cases a bit.

Matter of fact, I shoot a somewhat lighter .357M load, using Bullseye, that leaves the cases still looking like they'd just been tumbled. I don't bother to clean those; they simply go back into the press's case feeder.

[Pauliedad]

If you're trying to avoid buying the equipment needed to clean, you can wipe them off by hand after rinsing and drying but after a few dozen cases of that craziness you'll be begging to buy a tumbler and some media.
As others have said in both camps, you should clean them and if they are absolutely spotless, then wipe and run them again.
I personally dry tumble all pistol. If it's a longer case, I will then decap and wet tumble for that 100% shiny look.

[Eljay]

If you use a brass catcher or shoot a revolver and they never hit the ground they don't have anything harmful on them. Otherwise, see the grit posts above.

There are some secondary reasons to tumble. With some calibers for safety reasons I'd just as soon the interior be shiny (it's a lot easier to catch a squib or weird load). 38 Special as an example really benefits from wet tumbling even though in theory you don't have to tumble it at all.

[stilly]

Yeah, you can go through the whole warranty returning the dies and be down for a few days and eventually you might go through a couple of sets of dies based on how much you shoot but the grit is real. There are all kinds of things you do not see because the particles are small and some of those might find their way to your brass no matter how hard you try to keep them clean by being careful with them after you shoot them... No matter what brass I find or pickup, it is ALWAYS dirty to me and needs to be cleaned before I load on it.

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

Yeah, scratch up your dies by not cleaning the brass and then send them back to the manufacturer for a replacement. Then the rest of us will have to absorb the costs in the form of increased prices. Sure, that's a real good plan.

That's how the trailer trash and others so inclined go through life and that's why 2/3 of the state budget is spent on social services.

Somebody woke up grumpy this morning I see.

[LynnJr]

I have dies older than most calgunners that have never been cleaned and there were no tumblers back when they were new. I must be lucky because those old scratched up worn out dies will still produce very good groups.

Most of the worlds most accurate rifles never see brass that has been tumbled.
In the old days we used oooo steel wool on our badly tarnished brass and we are still here today.
Brass is much softer than your dies and if something get inside your dies you will see it on your brass.
The state is going to waste your money whether your a hard working man or a slacker slob or even worse a lawyer so I wouldn't spend much time worrying about that on a reloading forum

[jimmykan]

I have loaded untumbled 9mm and 45acp cases before, sized using Dillon carbide dies. Depending on the level of cleanliness, you may feel some grittiness as you size them.

I usually tumble all pistol brass, but even then it's just to knock off the dirt and firing residue, and not to the point where they are shiny.

If the brass has gotten wet at all, e.g. shooting on a rainy day, then I tumble the brass as soon as I get home to let the corn cob media absorb away the moisture. Otherwise the brass will tarnish badly.

[Divernhunter]

I remember the time before brass tumbles also. My dies are still in excellent condition after many years and many rounds loaded.

My 1st tumbler was a rock tumbler. What a pain to load and unload.

Now I use a Vib type tumbler and I do tumble most all brass each time. It is not necessary to tumble but it is nice to do so.