Brass cleaning questions

[Clickjack]

So I washed my brass using a brass cleaning solution and a jug.
A. Is there a better way to dry these?
B. Are they clean enough? Should I clean them further? I ran a q-tip through a couple and there was a decent amount of black stuff coming out.

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[anonymouscuban]

Drying... put them out in the sun for a few hours or stick them in the oven on 250-300 for 30 minutes.

And yes, they're clean enough. Actually, a lot cleaner than they have to be. The only reason to get your brass shining is so you can show it off on internet forums. You could literally reload shot brass with no cleaning at all and it would run perfectly. Provided it's not filled with dirt or mud.

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[Bastard]

you're putting too much thought into it... just get a vibratory tumbler and a bag of crushed walnut shells from the pet store and call it a day

[Clickjack]

you're putting too much thought into it... just get a vibratory tumbler and a bag of crushed walnut shells from the pet store and call it a day

[Sig so sour of ca]

Are you cleaning 22s? Not sure if serious. If you are, yeah your fine. I've reloaded pistol bread that came back from the range without even cleaning it. Oh the horror!

[anonymouscuban]

Do you shoot at an indoor or outdoor range. If indoor, as I mentioned, you don't even have to clean the brass. Use it as is.



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[Clickjack]

Are you cleaning 22s? Not sure if serious. If you are, yeah your fine. I've reloaded pistol bread that came back from the range without even cleaning it. Oh the horror!

[Catch]

I don't clean the insides, just the flash hole if it needs it. Outsides you want clean enough for easy ejection.

[JackEllis]

So I washed my brass using a brass cleaning solution and a jug.
A. Is there a better way to dry these?
B. Are they clean enough? Should I clean them further? I ran a q-tip through a couple and there was a decent amount of black stuff coming out.

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This is what I wrote (slightly modified) in response to a similar thread earlier yesterday

My magic formula for washing is hot water (out of the tap is fine), a few drops of Dawn and a pinch or two of Lemishine or something similar. Agitate vigorously (stir) using a piece of cutoff oak flooring as the stirrer for a minute or two, let sit for a while if you like, then rinse thoroughly to get ALL of the soap and citric acid out of the cases, then dry in air or the sun. I use old pie pans lined with a piece of paper towel so that the cases don't get stained as the water evaporates.

I decap bottleneck cases before washing. Otherwise the insides take forever to dry. Pistol cases do fine with the primers left in (I sell those anyway).

I'm looking for clean. For shiny you need to tumble.
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As long as there's no sand or grid in or on the cases, you aren't doing to damage the dies.

I have a tumbler but it sits in a closet. For the most part it's just too much trouble.

[rsrocket1]

Revolver brass does not need to be cleaned unless you are ejecting the empties onto the ground where they can pick up grit.

For years, reloaders simply used a rag to clean the brass prior to loading. A quick wipe with a rag lightly dampened with odorless mineral spirits will clean the soot off. I've loaded revolver brass without cleaning at all and they work fine. Soot will not scratch the dies.

[The War Wagon]

you're putting too much thought into it... just get a vibratory tumbler and a bag of crushed walnut shells from the pet store and call it a day

ALL this.

You oughta see some of the reloaded .30 carbine brass I shot 20 years ago!

It would have caused neat freaks to faint dead away... but it all ran great!

[ysr_racer]

Revolver brass does not need to be cleaned unless you are ejecting the empties onto the ground where they can pick up grit.

For years, reloaders simply used a rag to clean the brass prior to loading. A quick wipe with a rag lightly dampened with odorless mineral spirits will clean the soot off. I've loaded revolver brass without cleaning at all and they work fine. Soot will not scratch the dies.

Shear insanity !!

[robert101]

OP, you are doing fine. As noted, no need to worry about cleaning the inside of the case. When I started reloading I didn't have a tumbler either and simply wiped off the cases and reloaded. It was mostly 38 and 44 Mag revolver cases. It worked fine for over a year.

Keep going and enjoy the reloads.

[Bastard]

while you truly don't need to clean them there is something to be said for having a finished product that doesn't look like you found it rolling around in your granddad's old tool box


tumblers aren't that expensive & no need to spend that much on a "fancy" one - just get a decent tumbler which should run no more than $70 but if you keep an eye on the reloading FS section you my find one for even less.

as for the cleaning media don't bother with the special, fancy stuff sold as specific for reloading... just pick up a bag of crushed walnut shells from amazon or your local pet store, sold as lizard bedding, its the same stuff - add a cap full of nufinish or flitz along with a cut up used drier sheet

[Corbin Dallas]

So I washed my brass using a brass cleaning solution and a jug.
A. Is there a better way to dry these?
B. Are they clean enough? Should I clean them further? I ran a q-tip through a couple and there was a decent amount of black stuff coming out.

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Clean enough for reloading.

If you want them really clean, get a wet tumbler and stainless pins.