2 hours in a Lyman Turbo with bulk corn cob and some Nu Finish. Around 300 pieces
Is my brass clean enough?
- Thread starter Rule3
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I see you left the primers in.....now deprime and clean the primer pockets
OP
Gonna get right on that and then clean them again
Need a close up macro in Hi Def?
Need a close up macro in Hi Def?
Whoa baby..............
That glare, is hurting my eyes...........
from that white carpet!
That brass.........
yea it's ok............
Just joking.
I will give you an "Ata Boy".
That glare, is hurting my eyes...........
from that white carpet!
That brass.........
yea it's ok............
Just joking.
I will give you an "Ata Boy".
Can you see a reflection of yer face offen that brass? If you can't, polish some more...
JK! I understand wanting good clean brass, but this always reminds me of a couple shooters I witnessed at a local police range. I often went to the range and just watched and a few times I noticed two fellers that shot a lot. They were shooting 1911s and picked up all their brass (Hmmm reloaders? new to me in the early '60s). I notice all their targets had one hole, about 3" at 50', from a few magazines shot. I got a bit closer and noticed all their brass was brown!, not shiny, virgin looking brass. I guess they didn't know they were supposed to polish their cases to a virgin looking, shiny finish! Times change and today even new reloaders are told it's necessary to get a tumbler and media as beginning/initial equipment...
JK! I understand wanting good clean brass, but this always reminds me of a couple shooters I witnessed at a local police range. I often went to the range and just watched and a few times I noticed two fellers that shot a lot. They were shooting 1911s and picked up all their brass (Hmmm reloaders? new to me in the early '60s). I notice all their targets had one hole, about 3" at 50', from a few magazines shot. I got a bit closer and noticed all their brass was brown!, not shiny, virgin looking brass. I guess they didn't know they were supposed to polish their cases to a virgin looking, shiny finish!
Times change and today even new reloaders are told it's necessary to get a tumbler and media as beginning/initial equipment...
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DFrame
Member
Shiny brass can become an obsession. I've even met people who worry that the primer pockets aren't shiny enough. I just make sure my brass is clean enough that it can't mar my dies or chambers, and call it good.
I'm super anal about cleaning my brass. I vibrate it with Lyman's Turbo Media and Nu Finish car polish. I let it run for about 6 hours.
It comes out super slick and bright and shiny.
Cracks and defects are easy to spot.
It comes out super slick and bright and shiny.
Cracks and defects are easy to spot.
bigggbbruce
Member
I got my first vibro case cleaner in 2008, been reloading since 1985.
Everything will be ok..
Everything will be ok..
Ole Joe Clark
Absent Comrade
If it's clean enough for you, it's clean enough for me.
Have a blessed day,
Joe
Have a blessed day,
Joe
Brass is for shooting, not looking at. I tumble off most the crud, a couple hours is plenty.
I am somewhere far north of 150K reloaded pistol cartridges and never ever cleaned a primer pocket. You gotta be kidding.
I am somewhere far north of 150K reloaded pistol cartridges and never ever cleaned a primer pocket. You gotta be kidding.
I still go by the advice from the old NRA book from the 1970's, that regular mottling from general use and age, NOT GRIME, actually protects the brass from further degradation. I clean actual foreign matter from the outside gently, but I've never tumbled a piece of brass. Considering what I've loaded has worked, I'm not sure how much there is to gain from tumbling, and I'm not too interested either. I've heard many a board member here say that tumbling is actually one of the most dangerous lead raising things you can do, outside of shooting lead containing primers indoors. I sometimes think about taking it up, but....
I suppose one thing going for me is shooting on my own property, and being extremely careful with my brass. I try to pick up every piece I intend to reload every time I'm finished with a set, cleaning up often, to keep any from settling into dirt or getting dirty. I'll often times feed my bolt actions slowly, one round at a time without the magazine, to keep each individual piece from flying around. Revolvers and moon clips are easy, and even for drills I'll stand on a blanket to catch my casings carefully. Expensive 10 gauge hulls are tracked carefully, none must go to waste. When I do get dirty brass, I tend to segregate it, leading it to live a lonely existence in a box I'll eventually "get to", for eternity.
I suppose one thing going for me is shooting on my own property, and being extremely careful with my brass. I try to pick up every piece I intend to reload every time I'm finished with a set, cleaning up often, to keep any from settling into dirt or getting dirty. I'll often times feed my bolt actions slowly, one round at a time without the magazine, to keep each individual piece from flying around. Revolvers and moon clips are easy, and even for drills I'll stand on a blanket to catch my casings carefully. Expensive 10 gauge hulls are tracked carefully, none must go to waste. When I do get dirty brass, I tend to segregate it, leading it to live a lonely existence in a box I'll eventually "get to", for eternity.
Seems like the primer pocket gets cleaned every time you fire a round.
Magload
US Veteran
Clean brass is happy brass. Don
Geo. T.
Member
Well!
It looks great! I do not remove the primer before cleaning so that the decaping pin will clear the flash hole! Media in the flash hole is a bigger problem than a little carbon in the primer pocket! At least as far as I'm concerned!
It looks great! I do not remove the primer before cleaning so that the decaping pin will clear the flash hole! Media in the flash hole is a bigger problem than a little carbon in the primer pocket! At least as far as I'm concerned!
fredj338
Member
Gonna get right on that and then clean them again
Need a close up macro in Hi Def?
They look fine. IMO, cleaning primer pockets, total waste of time. I have never cleaned a service pistol primer pocket, never. Some 45acp case have been loaded 15x, no issues. When I first started reloading, I only rinsed the grit off my brass, it still shot fine. I just want it clean, a little shiny is fine to, but 2-4hrs is about all it needs.
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Collo Rosso
Member
I do 3 hours in corn cob with a little nu finish. I toss in half a used dryer sheet. It comes out pretty nasty so I think it does a good job of collecting dust, carbon and maybe some lead.
One of the manuals I read when I started reloading mentioned polished brass is easier on the carbide rings most sizing dies have.
One of the manuals I read when I started reloading mentioned polished brass is easier on the carbide rings most sizing dies have.
littleriver1
US Veteran
I always tell my wife a clean car runs better, then she makes fun of me. I clean my brass. Does it run better? I'm not that good at shooting to know. That center ring is a happy ring, but not often enough.
hangnoose
Member
clean brass
If you feel it matters, it probably will, for YOU. It couldn't hurt I suppose. I used to be anal about it but got lazy with age & haven't used either of my tumblers in years. A hot water/vinegar/salt/soap bath, then dry in the stove takes app 30 minutes. As long as all the sand & sticky grime is gone, I'm not too concerned with them being shiny. I do uniform/clean primer pockets initially & as needed (rarely). Whatever blow's your skirt up. Personally I'd rather spend more time shooting than cleaning, but an ATTA BOY & pat on the back to you for making the effort.
If you feel it matters, it probably will, for YOU. It couldn't hurt I suppose. I used to be anal about it but got lazy with age & haven't used either of my tumblers in years. A hot water/vinegar/salt/soap bath, then dry in the stove takes app 30 minutes. As long as all the sand & sticky grime is gone, I'm not too concerned with them being shiny. I do uniform/clean primer pockets initially & as needed (rarely). Whatever blow's your skirt up. Personally I'd rather spend more time shooting than cleaning, but an ATTA BOY & pat on the back to you for making the effort.
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Harley Fan
Member
OP made me smile. My last tumbling session was with .45acp. Mindful of the dust (and no noise) I tumble outside. I have a nice out-of-the-way place on my deck, close to power. Well, I forgot one evening, and my little rig went 24 hours!
Looks like I opened a package from Starline...
I like clean brass too.
Looks like I opened a package from Starline...
I like clean brass too.
MyDads38
Member
My Lyman 3200 Turbo hasn't been used since I got my FA Wet/SS tumbler as a gift! Yeah, that's plenty clean enough, but since I got my FA; I've become a brass polishing snob! Outside, inside and primer pockets look like new brass. I even polish brass that I give away to buddies-and they love it! Got 1,500 pcs. of 9mm in the tumbler now, second load this week. At least 1,000 will go to a buddy that helped me move a washer/dryer Friday evening-he loves getting brass from me 
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