# To Clean Brass, or Not?



## AdamFisk

What are your guys thoughts on cleaning your brass vs not cleaning it. The time has come to start buying some equipment and I would be better off for a while if I didn't have to buy a tumbler, media, ect. The equipment is damn spendy, and I don't want to drop a huge amount of money right away. Can I get by for a while without cleaning my brass? 
Thanks!


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## southdakbearfan

I clean mine every time, but that is just personal preference. I seem to have way less issues with resizing, and the ammo just looks so darn pretty!


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## Savage260

I got a tumbler,media,separator, and polish for around $100 so it wasn't a big expense. Cabelas and midway sell the combos for a decent price. If you are loading once fired factory stuff I wouldn't think cleaning would be a huge deal even though I clean all the stuff I load just because.


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## farmerj

better to get a tumbler and media to start cleaning prior to loading.

Look at what your work flow will be and then start with the equipment to process the work flow.


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## KurtR

i tumble to clean brass then lube with one shot resize, brass prep, tumble agin then ready to load.


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## MossyMO

AdamFisk
Your reloading dies will stay much cleaner and debris free if you have a tumbler to use before you start popping primers, case sizing and reloading with the dies.


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## People

I always pollish my brass. It makes resizing easier and you will not be draging grit into your dies.

I barrowed my 357 sig dies to a friend and he was just putting range pickup 40S&W brass into it. Now when I put my good brass in it they are come out scratched to heck. Yeah not much fun.

Then you always get a shiny cassings. That is always nice.

"Brokeback Mountain" is not just a movie. It's also what Chuck Norris calls the pile of dead ninjas in his front yard.


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## huntin1

I always tumble my brass before loading, I like starting with clean brass.

However, you can get by without tumbling if you hand clean the brass before sizing. I know guys that wash their brass in hot water and dish soap, dry it completely and then polish the brass by hand with a soft cloth and brass polish. A lot of work, but it would get you by until you can afford the tumbler. If you plan on thousands of rounds this method probably won't work. There are also shell holders and trimmers that you can get that can be fitted to a power drill, they can be used to speed up the polishing process.

Bottom line is that you can get by without a tumbler, it just makes the process more labor intensive.

huntin1


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## saskcoyote

I always polish my brass. As stated you can get a tumbler and media for less than $100. Unlike some of the guys on here, I re-size and de-prime before polishing (make sure you get the media out of the flash hole  ).


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## bearhunter

Adam, this is how i used to do it before i got a tumbler. get a big bowl and put hot water and dish soar. put a couple raggs in there. swish it around for quite awhile. rinse really well. than i have a board, 1x8 16 inches long that i have 16 penny finish nail in about 1 inch apart. set eash casing over a nail and either let dry natturally for a day or i have dried them in the oven at 150 degrees for awhile. make sure you shake the water good out of each case before putting them over the nails or there may be water that locks up and wont drain. than after i deprime them i clean the primer pockets, put them back on the nails and blow them good with an air compressor.i still use the air now just to make sure i get the media out of the flash holes.


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## alleyyooper

Ya Ya you can get a tumbler for less than $100.00. But right now I would be hard pressed to come up with $25.00 extra. Fact is it will be several month before I can come up with that kind of money since the fridge puked and I had to buy a new one.

Go to a reloading shop or search on line for some Beech Wood Caseys case cleaner. Mix it per the instructions and place your brass in it per the instructions. Going by the instructions remove the now clean brass dumping the case cleaner back in to the container you used. Rince the brass off with warm tap water and dry it, I place mine in those mesh onion bags. Your brass is now clean and when dry good to reload. It comes out farily shiny so no other polishing is needed.

*http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/sport/index.html
Brass Cartridge Case Cleaner
Super concentrate - this one bottle makes over two gallons of reusable cleaning solution and will clean 8,000 medium sized cases. Easily removes resizing lubricant, oils, grime and stains from brass cartridge cases. Restores them to original finish for reliable operation. Helps remove powder residue. Brass Cartridge Case Cleaner is a safe, non-fuming, non-etching solution that won't weaken cases. Reusable - store solution in a plastic or glass container (not metal) and use when needed. *

Once summer arrives visit some yard sales. Seems like you always run across those single and double rock tumblers cheap. They will hold about 50 cases in each drum along with a load of cheap rice. they look like this.









You could always put the brass in a coffee can with some rice, tape the lid on and throw it in the back of the pick up to roll around and polish.

 Al


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## xdeano

I tumble all my high volume brass to clean it up, I don't use a polish because it isn't needed. Just throw them in with some corn cob media and let it go for 2 hours.

With my match brass I do things a lot different because I don't want the possibilities of my necks to get dings in them. So I don't tumble them at all. What I do use is 0000 Steel wool. It cleans brass up just as well as the tumbler but in a fraction of the time. I don't have to worry about things getting messed up because it is all controlled. Give it a try some time. It does an excellent job, they come out as shiny as my other stuff from the tumbler after 2 hours.

xdeano


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## barebackjack

I don't tumble a thing!

The case lube takes what little grime there is off the neck. Never had a problem.

The biggest problem I have is with corrosion from ejecting brass into the snow while coyote hunting. Not a big deal though if you dry it out quickly.


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## Fallguy

barebackjack said:


> The biggest problem I have is with corrosion from ejecting brass into the snow while coyote hunting. Not a big deal though if you dry it out quickly.


I just cycle my bolt and my case flips into my coat pocket. Take practice. :wink:


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## alleyyooper

I second Fall guy. I've had well over 40 years of practice.
Saw on the news this morning eatting walnuts builds corination.

 Al


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## barebackjack

Fallguy said:


> barebackjack said:
> 
> 
> 
> The biggest problem I have is with corrosion from ejecting brass into the snow while coyote hunting. Not a big deal though if you dry it out quickly.
> 
> 
> 
> I just cycle my bolt and my case flips into my coat pocket. Take practice. :wink:
Click to expand...

The next time you have a triple tearing in hard and fast Id like video of that in action. :wink: :lol:


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## AdamFisk

I bought a $80 Frankford Arsenal kit. Should work for the amount of brass I'll be polishing in a year.

What are some of your preferences to media and additives? Also, I tumbled my cases for about an hour, with no polish, before doing any prepping. I resized and decapped and now have them in there with some polish. That is what the directions said to do. Is tumbling twice necessary? I think a couple of you just tumble/polish once, before any prepping, correct?


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## Savage260

I have found that if I add polish to my media, I like corn cob, it is good for 2-3 rounds before I have to add more. I only tumble once, no need for any more.


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## texcl

I like the fine walnut media it doesn't get stuck in the primer pocket as easy does a better job cleaning clumps of crud off and lasts longer than most other medias. The corn cob makes the casings look more polished though. I don't worry about what they look like as long as they are clean. Right now I don't even tumble my brass I just wipe them down lube, resize and wipe them down again.


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## alleyyooper

I didn't like corn cob media because it was a pain to clean out of the insides of the case. Walnut media is fine but expencive way back when. Now days you can buy it cheaper in the pet section of Wally World I am told.

For me it is rice just plain old white no name rice. Comes out of the case (Even 220 swift.) ones with just a shake. The primer pocket isn't all that easy but found a small flat screw driver does a good job getting the pocket clean.



















 Al


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