Brass cleaning??

What do you use?

Primarily will be used for rifle brass, but possibly in the future suppressed 300BLK brass that is extremely dirty.

I've had a dry media tumbler before and have ehhh results with it. I've been watching videos on the rotary media tumblers with the stainless steel media. The results look amazing, but are pretty pricey. I've also looked at the ultrasonic cleaners which would be great for cleaning suppressor baffles and gun parts as well.

So what do you guys use?

Best I have found (for my use) is simply a vibrating tumbler with some treated corn cob media. The best media polish I have found is the cheap Graf's brass polish. I have a small one and the large Dillon tumbler.

The ultra sonic and stainless media tumblers work well. IMO, they get the brass too clean. Both use a cleaner or treatment that goes in the liquid, and makes the brass sticky. They remove the carbon fouling in the neck, which brings the brass back to bare metal with a film or residue left on it. For basic shooting, they will work. But many shooters I know had very high ES spreads on their velocities with the stainless media. For basic hunting, I'm sure it will work fine. For precision shooting at longer ranges, I don't like it as much.

https://www.dillonprecision.com/dillon-s-cv-2001-vibratory-case-cleaner_8_8_23658.html

I don't throw my brass on the ground so I don't have a tumbler...I clean my necks with a Krazy Kloth and wipe off with a microfiber cloth....then resize, clean pockets and get a stiff brush down and back on the inside of the throat.

I agree with Chad on the SS and ultrasonic.

Well that's awesome then, way cheaper too.

I put up to 50 in a cloth bag and toss them in the washer when I have a full load. Cleans them quite nicely.

Walnut shell, add polish, vibratory tumbler. My Hornady ran all night with that combo, and will run tonight with it. Makes for clean outside, carbon left on the inside. The newer the walnut shell, the less run time for clean, shiny brass.

I also own a stainless tumbler. It is used for range pick up brass, one time. All my precision rifles, and any other rifle will not have its' brass see the stainless media again.

If you don’t use cleaners wouldn’t it be better? I have used stainless for a while and never seen major issues. But I don’t shoot at your level or velocity

Carbon in the necks produces a barrier between case and bullet. Thereby providing a preventative measure, combating cold metal welding. The bond that is showing to be more than theory of loaded ammo, stored for an extended period of time. Judd has observed it's merits, Chad has observed it, and I have observed it.

In April, I shot a PRS match. I essentially had three lots of ammo. Though same powder lot, same brass life, same scale, same bullet lot, same box of primers. 100 were loaded in December, 100 were loaded in February, 100 were loaded in March. I had to have 3 different DOPE charts, that I recorded on each box of ammo, 50 count, that I hand loaded. What else could cause 3 different trajectories? Nothing but cold metal welding, in my opinion. All the brass had NOT been stainless or ultrasonic cleaned. Had it been cleaned that way, I surmise things would have been worse.

I had this dilemma about 6 months ago - needed a cleaner. Many, many hours of research later, I ended up with a $50 Hornady vibratory cleaner from Academy, some walnut media from amazon, and RCBS polish powder from ebay. Works amazingly well for both exterior brass cleanliness and good shooting performance (leaving carbon fouling in the neck).

One of the few areas where simpler and cheaper actually works just as good if not better.

The Hornady cleaner is way quieter than the Lyman I had borrowed from a buddy before that. I had corn cob media in that one and it was fine, but it left quite a bit more dust than the walnut media I use now. Here are links to everything I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/Zilla-Reptile-Ter...=walnut+bedding

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/hornady-m-1-case-tumbler

https://www.amazon.com/RCBS-Polishing-Compound-Pack-5/dp/B001OPR2VA

I get about 300 cases of cleaning on a packet of polishing compound, so it's about $1 per 250 cases, give or take. Still haven't recycled the walnut media.

Or it could have been something else...

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2008/09/tech-tip-humidity-can-change-powder-burn-rates/

Interesting to note that single base powders that are always touted as being more temp stable are effected most by humidity changes...... just giving food for thought

I normally just tumble with walnut media and wipe down with a cloth. If I have badly tarnished brass, I put it in a plastic container and cover it with hot water with a few drops of Dawn dish soap and about a table spoon of Lemi Shine. Within a couple of hours, all the tarnish is gone. Rinse several times with fresh water and lay out on a towel to dry. I then run it through the tumbler as usual and it comes out looking almost new.

Thanks everyone, just got the Hornady tumbler, RCBS walnut media, and RCBS polish. Along with my bullet puller so I can pull my 80 Ricky Bobby rounds

Well, if you ain't first you're last

LOL!!

If you shoot suppressed AR guns....SS media all the way. It even cleans the primer pockets! Bolt gun stuff...corn cob or Walnut shell will work fine

Before and after AR Creed suppressed with SS media. As far as SD goes I’m around 6

The humidity level when I loaded each batch?

I'm not sold on ultra causing high sd. Only photo on my new phone but ultra sonic ammo we with chargemaster powder throws. Not sure if there is room for improvement.

You got magic machines.

I think the question would be, how long were your bullets seated before you fired the rounds?

Few months loaded before hunting season but swapped barrels and they sat in a crown bag on my bench. Didn't get fired until January.

Did you check it (humidity)when you loaded the ammo..... I just assumed everyone has an hygrometer in their
Reloading room?

No. And I never assumed anyone did.

I never check the humidity but I do turn on the heat or ac depending on the season where it will not cycle off for at least an hour before I load to remove excess humidity.

I reload in a metal shop. Whatever the weather is, that's what it is in my shop.

Same, in the garage it felt like a sweat lodge the Friday before the match when I was loading.

Does anyone know how hygroscopic smokeless powder is?

I passed the idea of bunk beds for the kids by the wife so I could have a climate controlled reloading room. It fell like a lead balloon. You might have better luck, gravity seems to have less effect at your place, at least on your powder. Yes I know it's corny but I'm bored at work and have nothing productive to share.

ETA: I've got a shop fan and that makes it pretty tolerable. The only part I do inside is the powder weighing, and I do that inside when it's crazy hot outside like it is right now since the fan affects my beam scale, and being in that shop without a fan is a recipe for a heat stroke.

The article doesn’t really lay out time of exposure and levels but just points out humidity or moisture level in powder can change burn characteristics.
My room stays around 35-40% humidity

Amount of moisture content has to affect charge weight but I'm not sure at what rate it does. I know a few guys that "dry" their powder out but I can't say I've ever seen a need to try it.

I've heard read that the bulk density can change when the solvents evaporate, but I never really thought about the powder absorbing atmospheric moisture. It makes me wonder if my chronograph really WAS right on a few occasions I thought it was not.

Cheap vibratory cleaner loaded with crushed walnut shell and a chunk of jewelers rouge that started out 1 x 1 x 2".

Change the walnut shell when the performance deteriorates.
After a few thousand cases, the chunk of rouge is about 7/8 x 7/8 x 1-3/4" with rounded corners.

Nice shiney cases!

Meets my requirements for accuracy which is MOP (Minute Of Pig) YMMV!

Perhaps match shooters that load large batches of ammo should leave the bullets seated long & then seat them to the ideal depth just before the match. That should break any bond developed between neck & jacket. Makes sense to me?

Judd does this.

I'm using a Hornady ultrasonic and their brass cleaning concentrate. I use one capful to 2 quarts or so that the cleaner holds.
I recap and run for 20-30 minutes with heat. Seems to work well.

Have been using a Lyman vibratory tumbler with their corn cob media. Works real good by often need to polish overnight.
I've lately been adding a couple good squirts of New Car Finish auto wax. Cuts the cleaning time down to 2 hours.

Both methods are working well. In the media tumbler, I do not recap first to avoid media in the primer pockets.

Good luck - Kris

Friday night I decided I just had to have a tumbler and noticed the Hornady was on clearance at Midway. I read the reviews and purchased it. I think it will be perfect for what I do. After reading this thread I feel much better about my purchase.

I have never taken humidity into account either. I'm fortunate enough to have a dedicated reloading/gun room. That's what happens when the kids move out. Anyway, I keep all of my powders in a large drawer where they stay at a constant temperature. I think for the fun of it I'll start entering the humidity level in my reloading notes and keep track of any accuracy issues I may have. You just never know what you will learn on the THF.

I bought some of the RCBS case polish for my vibratory tumbler based on some of the reviews on this thread and it seems to work really well. When I opened the box I thought it was a package from a cartel, but it seems to be a good product and inexpensive.

I'm in the same boat. My reloading setup is in my house in a temperature controlled environment, but the humidity isn't controlled. I'm going to start keeping track of it to see if I notice any difference.

My bench is not temp controlled all the time. I load ammo 12 months a year, and have not seen humidity be a factor. I get to shoot, out to 800 yards 52 weeks a year. Cold metal welding, of long term loaded ammo has been a factor, though.

What is "long term", in your experience?

Were you expecting something?

Anything over a month.

Copy, thank you.

I thought I was ordering Coca Cola!

Will case necks dipped powdered graphite before filling it with powder work to help break the bullet to clean neck bond? Just a thought.

As opposed to introducing another variable. Think it would be easier to set them long. Then re seat them when it is time to shoot them

I've seen lubed bullets throw ES all to hell.

Seat long, bump them back right before you need them.