Not cleaning brass

AK Hunter said:

My pistol brass I put through the wet or dry tumbler but my rifle brass I usually don't shoot enough to have enough brass to do a load in the tumbler. So I wipe it off lube it, then run it trough the sizing die, clean the primer pocket, then check the length by seeing if my lee trimmer will cut anything, then while it is on the trimmer stud I run a wad of 0000 steel wool over it. It doesn't cut any brass off the case but it does leave a beautiful shine.

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Benchrest shooters, at least in my day, brought ten or fifteen match-prepped cases to a match and reloaded them in between relays. Most folks would wipe off fired brass with steel wool before each loading. Some would do just enough to prevent die scratches, while others would work at them until they shined bright. Either way, it's still an excellent way to clean small amounts, as far as I am concerned.

dry tumbling is fine in my book. I do like to keep the grit off my carbide dies, but I don't see the point of putting in all the time and expense for jewelry-bright brass after every shooting.

Gotta be clean and shiny for me.

After I shoot them, they are filthy. I always wash them before reloading. Soap and water will do...

I would clean them off with 0000 Steel wool before I got the Lyman form my Dad.

There is a difference between clean and shiny .... Mine are always clean ....

I primarily shoot 45 ACP, 38 spl and 9mm. I started depriming/resizing with steel dies (required cleaning the brass) and when carbide became available (Just how old am I?) I switched 100% to carbide. Do not need to clean however, sometime in my lifetime before I switched to carbide dies I had bought Dillon's vibratory cleaner and their case media separator. It was a good investment since I shot a lot and was able to pick up a lot of range brass (as the Range Safety Officer). After I get 700 to 1000 cases I did a cleaning/polishing. that habit continues to this day.
Since I use carbide dies for my handgun brass there is no lube clean up and no need to re-tumble. Also straignt sided brass almost never elongates and therfore does not require trimming. I am shooting 45 ACP (medium loads) with brass that has been reloade over the past 20 to 25 years.
I have used the vibratory cleaner for rifle cases but I found I did not shoot enough to warrant taking the Dillon equipment out and setting it up untill I had run out of brass. So: I love AK Hunter's post #47 using a drill and steel wool. I will try that next time for my rifle brass.

Once apon a time having back to back matches and reloading in between I would just wipe the brass off and go. Never hurt my scores a bit. Now I am older and have more time and more brass. I like them clean as stated in my first post but if forced, thats not needed as long as the grit and dust are removed.

I do both. If it's bigger amounts...say for 9mm or .223 getting ejected into the dirt usually..I'll dry tumble them with a bit of Mother's wheel polish/mineral spirits. They come out nice and shiny smooth.

On the other hand, some batches are too small to bother. I have about 30 pieces of .308 brass I'm experimenting with cast bullets in a single shot rifle with. They get wiped with a rag and I'm perfectly happy with the result.

It's a no-brainer that cases need to be dirt and grit free before they go in a chamber but sometimes I wonder if my nice, smooth, almost slippery feeling cases may play better rubbing on each other in magazines than not. FOR THE RECORD, I'm not saying they are because I haven't had any problems either dry tumbling them or just shaking them around in a bucket with soapy water. But who knows---and I like them shiny.

Have you guys gotten your lead levels checked? Mine were too high. I started wearing a P100 ventilator and nitrile gloves when handling dirty cases and now wet tumble everything. Lead levels have dropped significantly since then. There is a ton of lead dust on dirty cases and apparently it gets in the air at pretty high levels just from basic handling of dirty cases.

packetloss said:

Have you guys gotten your lead levels checked? Mine were too high. I started wearing a P100 ventilator and nitrile gloves when handling dirty cases and now wet tumble everything. Lead levels have dropped significantly since then. There is a ton of lead dust on dirty cases and apparently it gets in the air at pretty high levels just from basic handling of dirty cases.

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Yes. I'm at or below "normal" on phosphates, lead, mercury and sulphites. I've been getting checked regularly for light and heavy metals since 2001 when I was diagnosed with salivary cancer as a result of nickel poisoning from my time as a machinist. Two operations, no chemo or radiation, and I've been clear ever since. No problems with lead and I've been reloading since I was a teenager.

I always wet tumble after firing. When I pour the water out, it's almost black. I don't want that stuff in my dies, guns or on my hands.

packetloss said:

Have you guys gotten your lead levels checked? Mine were too high. I started wearing a P100 ventilator and nitrile gloves when handling dirty cases and now wet tumble everything. Lead levels have dropped significantly since then. There is a ton of lead dust on dirty cases and apparently it gets in the air at pretty high levels just from basic handling of dirty cases.

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I actually get it checked every year. I shoot pistol every weekend, and reload every week (Gloves on). I have low lead levels.

Keep your hands away from your face and mouth. Use and empty/sift your dry tumbler in a well ventilated area, preferably outdoors. I have no elevayed lead levels and have been reloading and casting for 30+ years.

I wet tumble with ss pins and I do it to keep the dies from getting beat up. Pistol brass gets tumbled before resizing unless it's carry ammo, then it gets tumbled afterward also to get the primer pockets clean. Rifle brass goes in twice, first time for my dies sake and the second time gets the lube off and cleans up primer pockets. Tumbing takes far less energy than wiping things off or using tools to clean primer pockets. You just have to be patient enough to let them dry... or get out the blow dryer.

rocirish said:

Nope. Wipe then with a damp cloth and reload.

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I agree that that works. I would also call that cleaning.

71GTO said:

I am curious to see if anyone here does not clean their brass every time after shooting? In other words, load, shoot and load them again? Is there any detriments to not cleaning plinking loads other than possibly fouling the dies?

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do you like skid marks in your underwear?

thewelshm