Militarty Take Down Case "Black Stuff"

[345 DeSoto]

What is the black stuff inside the brass cases of military take down brass? Does it need to be removed before I reload the cases, and if so, what do I use to remove it?...

 

[ReloaderFred]

It's tar, which is used to waterproof the loaded ammunition. There is normally also a primer sealant, but not always.

If the cases are still primed, then you can use a bore brush chucked in a cordless drill, but the brush will become gummed up pretty rapidly, and you'll go through a lot brushes if you have a lot of those cases. If they aren't primed, Simple Green, or any other solvent will remove it.

You can also just shoot them the way they are, since it was intended to be shot anyway.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[345 DeSoto]

Thanks, Fred...

 

[Rule3]

Tar removal, Mineral spirits, acetone, xylene, brake cleaner, lighter fluid, gun scrubber, whatever solvents you have around or want to buy,

It they are not primed just soak them. If primed be careful and wipe them down. Most all solvents are flammable and use them outside.

 

[rg1]

Probably asphaltum gun (tar-like). I use odorless mineral spirits and a rag with a wooden dowel rod. I've read some put some mineral spirits in their tumbling media? Haven't tried that. Some reload and shoot like they are but I've been concerned with storage and the tar picking up dirt. Some soak the brass in solvents and swish the solvent around then remove brass and wash in dish soapy water then dry.

 

[Potatohead]

lighter fluid

Ive been hearing a lot about cleaning with lighter fluid lately. I read to squirt it on your action and it will clean it up real nice, just letting it drip away.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Ive been hearing a lot about cleaning with lighter fluid lately. I read to squirt it on your action and it will clean it up real nice, just letting it drip away.

Our troops used it in Korea to lubricate their Garands in the sub-zero winters. Any oil and they would jamb. So every night they would field-strip and clean with lighter fluid. Nothing works like naptha.

 

[ReloaderFred]

When I worked for the phone company in the 1960's, we used lighter fluid to clean the telephone dials when they became sluggish (youngsters won't know what phone dials are). It cleaned them, and left enough lubrication behind to keep them running smoothly.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Potatohead]

Thanks fellas. I had never known that, and all the sudden Ive heard about lighter fluid the last week or so.

 

[Rule3]

Different kinds of lighter fluid. For cigarette lighters it's Naphtha which as Fred stated is a high flash solvent good for cleaning electrical contacts.Also used as a dry cleaning solvent, works well to remove those stubborn stains.

Charcoal lighter fluid is mostly just Kerosene. Either one will work.

Plain old mineral spirits/paint thinner removes tar very well and is cheap.

 

[joustin]

Lamp oil works well too, Kerosene with Naptha added

 

[medalguy]

The sounds more like a solution in search of a problem. Just go ahead and load the brass and shoot it. The "problem" will disappear. Leaving it in the brass won't hurt a thing at all, but check your seater die once in a while to be sure any loose tar hasn't shaved off and packed the die. I've loaded lots of pulldown brass with absolutely no problems.

 

[345 DeSoto]

"Militarty" is fat fingers...

 

[Laphroaig]

Gasoline works pretty well too, but I guess that is not PC. About 10 seconds in an old coffee can, outdoors of course.

Laphroaig