OK, so how clean is clean enough?

[enichols]

Hi all-
I've been running some spent Black Hills .308 cases through my tumbler, and the entire case body, as well as the inside, is really clean. However, on many of the cases the necks simply refuse to come completely clean. Now, I don't care too much how shiny the brass really is- I just want to make sure that it's clean enough so that I can reload it safely. Like I said, it's just the necks on some of the cases that don't want to come clean, so what should I do?
Thanks for the input
-Nic

 

[50 Shooter]

If it bugs you, just take some Flitz and polish it off. If you get any in the case neck be sure to wipe it out. Other then looks, as long as the cases are clean your okay.

 

[moredes]

90 minutes in a tumbler of clean medium will clean your cases satisfactorily enough, so long as the cases weren't sitting in mud or the elements for weeks at a time. In fact, a 45-second bath in white vinegar will get them as clean as need be, if you need something to compare "clean" with, and that includes weather-beaten and corroded cases.

 

[larryw]

Get yourself a KrazyKloth from Walmart, Sears, or Sinclair and hit the necks while you wait for the barrel to cool.

 

[warrior23]

I use 000 steel wool to polish that soot off.

 

[Art Eatman]

I've never seen any difference in accuracy between cleaned brass and brass that's discolored by age, and with case necks that are a bit sooty.

I'll spot-check a box of fired cases to see how easily they chamber, and if there's no difficulty I just go ahead and neck-size and reload.

Art

 

[Sunray]

A bit of 0000 steel wool and some oil will clean it off, but unless it's changing the size of the neck, forget about it.

 

[Tommy.Gun]

Or you could rechamber and make that go away..

 

[Tommy.Gun]

Or you could rechamber and make that go away..

 

[M2HMGHB]

Is the black hills mil-spec brass? If so couldnt that be the annealing on it? just a thought

 

[RON in PA]

There was a time, before tumblers became readily available, when people didn't worry about shiney brass for reloading. Cases were usually just wiped down with a towel to remove dirt and shooting residue. Nothing to do with safety, mostly to prevent dies from getting scratched.

 

[larryw]

Yeah, we also used to only throw rocks...

 

[BluesBear]

I just want to make sure that it's clean enough so that I can reload it safely.

You don't need a tumbler for that.

Unless you have chunks of mud clinging them or they're full of sand it's clean enough as it is. A quick wipe to remove anything gritty is all you really need.

Bright & Shiney has nothing to do with safety.