Wet vs. dry case cleaning.

[dirtengineer]

I am an avid reloader, and I have always used a vibratory dry media case tumbler. I would like to learn more about the differences, pros and cons, of using a wet system.

So let's have it. What do you use for case cleaning, and why?

 

[Stev32k]

It's not strictly necessary to clean brass. It will help make your dies last longer if you do, but they will still go bang without cleaning. That said I've used both vibratory and wet cleaning.

I now use wet cleaning with SS pins, water, dawn soap, and a little citric acid (lemon shine). Wet cleaning allows you to deprime before cleaning so the primer pockets are cleaned. If you deprime before using a vibratory cleaner you have poke out each flash hole with a paper clip to get the debris out. Wet cleaning will clean even badly corroded brass that would normally be discarded. The brass comes out looking bright, shiny, and brand new inside and out and I like shiny brass. I guess it's pride of workmanship, but when I make good reloads I want them to look good.

Wet cleaning also eliminates the dust and noise of a vibratory cleaner and that is the main reason I tried wet cleaner. My wife used to complain about noise even when the cleaner was in the garage. The down side is the brass must be dried after cleaning, but I don't have a problem with that. I keep a lot of cleaned ready to load brass on hand so the extra time required for drying is not a concern.

 

[X-Ring]

I wet tumble because if I am going to clean at all, I am going to get the best results possible. I use Armor All Wash N Wax instead of Dawn. It leaves a thin coat of wax on the brass that deters tarnish and improves sizing. The drying time doesn’t bother me since I just leave the brass sit on a TV tray in the reloading shed for a day or two.

 

[PCCUSNRET]

I also wet tumble with a Thumler's tumbler. I remove primer prior to tumbling resulting in fairly clean primer pockets. Every once in awhile I'll get a couple pins stuck in the flash hole but these are found when resizing or priming the brass. Here is a before and after photo showing why I prefer wet cleaning.

 

[Stev32k]

I had an intermittent problem with two pins getting side by side in the flash hole of .223 brass. Then I found that the pins come in two different diameters .041" and .047". I switched to the larger .047" pins and haven't had any problems since.

 

[2011redrider]

I had an intermittent problem with two pins getting side by side in the flash hole of .223 brass. Then I found that the pins come in two different diameters .041" and .047". I switched to the larger .047" pins and haven't had any problems since.

Actually 3 sizes, .062 also.

 

[dirtengineer]

So do you just let them air dry, or use some other method?

 

[OilyPablo]

I wet tumble because if I am going to clean at all, I am going to get the best results possible. I use Armor All Wash N Wax instead of Dawn. It leaves a thin coat of wax on the brass that deters tarnish and improves sizing. The drying time doesn’t bother me since I just leave the brass sit on a TV tray in the reloading shed for a day or two.

I've been doing this a year plus now. The only difference I have a scrounged (new) food dehydrator. I have come to the conclusion my cleaning process, is exactly that a whole separate process to make and store brass. A separate (dirty) press even, for depriming. So when I have time to reload, I set the press up and start, with perfectly clean, bright brass that I have stored. I just leave the deprime pin in to double assure the flash hole is clear. I suppose from a process flow perspective this choppy, but it works for me and the actual loading process is very smooth.

 

[Stev32k]

So do you just let them air dry, or use some other method?

That depends on how fast you need to dry the brass. If you don't have much brass and need to reload quickly there are several options - hair dryer, food dehydrator, put them in a bag in the clothes dryer, etc. Otherwise just let them air dry. If you put them in an oven even at very low temperatures (250 F) they will tarnish.

 

[GBExpat]

... So let's have it. What do you use for case cleaning, and why?

For many years I used a Vibratory Case Cleaners (corncob media/a bit'o'polish/used dry sheet strips) after pre-cleaning with a citric or phosphoric acid solution.

Last year I bought a Franklin Arsenal Rotary Tumbler (F.A.R.T.) kit on-sale ... and haven't used the VCCs for case cleaning since.

FARTed cases look like new.

 

[RainDodger]

I just received an ultrasonic cleaner. It's not a polisher, but a cleaner. Just used it for the first time. Spotless cases - even the primer pockets, but the brass is not as polished as you'll get in a tumbler. Perfectly clean though.

Still have to figure out how best to dry your cases. Personally, I found a generic food dehydrator on Amazon for $28 delivered, and it is IDENTICAL in appearance and specs, to the $60 Hornady drier from Midway.

Although I can't speak to this yet, I think the benefit of the ultrasonic cleaner is the fact that you can use it to clean anything from jewelry to pistols, gun parts, tools, you name it.

 

[OilyPablo]

Watch garage sales or local flavor ad sales. I paid $10 for a new dehydrator holds a full tumbler load perfectly.

 

[USSR]

If you put them in an oven even at very low temperatures (250 F) they will tarnish.

Have no idea where that came from. I have been oven drying my brass for over a year now, and no tarnishing.

Don

 

[Stev32k]

Have no idea where that came from. I have been oven drying my brass for over a year now, and no tarnishing.

Don

I don't know where it came from either except I tried oven drying brass twice on the lowest oven setting I could get and both times the brass tarnished in about two days. Maybe my oven temperature control is way off.

Edit: maybe I left them in the oven too long?

 

[joem1945]

I use walnut shells in a rotary tumbler. Not as fast as a vib type but quiet and does a fine job.

 

[waffentomas]

I clean my reloads AFTER they are loaded. This way, all the lube is tumbled off the rounds. They are shiny and slick. I'm not comfortable dropping them in wet solution so I use the older method of a vibratory unit with walnut or corn cob...probably not such a hot idea doing this in liquids.

Oh, and, It's BS that you 'shouldn't' do this with loaded ammo. I've done tens of thousands of rounds and notta-one detonated in the tumbler. Do it, it's fine.

 

[Hondo 60]

I've been seriously contemplating going with a wet tumbler as well.

dirtengineer - be aware that Ultrasonic cleaning is also wet cleaning.
But from others anecdotal evidence it doesn't seem to clean as well as wet tumbling.

 

[oldandslow]

de,

I've done about 10,000 cases over the past two years with wet-ss pin tumbling. I've done rifle (.223) and pistol (44sp, 38sp, 9mm, 45acp). I run them for 4 hours with a quarter-tablespoon of powder detergent (Gain), a half tbsp. of dish soap (like Dawn) and 2 tbsp. of vinegar as the weak acid (since I can't get Lemishine). I've also used lemon juice in the past. They come out spotless.

To dry I put them on an old cookie sheet in the oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. They come out clean and shiny although not as shiny as when I dry tumble them with a vibrator and NuFinish car polish (I usually omit this last polishing step as they are good-to-go after oven drying).

Overall it adds a fair bit of work to case prep but I like the results.

Happy New Year- oldandslow

 

[GBExpat]

To dry the wet cases, after "spin drying" them in the separator & agitating them in 2 different towels to remove excess water I simply spread them out in corrugated cardboard "flats" (think, the short-wall boxes that catfood come in) and place them in front of a fan overnight.

I have enough brass that I am never waiting upon cases to dry in order to resume reloading, so I am never in a rush for these things to dry.

 

[FROGO207]

I do the same as the post above in the colder months but omit the fan. It might take a bit longer to dry but I have a lot of brass prepped ahead so it is no bother to me. When it is warm and sunny I will dry my brass outside in those flats in the driveway or on the picnic table. I also tumble my finished ammo in corn cob media with NuFinish to prevent tarnishing if I am not going to shoot it up within 2 weeks. YMMV

 

[Ironicaintit]

I keep trying to talk myself into wet tumbling, but haven't made it there yet.
A lot of my older, well used brass just will not come clean anymore. Especially the stuff thats been run though a fluted chamber, and has maybe set around for a year or three before it got cleaned.

But, does it really matter?

My tumbled but patina'd brass has no difficulties functioning the way it should, and (in my mind anyways) helps me keep track of how "tired" a case may be.

So besides being spotlessly clean, what are the benefits? Are defects more readily noticed?
Is there an upside to a shiny case interior vs a case interior that has darkened with use?

Serious questions, not trying to be a smart aleck.

 

[Stev32k]

I've heard some people say removing the carbon from the neck of the brass makes it harder to seat a bullet. The burnt carbon acts as a lubricant. In fact you can buy containers of graphite to dip the neck of brass in to make seating easier. That is the only negative I've heard of in wet cleaning, but I can't really tell any difference in seating pressure using brass that has a clean neck vs a dirty neck. The only other disadvantage is the cost of the equipment and media required for either wet or dry cleaning.

There's no real advantage to wet cleaning that I know of, but I just like shiny brass. It looks better than dull dirty brass.

 

[GBExpat]

... There's no real advantage to wet cleaning that I know of, but I just like shiny brass. It looks better than dull dirty brass.

There it is ... but, wow, does it look better!

 

[oldpapps]

I would say that the above 22 or so responses have covered pros and cons well.

I've done everything from wiping with an old 't' shirt to SS pins. And to be fully truthful, I still do both and even sometimes use that old rattle tub too.

The point is use whatever works for you on each project.

I inherited two food dehydrators from my daughter and they replaced me baking my brass in the oven (preheat the oven, put the brass on a towel [to pick then all up at one time when done] and on a baking sheet - into the oven, turn off the oven and when the oven is cool, the brass is dry - easy). The dehydrators are more energy efficient.

As some of my brass never touches anything and other brass is tossed into mud and dirt and sand, all possibilities must be covered.

I bought a small sack of SS pins many years ago and I think that they have more shine now than when new

 

[dirtengineer]

Looks to me like wet tumbling gets a more thorough clean and avoids media in primer pockets. It is also more work.