Case Cleaning

[LRRPF52]

I've been tumble-polishing a lot of brass. I thought this would be a good time to start a discussion on what different approaches we use to deal with media and cleaning cases.

I've been looking at one of the multi-station case prep machines that has neck trimming, a cleaning brush for inside the cases, chamfer, primer pocket cleaner, etc.

What do you all use?

I need to cut down the time I spend on the bench.

[LR1955]

I've been tumble-polishing a lot of brass. I thought this would be a good time to start a discussion on what different approaches we use to deal with media and cleaning cases.

I've been looking at one of the multi-station case prep machines that has neck trimming, a cleaning brush for inside the cases, chamfer, primer pocket cleaner, etc.

What do you all use?

I need to cut down the time I spend on the bench.

LR52:

I may polish the brass once in a while but aside from initial prep and the once a life trim, nothing. I use a Dillon vibratory tumbler whose media is probably ten years old. Dribble in some polishing media and chuck in the brass for a hour or so. Dump it into a Dillon media separator to remove the media, dump brass into a old towel and rub around a few times, toss into a plastic coffee can and spray some Dillon lube on the brass. Shake for ten seconds and ready to size and load.

Cleaning primer pockets, inside of the necks, and even polishing the brass does nothing for performance.

LR55

[Texas]

Until last year, I have always used a dry media tumbler, and like LR1955, I did not tumble the brass everytime it was used, especially nickel. Like LR1955, I prepped the case on the first loading, and would check it after three or four loadings to see if it needed to be trimmed and if it was to be trimmed, I would anneal the case and then trim to length and bevel. I have been doing a lot of brass in the last year that was sitting in five gallon buckets, so I went to SS needles and wet polishing to get the cases clean. I prep the cases and then dry polish them to get them ready to load. Then it follows the old cycle unless they get really really dirty from the range.

[Bill257]

To really save time try a progressive machine. Resizing is somewhat faster on progressive as your only touching each case once, the machine ejects the sized case into a bin.

Cases then go back in to the tumbler to remove lube.

If trimming is needed now is when I’ll do that. I do not chamfer if trimming is not required (Grendel is nice about that). A Hornady trio with an outside and inside chamfer tool is a huge time saver over the hand tools. You will not regret getting one of these or a similar tool.
Once brass is prepped just add shell, bullet, pull handle, and repeat.

I only use the dry media tumbler, usually walnut. I do not clean primer pockets. Used to use an inside neck brush with a little mica on it prior to resizing, but have switched to the Imperial neck lube with little bb applicator system.

Rarely will I go from empty brass to loaded ammo in one sitting. It works better for me if I do a step or two on a bunch of brass when I have time. Then load what I want and store the rest brass for later-this doesn't save time, but breaks it up so you can do a portion of the work as your schedule permits.

[ricsmall]

LR52:

I may polish the brass once in a while but aside from initial prep and the once a life trim, nothing. I use a Dillon vibratory tumbler whose media is probably ten years old. Dribble in some polishing media and chuck in the brass for a hour or so. Dump it into a Dillon media separator to remove the media, dump brass into a old towel and rub around a few times, toss into a plastic coffee can and spray some Dillon lube on the brass. Shake for ten seconds and ready to size and load.

Cleaning primer pockets, inside of the necks, and even polishing the brass does nothing for performance.

LR55

+1. Biggest difference is I load all mine in blocks, spray with hornady one shot, size, prime, and load. The only deburring I do is on once fired factory Grendel brass. My bolt guns all get neck sized so no trimming there except once in a blue moon on .223, which I hardly ever shoot anymore. I made the mistake of buying 2000 LC brass back in '08 and had to trim, swage, etc. In that situation I set up my old Lyman trimmer vertically on a homemade angle plate and mounted on base of bench top drill press and went to work. Deburring/chamfering was done with carbide vld deburring bit from industrial supply store and regular outside debur tool mounted in possum hollow holder mounted in drill press. Wow!! Never again.

I know what you're talking about tho, I eyeballed the hornady AIO trimmer/prep Station for a while but never bit the bullet. Looks like a nice tool though. Looks like the best way now is either the WFT or a giraud (sp) trimmer that trims/chamfers/deburs all at same time. Heavy coin for that one tho. Wish I was more help. Mainly rambling.

If I do have dirty range brass I'm loading for some reason I just throw in the old Lyman 2400 with 10 yr old corn cob media with a little brasso already poured and allowed to tumble for 20 minutes or so BEFORE adding brass. If you add while brass is in there they will be packed full of very compacted media!! Anyway, then I tumble brass for 1-several hours, depending on how old and tarnished it is.

Richard

[wheelguner]

My way

First let me say that I am an unrepentant tool junkie and as such I experiment....a LOT! I only shoot two calibers of centerfire, 204 Ruger and 6.5 (my Grendels, one each 260 Remington & 6.5x55). After trying every type of brass cleaning method, I have settled on ultrasonic for the 204 and Stainless Steel Pins for the larger rifle cases and all of my handgun calibers.
I have a portable reloading work station that I use for a lot of the non critical operations that I am comfortable doing in the living room in front of the Tube.... decapping, chamfering & deburring and primer flash hole deburring and uniforming. Shown on it is the Sinclair arbor press that I use to deprime as well as the Huntington Die Works press that I use to expand case necks before I neck turned when shooting bench rest. It is a handy tool for a lot of uses as well.
I used to use a Black & Decker power screw driver for case prep work until I found a Hornady trim station at a super low sale price. I turned the holder for steel wool shown in the uppermost station to finish up the necks after chamfering inside & out. The Hornady Trim Trio makes speedy work of prepping case mouths.
I used to trim my cases with a Forester Trimmer on a drill press but now do most of my cases with a Little Crow Gunworks trimmer mounted on the drill press.
I use Wilson Dies with the Arbor press or the RSBS press shown for the rest of the rifle calibers. I use the Dillon Square Deals that can be seen to either side of the RCBS for my pistol ammo. I love the Square Deals except for the PITA of changing over form large to small primer sizes. I cured that by spending my overtime pay and buying the second one & I now have one for each primer size. Tool junkie remember.
Portable Reloading Station SM.jpg

[AZ. Old Guy]

Citric acid solution makes them all pretty. If that's what you're looking for.

[wraith1516]

citric acid?please explain never heard of that

[Sticks]

I dry tumble my fired brass in walnut (reptile bedding) with a dose of Meguiar's car polish (non ammonia). Once to clean, and a second run to remove lube after first pass through Lee Loadmaster. I also cut up a dryer sheet into 2" squares and pitch them into the media to help with the dust and static - works great.

[Rickc]

Well i only load for several precision rifles. Kind of OCD about.my brass.

I decap with the harvey decapping tool

Tumble in corn cob media

Size

Tumble again

Then measure for.trim length. Don't trim till it needs it and then do a whole batch of.cases where they are all the same length. Use the PMA tools trimmer.

Knock the media out of the flash hole with a wilson depriming.rod. clean primer.pocket with the dewey crocagator, brush out the necks and.champher and debur with a hand deburrer. Only want a slight.champher that.is smooth.

Prime with my sinclair priming tool

Every 5 or 6 firings i anneal and clean with an ultrasonic to get the inside of.the cases.clean. have to use the imperial dry graphite on bullet seating.to replace the carbon in the necks removed with the ultrasonic

[37L1]

+1. Biggest difference is I load all mine in blocks, spray with hornady one shot, size, prime, and load. The only deburring I do is on once fired factory Grendel brass. My bolt guns all get neck sized so no trimming there except once in a blue moon on .223, which I hardly ever shoot anymore. I made the mistake of buying 2000 LC brass back in '08 and had to trim, swage, etc. In that situation I set up my old Lyman trimmer vertically on a homemade angle plate and mounted on base of bench top drill press and went to work. Deburring/chamfering was done with carbide vld deburring bit from industrial supply store and regular outside debur tool mounted in possum hollow holder mounted in drill press. Wow!! Never again.

I know what you're talking about tho, I eyeballed the hornady AIO trimmer/prep Station for a while but never bit the bullet. Looks like a nice tool though. Looks like the best way now is either the WFT or a giraud (sp) trimmer that trims/chamfers/deburs all at same time. Heavy coin for that one tho. Wish I was more help. Mainly rambling.

If I do have dirty range brass I'm loading for some reason I just throw in the old Lyman 2400 with 10 yr old corn cob media with a little brasso already poured and allowed to tumble for 20 minutes or so BEFORE adding brass. If you add while brass is in there they will be packed full of very compacted media!! Anyway, then I tumble brass for 1-several hours, depending on how old and tarnished it is.

Richard

Brasso contains ammonia for those who think that is important to know.

[Tumbler]

I use walnut media first to get some of the junk off, then I resize and decap, then I wet tumble for an hour with SS pins Dawn soap and Lemishine. I do not bake my brass to dry it I leave it in the paint tray and put a fan on it. I measure and trim if necessary. Debur, chamfer and ready to load.

[Klem]

I use the classic vibratory tumbler. Set it for three hours normal brass and six hours if from a suppressor. This is all I do 98% of the time.

Once in a blue moon I use liquid, but only on really dirty batches. I remove the primers first with a Lee Universal De-primer then slosh around in the solution for a while. Leave for 20 mins then dry with a towel, hairdryer and/or in the oven.

The solution I use is;
1 cup of hot water
1 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 tablespoons of salt
juice from 2 lemons (1/4 cup).

I did have a ultrasonic cleaner and this works well on dirty suppressor cases and baffles. It broke and I have never got around to replacing it.

[AZ. Old Guy]

citric acid?please explain never heard of that

2 tablespoons to a quart of water. Drop in Brass and stir around and they come out all sparkling.

[LRRPF52]

My current process is:

Lee universal de-cap dirty brass
Tumble polish in red walnut media
Depending on how much residue that leaves, I will ultrasonic clean.
I used to put the brass in plastic containers and spray with One-Shot.
Now I'm using the load trays and getting 4 spray angles on the brass.
Run through Hornady full-length sizing die
Tumble polish again
Knock out media from flash holes
Chamfer the necks
Debur with steel wool inside a socket on a drill
For Grendel, I have yet to need to trim due to the lack of significant case length growth (1.530" is Grendel chamber length to the neck, most cases never go past 1.525").

I'm looking to streamline the process some more, and the Hornady case prep station looks tempting.
For other cases that need trimming (.260 Rem for example), I'm looking at a single operation that does trimming, chamfer, and debur.