Brass: Clean or clean enough?

[nyffman]

While cleaning my first few thousand cases, I noticed, more so in th 9mm than the .45, that after two hours in a Frankford Arsenal tumbler, that I was rejecting a high percentage of cases due to what I considered high amounts of crud inside the case. So, how much of this is allowable or tolerable? At this point, I am using walnut which seems to be more coarse than the small amount of corncob that I found in some cleaned brass that I received from Blackeagl(thanks Steve). I suspect that the media particle size has something to do with the difference between the results in 9mm and .45.

[EJSG19]

I find myself tumbling pistol brass for anywhere in the 5-8 hour range. This is if you want to see any amount of brass shining through on the inside. The outside becomes highly polished much sooner.

I'm using a vibratory tumbler with treated corncob media. But you should see similar results I think. Some crud inside isn't a huge deal but you don't want excessive buildup. As simply a guess, I'd say larger diameter cases will polish sooner than small diameter cases, simply at how much media can get in and out of it.

The "One" at Gunstop says he's happy with hot soapy water and washing the brass in that, then going straight to reloading after it dries thoroughly. So his pistol brass doesn't see much in the way of interior cleaning at all. Figures you'll lose that case before it becomes a problem.

Now before ET blows a gasket because I'm a NOOB reloader, I'll close my yap.

[Stradawhovious]

I tumble my pistol brass until they are clean, both inside and out. I tumble my rifle brass until they are cleaner than my pistol brass. Every now and again walk past the tumbler and take out 3 or 4 pieces of brass and check how clean they are. If they aren't clean enough for you, leave them be for another hour or two. They will eventually get there. The time it takes to get your brass "clean" is going to vary depending on what kind of tumbling media you are using.

And unlike EJSG19 I don't give a **** if ET chides me for being a noobie. I'm used to it.

[EJSG19]

I tumble my pistol brass until they are clean, both inside and out. I tumble my rifle brass until they are cleaner than my pistol brass. Every now and again walk past the tumbler and take out 3 or 4 pieces of brass and check how clean they are. If they aren't clean enough for you, leave them be for another hour or two. They will eventually get there. The time it takes to get your brass "clean" is going to vary depending on what kind of tumbling media you are using.

And unlike EJSG19 I don't give a **** if ET chides me for being a noobie. I'm used to it.

Well to be honest, I wouldn't say I gave a poo either, I just get tired of reading the same message over and over. Thus the true "One" at the Gunstop is the person I'll default to more often than not.

Just need a standardized copy and paste form to replace 94% of the posts and it would be simpler.

Anywho, clean brass is neat. Electricity in tumblers is relatively cheap. "Ohhhh, shiny!"

[Pat]

Over the course of this "past" winter, I must have shot 1200 to 1500 rounds down by the chicken coop. Yesterday, me eldest daughter and I picked up the better part of 250 rounds; where the rest of the cases went, is one of those never solved mysteries.

My good friend Pinnacle is going to receive this lightly muddied bag of .45 ACP. He is truly a magician, and might just send the whole shooting match through the dishwasher.

[Einthoven's Triangle]

Strad and EJS WHAT ever!
I could give hoot and holler what you do! I could careless! You have your opinions, and I have mine.

You will never clean the innards of the case very well, nor does it really matter. The three ways to do it are using a ceramic media which is a wet which is what BP shooters do, use one of the liquid methods like Birchwood Case or Iosso, or go full tilt and get an ultrasonic cleaner. Some powders are dirty as all get out, and others are not.

When you add agents to media the best bet is to let it circulate for 15 minutes so you avoid clumps of media lodged in cases.

Keep the used fabric softner sheets to throw in each batch of brass, this helps with keeping the media cleaner and it keeps the bowl of the polisher cleaner....

Do not over load your tumbler.

Two hours should be sufficent, you have to change out the media every 20 batches...keep one batch of media for cleaning brass, and another for polishing.

You can get cheap walnut at Petco, Pet Smart, and Wally World it is sold as lizzard bedding material. Walnut cleans better, and corn cob polishes better. Careful with making sure you get very fine grit corn cob media. 2hrs of CC with som Iosso and you have bling!

[Rodentman]

I tumbled the brass for about 2 hours in a Thumlers tumbler with corn cob.

Didn't think it looked too good, but all it took was a little wipe with a clean rag and it looks great. I don't care what the inside of the case looks like as long as there are no deposits inside. I didn't think the appearance inside made a difference in the ballistics unless the capacity of the case was lessened or the flash hole was blocked.

[Einthoven's Triangle]

Here is a good read....http://www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html

[Belgiboy]

I want my riflebrass cleaner than my pistolbrass just because it's a lot less dirty when you wax them to go thru the resizing/decapping die. After doing that, I use hot water and soap to get most of the wax of and that water gets black as the darkest pits of hell.

[DeanC]

Anybody notice ET's post count?

[Einthoven's Triangle]

Anybody notice ET's post count?

Least mine are relevant and not a waste of bandwidth..........

[Rodentman]

Every man is my superior because I may learn something from him.

[Einthoven's Triangle]

Every man is my superior because I may learn something from him.

Everyone has their experiences....but everyone has to sit back and learn.....at times.......but some have post drivel!

[Stradawhovious]

Every man is my superior because I may learn something from him.

Every man here is your equal because I'm sure you have much to say as well. Just remember that no matter how hard some people try to convince you otherwise, there is very often more than one way to skin a cat.

After doing that, I use hot water and soap to get most of the wax of and that water gets black as the darkest pits of hell.

And to Belgiboy, it might be cheating, but I just tumble my rifle brass to get rid of the case lube. It seems to work really well, and keeps my elbow grease to a minimum.

[EJSG19]

I used to drivel but I went to the doctor and he gave me some penicillin and it cleared that stuff right up.

Er... wait, sorry flashback to another time, that didn't really happen.

How's that for use of bandwith?

Moral of the story, tumble till you're happy, add magic in a bottle if you so desire.

Also, wear a raincoat. Its stormy out there.

too far?