I would like to ask what you guys use to clean your rifle brass. ss pins, vibratory cleaner or ultrasonic cleaner ?
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I would like to ask what you guys use to clean your rifle brass. ss pins, vibratory cleaner or ultrasonic cleaner ?
I know 20 people will say I shouldn't do it, but all I can say is IT WORKS and works well.
I got a bottle of RCBS sonic cleaner fluid. Mixed ablut a qt or so according to directions in a container. Dumped the brass in and let it soak for 24 hrs. 48 if really dirty range brass. Then I drained the cleaner out and put the brass in a sack sewn out of an old hand towel and use a zip tie to close up. This works best if only about 1/2 full so the cases can move freely. Then I take all my old rags from the garage and maybe an old rug and throw it all into the wife's front loader. Run a cycle with a good dose of Tide and 1/4 cup of Borax. Then run through another cycle with just the towels and a bit of Tide to be sure there's no grease or other residue in her machine. . When it comes out the brass looks literally like new. If a guy could find an old used washer to use exclusively as a case cleaner you'd be set. Like I say,many will scold me, but hey it really works well.
Clean brass?!?!?! Dump in some more powder and go!!!
Decap, SS pins tumble, trim to length remove primer crimp, prime, powder charge, seat bullet and fire.
I use a different method. First I deprime the brass, all pistol I have dies for I deprime and full length re-size in the FL sizing die. Those I don't have dies for and all of my rifle brass I deprime with the universal decapping die. Next I wet tumble in a Harbor Freight rock tumbler with a few drops of dawn dish soap and about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of lemi-shine for about 30 minutes. I re-use this solution a couple more times before changining it. Next I put the brass on a couple of old bath towels laid one on top of the other on my reloading bench and let them dry with the cieling fan on high, some use small desk fans. After it is dry I use walnut shell media in a vibratory tumbler with a cap full of Nu-Finish car wax and a cap full or two of paint thinner or mineral spirits. (Depending on how much brass is being tumbled) I dry tumble these for about three hours and the brass comes out looking like brand new. It even cleans the primer pockets like new on most of the brass.
I use SS pins after de-priming, then process in my usual manner.
During the past 8 years, I used a vibrating media after depriming.
It took about 2 hours to clean the brass and then another hour to get off the lube after resizing.
The inside of the brass was never clean, and the primer pockets had to be individually cleaned out too.
There was lots of dust and powder residue in the air.
After 23,000 rounds the vibrator wore out - damned plastic parts don't last long do they.
I tried an ultrasonic cleaner but wasn't happy with the results.
I then tried steel pins with a tumbler and have used that approach for the last 20,000 rounds.
It cleans the brass, shines it up, and even cleans the inside and the primer pockets.
I clean deprimed brass for an hour, then resize and clean off the lube for 30 minutes.
I use a dryer for about an hour to get the brass dry after the last cleaning.
I never have to touch the primer pockets to get crud out of them.
When I am reloading, I can look down into a primed brass and see the clean, gleaming bottom of the case so I know I haven't loaded the brass.
I won't go back to using anything else.
Agreed with all comments as far as cleaning. Its been my experience using once fired lc is that while it's excellent thick walled brass that last, I found that I had to turn and anneal the necks to get consistent neck tension with more consistent results. The variance in neck wall thickness led me to have to turn the necks. Just my 2 cents.
Regular corncob for me. I don't even clean the primer pockets for anything but the 6mm BR target rifle. Hunting loads, pistols, even 600yd Highpower loads, etc I've never had a need.
Deprime, wet tumble with pins and just a drop or 2 of dawn dish soap, rinse it really well. it actually comes out more polished looking without the pins, but the pins have to be in there to clean the inside of the case and the primer pockets.
Mike
I use a bit of Lemishine in my mix. I wet tumbled some really dirty LC 1x (no pins) and it was a lot cleaner but not like with the pins. This batch was so dirty I didn't want to run it thru the decapper before the wash cycle.Quote:
Originally Posted by nova1194
For you guys using the lemishine (citric acid) beware. if you leave the brass in too long and it gets that orange tint that is the result of acid chelation zinc from the brass alloy. A better solution to Lemishine would be to go get a bottle of RCBS ultrasonic solution and mix as directed using distilled water (it cleans better than tap) and wet tumble in that. It won't hurt the brass and leaves a barrier that helps preserve the shine from oxidation.
I started out with a rcbs sonic cleaner. Did ok. Wanted better. Doing a batch right now with the SS pins wet tumbling. Have been reading about the SS shavings. May try that. Back to the rcbs chemical for your ultra sonic cleaner. Go research the ingredients. I quit using that nasty stuff once I found what’s in it. Pretty nasty stuff. Kept the rcbs ultra sonic cleaner for cleaning gun parts but don’t use the rcbs stuff.
I clean everything with stainless pins