Brass pickups

[hpluseleven]

I'm fortunate that I have the opportunity to pick up lots of brass at the range where I shoot. As a result, I have a couple of questions:
1. How do ya'll clean your range pickups? I've tried the lemishine thing I read about on AR-15.com, i've tried soap and water, and I've tried just sorting and tumbling. Which leads me to my next question:
2. I'm tumbling with the walnut shells from petsmart. I didn't have any problems with dust until I started cleaning up this weekend's haul from the range. I've been throwing used dryer sheets in the mix and those pick up a lot of dirt. Maybe I just need to toss another cap of NuFinish in it? Maybe I'll try some mineral spirits - I've read that several of ya'll have had good luck with that. Any other ideas on keeping dust down?
3. When is the media worn out? I went from getting brass really clean and pretty darn shiny to the last batch or 2 came out really dusty and not real clean. Still good, just needs to be cleaned up? Or time to move on to another bag of lizzard litter?
4. pistol brass, I don't care - as long as it's not split, I'll reload it (I just want to punch holes in paper) I'll buy the premium SD ammo.
5. Rifle brass - I think i have a pretty decent idea of what's once fired and what's not. How much do ya'll care when it comes to hunting ammo? Or do you only use once-fired for hunting ammo? How picky do you get? I'm not trying to shoot 1000yd competitions. I want to kill deer (and elk) at normal ranges.


Thanks for your help, yes I did search and read lots of entertaining stories about some of ya'll scrounging for brass just like I do.

 

[Seedtick]

hpluseleven, You are having way to much trouble with that brass and I hate to see it. Just put it all in a big box and send to me and I figure it out for you. That's just the kind of guy I am.

It kinda sounds to me like it's time for a new batch of media. Use what you've got now for the 'dirty' brass and fix up a new batch for spit-shining. I use about 1/2 and 1/2 of walnut and corn cobb with a dab of Nu-Finish and dryer sheets and I'm having good luck so far.

But don't let it get you down. Send that troublesome stuff on my way. I'll help a brother out.

ST

 

[1SOW]

I have good luck throwing pistol brass in a gallon jug with liquid laundry soap--the blue stuff, shaking violently 'til I get tired, let it sit for 15+ mins and then blast with the hose until the water runs clear.

I dump them on a towel in the Texas sun to dry. In the rain/winter I dry them on the towel in the garage with a fan . They dry pretty fast either way.

Then I deprime and toss 'em in the corn cob. The media stays clean for a long time and the brass sparkles.

 

[Steve C]

I just throw them into the case polisher with the pet store walnut shells and add case polisher by midway. Actually I add the polish to the walnut with the polisher running and let it disperse before adding the cases.

 

[RVenick]

Before I got my tumbler I would pickup some Kool-Aid mix the unsweetened stuff and mix it like the package stated (without adding the sugar). I poured this on the brass in a 5 gallon bucket and agitated it with my hand, let it sit about 10 minutes and did it again. I let it soak for about 30 minutes and then rinsed the crap out of it. I drained the water off and put it on a towel in the sun to dry.

 

[jcwit]

Here's what I do:

If my pick-ups ahve mud and sand and trash on/in them do a rinse in a bucket of water then let them dry out.

Toss them in the tumbler to clean/polish them, and you should be good to go.

1. regarding the dust, if the dryer sheets do not keep dust down enough for you the minerial spirits should. Don't keep adding more and more polish as this will cause more dust (fine polish), it will also clog up your media. This is one of those cases where less is better, sorta goes against America's thinking.

2. regarding when is the media worn out? Approx how many cases and how many hours has your media run. I use 20/40 ground corn cob from Graingers Ind. Supply and usually replace when the media looks coated with dirt and polish. It can be cleaned up in white gas or plain gas (be careful if trying this) but really its not cost effective.

3. regarding when is rifle brass good? I do not shoot comptition but do shoot benchrest for my own enjoyment and have some "special" pieces of brass that has been reloaded 70 plus times now, this is .223 in a bolt action. I would say as long as it reloadable and good to go use it even for hunting, be sure your primer pockets are tight, over all case length is correct, no splits or cracks. COMMON SENSE!

Hope this helps.

 

[RustyFN]

Take your walnut media outside when there is a lite breeze. Pour it slowly from one bucket to another a few times and that should get rid of the majority of the dust for a while. Make sure you are standing up wind so it doesn't end up all over your clothes.

Rusty

 

[mgkdrgn]

Take your walnut media outside when there is a lite breeze. Pour it slowly from one bucket to another a few times and that should get rid of the majority of the dust for a while. Make sure you are standing up wind so it doesn't end up all over your clothes.

Rusty

Ah ha!