How Do YOu Clean Resized Brass Before Loading

[Muttt]

I was just wondering what everyone else does to clean thier re-sized brass (to get off all the lubricant used to resize/decap) before going to the loading stage. I use graphite dry lube on the neck. So, having left over dry lube inside the neck isn't an issue.

I typically spray it down with some really watered down simple green and wipe it off with some paper towels. Then just throw it back into the walnut shells for an hour or so to make sure I don't have any left over lube hanging around it them. I spray them with 10 to 1 simple green / water so they are completely covered in lube before throwing them intot he vibratory cleaner because I don't want to get my walnut shells all fouled up with lubricant. Then, I would just be lubing up whatever I threw in there next.

Anyway, I was just wanting to get a feel for how everyone else was doing it.

Thanks

 

[Walkalong]

Tumble it off.

Hot water works if you use a water soluble lube like RCBS Case Lube II, but then you have to dry it out. That can take awhile unless you are willing to oven dry it...very, very, carefully.

 

[WNTFW]

I tumble to clean - not too much just enough to be safe for the dies.
I lube, size, gauge, trim.
I then tumble again to get the lube off.

In the past I tried out different methods. My rule of thumb is don't handle brass any more than you have to. That includes never wetting it with water.

 

[rfwobbly]

I tumble the "as shot" brass. Lube sparingly with a quality lube by the pad method. Then I re-size and de-cap. I don't go back to clean off anything.

 

[Hondo 60]

I just tumble it for an hour. Some say they tumble as short as 15 minutes.

 

[Muttt]

I tumble before doing anything to clean the brass. Then, I lube and resize. Clean, and tumble again afterwards.

If you tumble after lubing, doesn't your media get all nasty with lube. Then putting lube back onto brass you are trying to clean. The reason I ask is that i am trying to avoid getting lube inside so it doesn't contaminate my powder.

 

[PO2Hammer]

I swipe the sized brass with a damp washcloth, then another swipe with a dry one. (RCBS liquid case lube)

 

[sniper5]

I use Lee lube diluted with alcohol, zip lock bag and just toss the casings around in the bag. After loading I just wipe the casings down as I'm putting them in the box. Works good enough and is a good way of doing a final inspection.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Cleaning sized brass...

Mutt--I don't like any sizing lube left on brass I chamber in my rifles.

I used to wipe off each sized, gauged, and trimmed/chamfered piece w/an alcohol-soaked rag. That cleaned off the RCBS lube just fine, and the alcohol dependably evaporated. Lotta putzing, though.

More recently I've gone to re-tumbling the sized, lubed cases, and using Imperial Sizing Die Wax. The tumbling medium cleans off the sizing lube, and does not get gunked up. I guess that the tiny amount of lube left on the cases just gets absorbed by the tumbling medium and gets lost. Anyhow, it's never been a problem. The cases come out slick, shiny, and clean.

Now, I don't use sizing lube very often. Usually I'm sizing pistol cases with a carbide die, or rifle cases with a Lee Collet Neck-size Only die, so no lube to putz with. But, when a set of rifle cases does need FL sizing, I proceed as above. If I used sizing lube more often, then the tumbling medium might not handle it as well, I suppose.

 

[jmorris]

On progressively loaded rounds I tumble to clean the brass, lube, load, then tumble again to remove lube.

 

[rcmodel]

I clean the finished ammo in a tumbler for 30 minutes after I get done loading them.

That removes all the sizing lube, plus fingerprints, die scuffs, etc.

rc

 

[MCK45ACP]

I first tumble my fired brass in walnut to remove any surface contaminants(3-4 hrs). Then I lube size and trim. I use either Hornady One Shot or lately my own lube made of 1 part liquid lanolin to 8 parts 99% isopropyl alcohol. I save my old used walnut shell for the next step. I charge the tumbler with the used walnut and to that I add 2-3 tablespoons of mineral sprits making sure it is well dispersed, then add the brass and tumble for an hour or so. This removes all lube, then run it through the separator. Finally I charge the tumbler with corn cob treated with NU-Finish car polish diluted with mineral sprits and tumble for 2 hours. The brass comes out brite and shiny. This works for me.

 

[cougar1717]

I used to wipe rifle cases off with a wet rag. It's much easier now to throw cases in the tumbler for an hour.

 

[moosehunt]

I pretty much go with Smoky Joe, but not to his degree. To me, we're only talking FL sized rifle brass here, because pistol brass goes through carbide dies, hence no lube, and neck sized rifle cases are dry lubed so no need to remove anything. Any more (several years), I only use Imperial lube when FL sizing and I just bite the bullet, so to speak, and accept the hassle of wiping each case well with a cloth. No alcohol or anything, just a good wiping. Pain in the butt? Yes. Functional? Yes. Any problems? No.

 

[jcwit]

I rinse mine off in white gas, AKA Coleman fuel, AKA naptha. Just use common sense, no worse than fueling the lawn mower.

I don't like all that lube in my polishing medium.

 

[Muttt]

Well, I use the RCBS Case Lube II, it's what came with my reloading kit and it has worked so well that I continue to use it. I do find that the water and simple green cut the stuff really easily. I use the Imperial Dry lube that comes in the little container with the tiny little ceramic balls. Works great inside the necks when sizing and doesn't need to be removed before loading (won't hurt the powdere at all). I just wasn't sure if the RCBS Case Lube II would gunk up my tumbling media. I think I'll get some just for cleaning off lube and change it out when all I want to do is polish.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I used to wash off the lube (Imperial Sizing Wax) but I found it's easier to just wipe it off with a old terri rag. Imperial Sizing Wax wipes right off, not tumbling needed.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

I tumble before and after resizing.

 

[Taildragger-J3]

Does anyone use case cleaner like this?