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Re: cleaning reloads??

Posted: 21 Sep 2018 18:17
by rog54
Every time. Sonic then tumbled in walnut. I like um pretty. just in case someone looks at them.

Re: cleaning reloads??

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 01:17
by Fyodor
I usually shoot on an outdoor range, where the casings fall into the sand. I deprime and wet tumble before each reload.

Re: cleaning reloads??

Posted: 24 Sep 2018 11:45
by larryw
Every time

Re: cleaning reloads??

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 07:38
by bluetick
I don't care if the brass is bright, but I want to be assured there's no traces of grit on a case when it's being run through my dies.

Re: cleaning reloads??

Posted: 07 Jan 2019 08:21
by RBHarter
I haven't found the need to run the tumbler every time I tend to do large batches of brass when I do run them so pistol brass may go 2-3 cycles before a run . I do tend to do rifles each time but again with big lots and not when I'm doing work ups with several lots of 20-30 rounds that are going from the bench to gun to bench , just because each round is captured and returned to the hole it came out of . My process also has several wipe down steps so it is less worrisome about die wear/damage .

Re: cleaning reloads??

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 17:56
by scotland
I clean before reloading. This is my way of checking the brass.

Re: cleaning reloads??

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 21:03
by 9x80Drilling
I clean and inspect each case before each loading. Most rifle and pistol cases go into the tumbler. A few might simply get a hand polish with 0000 steel wool.
Shotgun shells are particularly thoroughly inspected for incipient crimp failure, bulged shell heads, cracks or just funky rough areas. I'll wash dirty shotgun shells in the sink with dish soap, put them in a mesh bag and run them through a washing machine cycle, or on rare occasions throw them in the tumbler.

Re: cleaning reloads??

Posted: 09 Jan 2019 01:10
by Fyodor
My brass usually is picked up from wet sandy ranges. To not damage the dies, I need to clean. But I don't do this excessively, I wet tumble for 30 mins and dry in the oven. Total time to clean ca. 300 cases .38spl is 45 mins from dirty to clean and dry.

Re: cleaning reloads??

Posted: 09 Jan 2019 11:47
by mikld
I reloaded 12 years before I got a tumbler and I just wiped each case with a solvent dampened rag as I inspected it. For me tumbling for shiny brass is 99% cosmetic. But since I wrecked my knee, all the rain in So. Oregon and some forest fires, I've not bee shooting much. So I have waaaay more time in my reloading room than I have at the range. I have a ton of reloads to check/shoot and don't actually need to reload anymore so I'll process some brass when I'm bored and I've tumbled nearly every case I own (for 7 pistol cartridges, mebbe 1,800-1,900. For 4 rifle cartridges, mebbe 1,100-1,300) and primed most of them. So, how would I answer the poll?

I've gone so far as to trim some 44 Mag.brass, clean some primer pockets and even chamfered some flash holes on my 7.62x51 LC brass... :roll:

Re: cleaning reloads??

Posted: 09 Jan 2019 18:00
by mr surveyor
I didn't post a response back when this started, but did respond to the pol. Guess I'll elaborate now ....

My brass usually gets deprimed and run through the (small, 35 yr old) US cleaner either the same day/night, or within a couple of days. Then left to dry and be bagged for future reloading. I've never (in my long 8 years of reloading ... lol) let multiple calibers/piles of brass stack up in the dirty pile.


jd