What cheap, easy way to clean brass?

FrenchieBoy

Well-Known Member
I am looking at going back down the reloading route through the winter to help fill my time during the shorter days while I am laid up and unable to get out. I will only be loading a small amount for my .243 so do not want to get all the expensive gear. I was thinking about a Lee Loader Kit (The one that you use a rubber mallet with) I have used one of these before and got on well with it for loading small amounts.
My primary/initial thought is cleaning the brass without going to the expense of buying a tumbler. I have enough of once fired (Through my own rifle) brass to be going on with.
What method do any of you guys suggest that will get the brass clean without costing me an arm and a leg please?
 
Don't clean it. Absolutely no benefit IMO.

If you have to have it shiny then get the basic lee case trimmer with lock stud for chucking the case in your battery drill. You can then get them super shiny with a wet brillo pad or steel wool - it works really well and would suit the quantities you're going to be reloading.

Lee Precision Case Trimmer Cutter Lock Stud 90110 - CDSG Ltd
 
I guess it depends how dirty the brass is. If you had heavily coated brass then not cleaning it does have an effect. It won't chamber as easily and when fired can cause deformation of the brass itself. But that is quite extreme. It also depends if you are going to neck size of full size as that will certainly scrape the cases. I always clean my brass if nothing else because it looks professional. But it also allows better inspection of the cases. You also don't want that crud sticking to the walls of the chamber itself. If you are home loading, working to book loads of course, you may experience some sooty rounds at the lower ends of the powder tables. This quite sticky and certainly should be cleaned off.

If you don't have many I would simply use the case trimmer stud in the drill method as outlined by takbok. Autosol works well. But be sparing with wire wool as effectively you will be thinning the brass. Not much, but if you only had 20 cases and sent them round and round, they'd get quite a hammering. I tend to batch my cases so they all have a similar life.
 
0000 wire wool cleans cases easily by hand with a couple of twists. For a few cases, don't bother with tools.
 
Don't clean it, no need. Saying that if you put some cases in a sock during the clothes wash cycle they come out gleaming.
 
Find someone nearby with a tumbler, ask nicely and pop round with a packet of choccy bisuits .... works with me but i'm a bit far away, being near Lanark.
 
Brass polishing cloth, or fine wire wool - about £5
nylon bore brush for inside the case neck - about £4
primer pocket 'brush' - about £10

That's probably about the cheapest route...

For inside the cases, if you want to, Iosso do a chemical brass case cleaner which you can use and re-use multiple times.

Otherwise some stainless pins and a small rock polishing tumbler...
 
I have a rock tumbler and have to confess I'd never thought of putting them in there. Certainly not before I spent a load on a Medway vibratory case cleaner. Doh. Great tip. As it rotates it probably means all the cases lie flat on their axis. I'm going to try that even though I don't need to!
 
I got a jewellery ultra sonic cleaner off free cycle and it works really well, although only small quantities at a time but it's enough for my reloading needs.

Simon
 
I have a rock tumbler and have to confess I'd never thought of putting them in there. Certainly not before I spent a load on a Medway vibratory case cleaner. Doh. Great tip. As it rotates it probably means all the cases lie flat on their axis. I'm going to try that even though I don't need to!
I've had a look at the rock tumblers on e-bay. The ones I saw looked at the drums were a plastic type material. Would these be OK or should they be metal?
 
I've had a look at the rock tumblers on e-bay. The ones I saw looked at the drums were a plastic type material. Would these be OK or should they be metal?

If you're going to be loading with a Lee Loader and small amounts, I really can't understand why you're looking to buy any equipment for cleaning cases.
Why not save the money for something else...
 
Not a good idea to use brasso. The ammonia in it will leach the zinc out of the brass
 
I use brasso, then rub off with kitchen tissue. Works fine.

Not a good idea to use Brasso or Duraglit/Brasso wadding which contains ammonia and can precipitate stress crack corrosion.

Discovered years ago when cartridge cases failed after having been stored in a stable. The ammonia fumes from the old horse pee soaked floor was enough...but don't take my word for it...Google it.

Industrial: Design Guide - Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)

Check the ingredients but some Autosol brand polishes do not contain ammonia.

Alan
 
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My opinion...really, it’s the inside of the case that needs most cleaning. Continued use without cleaning will reduce case capacity(Not a problem with bigger cases, but can be when you are playing with micro size cases and 12 or 14 cal bullets), but, i clean mainly because it removes any case lube I’ve used.
I don’t like shiny cases as they don’t grip the chamber wall as well upon firing, thus increasing bolt thrust.
I used a sonic cleaner until it expired. Now i put a drop of washing up liquid and some citric acid crystals in a pan with water and boil for few mins, then, rinse and boil again in clean water. Cases come out clean but dull.
Ken.
PS. I clean primer pockets with the appropriate tool prior to boiling. Any time i can, i neck size only, with a Lee collet neck die, no lube needed then.
 
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