Inside case cleaning?

[mrawesome22]

Do any of you guys worry about getting the inside of you cases clean? Seems to me that as long as the primer pocket and inside the neck are clean I shoud be good to go. Right now all I'm doing is cleaning out the primer pocket with a q-tip and water and using a bronze brush inside the neck. I'm also using Redding imperial sizing wax inside the neck before forming then using a solution of water and dish soap on a q-tip to get it off the inside neck before seating. You guys see anything wrong with this? The dish soap seems to get it off really well on the outside after forming so I figured it would get it off the inside as well. Thanks.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Inside case cleaning

MrAwesome22--Nobody but nobody worries abt getting the inside of a case spotless, AFAIK. Your standard of case cleanliness is fine for reloading.

Yr method of achieving that cleanliness, however, seems to me to be rather highly labor-intensive. Have you considered the use of a vibratory tumbler? They clean cases just great, and all you have to do is dump in the cases, dump in the medium, turn it on, and walk away.

The same method is used for removing sizing lubes from cases after sizing. The only small fly in the ointment is the worry abt having medium stuck in the cases' flash holes (which the primer would blow out anyhow, when it fires) but a quick glance @ the base of the case, and one push with a pointed object, solves that if/when it occurs.

Personally, I shied away from the use of a case tumbler for years. I cleaned cases by hand, similar to yr method. Then finally I reluctantly bought a tumbler and tried it. All I can say is, I feel foolish for having waited for so long. (But then I did the same thing, and feel the same way, about having a computer in the house.)

As the ad says, "Try it, you'll like it!"

 

[mrawesome22]

Glad to here that my case cleaning is O.K. Thanks Smokey! But I don't think I want a tumbler yet. I'm just starting this whole reloading obsession (yes it's already an obsesssion) and I think I'm better off with cleaning and inspecting every case by hand for now. It's giving me hands on experience. Plus I have a lot of confidence in my cases because I know that I cleaned and prep'd every single one by hand. Thanks again Smokey and I hope every one will bear with me the next couple months as I will be asking many questions. Hopefully you all can help me become a person that can answer instead of asking.

 

[918v]

If you want to be real clean, buy a heated ultrasonic cleaner fill it with vinegar, and your cases will look unfired afterward.

My experience with vinegar has been limited to 9mm when I was playing with neck tension and accuracy. I cleaned the inside of cases with vinegar and a q-tip. Neck tension improved and so did accuracy. The process is so labor intensive that it is easier to just use new brass.

 

[amamnn]

You can save yourself that extra cleaning step by dipping the necks in fine ground mica which will lube the necks inside and out without contaminating the inside of your cases. The Imperial sizing wax can be used on the body from the shoulder on down. If you are using the proper amount of wax, you need only wipe the case with a clean cloth after sizing.

 

[mrawesome22]

Well I tried a clean cloth but the thing of that is, after so many wipings, the cloth gets wax all over it. Then it's like I'm just tranfering from one case to another.

 

[918v]

I have used the same old t-shirt to wipe a thousand cases. You must be using an inferior fake wax.

 

[mrawesome22]

Redding Imperial Sizing Wax. It's in a little tin and the wax is green color. Maybe you don't use enough? Why would I lie about what sizing lube I am using? Give me a break. If you don't have anything helpful to say then just don't say anything. I'm looking for help, not your arrogance.

 

[Edward429451]

I use Imperial. With the thought of a stuck case in a die, its easy to use too much. After hearing of so many people saying they were on their first or second tin after years & years of reloading...I tried using less and haven't had a stuck case yet.

Cut the dose and clean up is easier.

 

[mrawesome22]

This is how much I use. I take my index and middle finger, put them together and LIGHTLY rub the wax. After about 3 cases I do it again. Is that too much? By the way, I clean my dies out with brake cleaner and then run some Rem Oil on a q-tip in them. Next time I use them I just run a dry q-tip to soak up any excess oil.

 

[armedandsafe]

I've been reloading since 1948. I'm now on my 5th tin of Imperial. A little dab'll do ya.

Pops

 

[temmi]

I agree you should get tumbler. For Primer Pockets I use a RCBS Primer pocket cleaner and a bit of 0000 steel wool in the tip, I would also switch from a Bronze brush to a nylon

 

[mrawesome22]

Temmi, I'm not using chemicals to clean the inside of my case necks so why would I want nylon brushes? Even in the bore I won't use nylom brushes. I feel they just don't do a good enough job. So what if my bronze brushes wear out? I'll by new ones. They're $1.50.

 

[Edward429451]

Is that too much?

Probably. That sounds about how I was doing it. I now use a little less than I think I should. It seems to be fine.

I'm just starting my third tin in about 10 years. Sounds like I was using a shovelful too much compared to pops!

I use the nylon brushes to dust the case media out of the brass.

 

[Wild Bill Bucks]

Unless you just have a lot of time on your hands to clean your brass that well, I would buy a tumbler. Your not really gaining that much as far as accuracy or dependability over what a tumbler can do.

I hand cleaned my brass for a long time before I bought one,and after using it for a loading session or two, found that I had a lot more time to shoot rather than load. I did not loose a thing when it came to shooting.

I use a dry sizeing spray, when seating and sizeing. It's a lot better than the wax for me and works every bit as well. It also leaves very little residue to have to wipe off when finished.

I use brake cleaner on my dies also, but by using the spray, there is Veeery
little to clean out. I only clean my dyes about every 1500 to 2000 rounds now, because there isn't much in them to clean out, like there is with wax.

Being new to reloading, it is smart to inspect your brass closely, but this can be done at a glance most of the time, so I wouldn't worry so much about all the hand cleaning, and would concentrate more on the shooting end of things.

 

[mrawesome22]

Dry sizing spray? I've never seen this before Wild Bill. What brand is this stuff. I'll try anything once.

 

[Wild Bill Bucks]

Had to go look. It's called Hornady "One Shot" resizeing spray.

Been using it for a couple of years now, it won't contaminate powder and can be sprayed lightly on the inside and outside of the case necks at the same time, by putting your cases in a case holder and holding the case holder at a little slant, you can spray the lub on the outside as well as the inside of the cases. You don't have to use very much, and I have never had a shell stick in the sizeing dye. Since there is no contamination to the powder, you don't have to worry about any residue left inside the brass after seating the bullet. Helps make brass last longer due to undo stress while sizeing and seating.

Hope this helps.

 

[918v]

Maybe you don't use enough?

Maybe you use too much. I've been using it for ten years and I'm on my second tin. Maybe you should think about what you're doing before perceiving hostility in my statements.

 

[mgcchkn]

Maybe you should think about what you're doing before perceiving hostility in my statements.

I agree, he does seem to fly off the handle rather easily.

Chill out man, we're all here to learn, not get defensive and hostile.

I'm new to reloading and love my tumbler so much, I got a 2nd one. Now I use one with walnut media for the initial cleaning for a few hours after depriming, then I resize, then I throw them all in the second tumbler with some treated corn cob media for a few hours and they look better than brand new.

That Hornady One Shot spray lube rocks, makes life a lot easier than wax or a lube pad.

 

[mrawesome22]

Soory 918v. I thought your were saying I was lying about the wax I was using. It says on the tin Redding Imperial Wax. Is there somthing inferior or fake about this stuff?