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Thread: Wash brass after tumbling?

  1. #21
    Dogs Like Him versifier's Avatar
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    Brasso is a big time NO-NO. Never use anything with ammonia in it to clean cartridge brass. The ammonia pulls the copper out of the alloy and into solution (that's why it cleans copper fouling out of a barrel so well) seriously weakening the brass over time. You are asking for catastrophic case failure - body splits, neck and shoulder splits, head separations. This is an issue of basic safety.
    "Stand your ground.
    Do not fire unless fired upon.
    But if they mean to have a war let it begin here."
    - Capt. Parker, Lexington Militia, April 19, 1775

  2. #22
    GunLoad Trainee
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    Wow nevr to old to learn some thing , it never cross my mind to use nu finish to the brass int he tumbler. im finaly well enough to start reloading some ammo and now i have something new to try. Great info thnx gents http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...MIG/tubby1.gif

  3. #23
    Great Master j1's Avatar
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    Does clean brass shoot better?

  4. #24
    Dogs Like Him versifier's Avatar
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    Not in my experience. I have reluctantly come to realize that in some climates you really do have to clean it, but not in this one. I never load black powder in cases, only muzzle loaders, so that is never an issue. I try not to eject them onto dirt and I do wipe my cases all clean of any dirt before lubing/sizing, but that's as far as I'll go. I have never cleaned a case in the 35+ years I've been loading ammo, and despite also casting thousands of bullets every year for almost as long I have never had a measurable lead level in my blood. (It gets tested yearly.) Every single loader I know that shoots a lot and tumbles brass dry and has been tested has an elevated lead level. Some of them have kids in the house, too. At my old club we tested a bunch of handgun and rifle loads in proven accurate guns and the dull cases shot just the same as the pretty polished ones every time.
    Last edited by versifier; 04-20-2014 at 01:43 PM.
    "Stand your ground.
    Do not fire unless fired upon.
    But if they mean to have a war let it begin here."
    - Capt. Parker, Lexington Militia, April 19, 1775

  5. #25
    GunLoad Trainee shoot1forme's Avatar
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    Been using Dawn dish soap and a small amount of white vinegar and NO SALT for years now. Each time the cases are cleaned this way they become brighter. I whip the cases around vigorously in the solution in a pan/bowl using a paint brush until they shine. I then strain the solution into another container and am able to reuse the solution many times. I don't use any salt because I have found if the cases are left in the mix with the added salt too long, the cases turn to a copper looking color. This no salt method allows for rinsing with just plain hot water.
    Last edited by shoot1forme; 04-25-2014 at 03:12 AM. Reason: Clarity

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check        

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