Brass cleaning.

[Asgard]

Hello all, I am not sure if this has been discussed before but I would like to gather some opinions regarding brass cleaning. I used to clean the primer pockets and to keep the used brass in the ultrasonic cleaner for 30 mins later in the rayburn for about 1h to dry.
At the moment I am not cleaning the brass animore just the primer pockets and I do not see any problems, the 7.62x54r brass is now at the 5th reload.
Is the brass cleaning so important?

[ovenpaa]

My view is yes, eventually they will need cleaning as you are introducing carbon and dirt to the chamber every time. They may also become tight to chamber with time. Also, the dirt and carbon does the dies and reloading process no good.

[Pete]

I tumble clean & anneal mine after four reloadings ............I've never seen any difference in performance, clean or otherwise, so I guess I'm just a bit of a cartridge tart

Pete

[dromia]

There are two main reason for cleaning brass as far as I am concerned.

Firstly I want to be able to inspect the cases properly for soundness.

Secondly I don't want anything entering the dies that could scratch it or raise burrs and such like ruining its future functioning.

Primer pockets I never bother as they don't need it, never noticed it making a difference. They do get a clean when I trim the cases as my electric trimmer trimmer has a nice primer pocket cleaning brush on it so it is easy, if the trimmer didn't have it then I wouldn't bother.

Life is too short for wet cleaning and all the attendant faff, my cases go into the tumbler with fine walnut for an hour or so, primed or unprimed it matters not and that is all it takes. I like clean brass but I don't like shiny brass.

Black powder cartridge does need a deep internal clean each firing though as the BP fouling can build up and restrict case capacity, so I wet tumble in ceramic media, fine for .44 and up straight walled cases or slight bottle necks like the 44-40 it even cleans my 38-40 cases. Steel pins are a few faffs too far.

[Asgard]

Yes I guess you are right about debris going in the dies. I do clean the brass just not all the time.. Again probably I'll clean them before the 6th reload. Noticed the higher pressure loads burn cleaner so less carbon

[Pete]

Wet cleaning takes me a couple of minutes to fill the drum with warm water/splash of Fairy/teaspoon of citric acid/80-100 cases, then tumble for one hour while I do something else.

Rinse with rain water a couple of times, and blow dry with hot air gun, another ten minutes.

Pete

[ovenpaa]

Noticed the higher pressure loads burn cleaner so less carbon

That is because the cases are obturating, that is expanding quickly enough to seal the chamber and prevent sooty gasses blowing back down the side of the neck and shoulder.

[1066]

Wet cleaning takes me a couple of minutes to fill the drum with warm water/splash of Fairy/teaspoon of citric acid/80-100 cases, then tumble for one hour while I do something else.

Rinse with rain water a couple of times, and blow dry with hot air gun, another ten minutes.

Pete

That's how I do it, only usually go straight from tumbling to annealing so no drying problems.

[snayperskaya]

My 54r and 7.62x39 cases get put in my Lee case length trim shell holder and spun in a drill with 0000 grade wire wool and they come up like new although they are rarely that dirty or sooty, they are then individually checked before resizing.I clean out my primer pockets with one of those little primer pocket tools.

[Asgard]

How many reloads do you get for the 54R Snayperskaya?
Do you do the full lenght size or you keep ammo for the specific gun separate? And do the neck only