Dirty brass

[Tactical30]

Im new to reloading and got a RCBS tumbler and tumbled some Black Hills new and remanufactured brass and I let it tumble for 6-7hrs in just regular corn cob media with the RCBS powder polish added and the necks on most of brass is still dirty. On other brass I had tumbled I didnt have this problem. Do I need to tumble it longer or what?
Should I get some walnut media and tumble it in that first then the corn cob?
One other question, Do you have to tumble your brass again after you lube and resize or can you just wip it off? If you did tumble it, how long to get the lube off? An hour or so?
Im picky when it comes to brass if I clean it, it has to sparkle!
I tumbled some TAP brass in the same stuff and that stuff came out shiny as hell!

 

[desertHK]

Re: Dirty brass

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: longrange30</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Im new to reloading and got a RCBS tumbler and tumbled some Black Hills new and remanufactured brass and I let it tumble for 6-7hrs in just regular corn cob media with the RCBS powder polish added and the necks on most of brass is still dirty. On other brass I had tumbled I didnt have this problem. Do I need to tumble it longer or what?
Should I get some walnut media and tumble it in that first then the corn cob?
One other question, Do you have to tumble your brass again after you lube and resize or can you just wip it off? If you did tumble it, how long to get the lube off? An hour or so?
<span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">Im picky when it comes to brass if I clean it, it has to sparkle!</span></span>
I tumbled some TAP brass in the same stuff and that stuff came out shiny as hell! </div></div>

Would recommend Lyman corn media. It leaves the brass sparkly clean. Usually, if I have to lube it then I would throw it back into the tumbler for about 1 -2 hours just to make sure that all the lube are removed.

 

[tarzan]

Re: Dirty brass

i use a scotch bright pad on the necks

 

[TomS308]

Re: Dirty brass

i use a scotch bright pad on the case necks also.. before i tumble them. a couple quick turns, and your done. i also run a bore brush through the inside of the case necks, to remove powder fowling. Get the softer scotch bright pads, not the ones that will scratch up the brass. or use 0000 steel wool.. works just as well, and polish`s the brass too. clean the necks before you throw the brass into the thumbler.

 

[Queequeg]

Re: Dirty brass

I use the Midway case cleaning additive for my media. Every few cycles, I add a couple caps full and the brass comes out pretty squeaky!

 

[DMS]

Re: Dirty brass

I have done alot of .223 brass processing. Black Hills will require being tumbled ALOT longer if you use corn cob media. I don't know what powder they use, but it causes a very hard to remove residue on the necks.

FWIW, walnut media will worrk faster. I throw strips of leather about 4"x3/8" in the tumbler to speed up the process.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Dirty brass

Dirty, or discolored?

Dirt, per se, is carbon deposits caused when soot leaks past the neck/chamber seal.

Discoloration is a slightly different (burnt?) appearance in the neck/shoulder region, caused when the case is annealed as part of the factory case forming process. Some (but not all) brass is annealed during manufacture.

Case cleaning will <span style="font-style: italic">not</span> remove this discoloration, it does not indicate any kind of problem, and can be ignored with confidence.

Greg