There is a common saying in life, "Garbage in produces garbage out". There are many ways of communicating this, but the underlying message is the same regardless of how it comes out. When it comes to the world of reloading, this statement could not hold more value. As there are many areas to explore within this topic, one area where care and attention is very important, and often overlooked, is cleanliness of the brass a reloader is using. In this article we are going to explore why one should clean their brass and the different methods to do it.

Why Clean Your Brass?

Functionality
Basically, brass has to be clean enough to properly chamber into a firearm or operate in a reloading die without damaging the firearm's chamber, bolt face, or the die. It is important that the exterior surface of the brass is free of dirt and debris, but is equally important to rid the inside of the case neck of any dirt, corrosion, or carbon build up as this can result in a "stuck case" when the expander ball resizes the neck of the brass back to original spec. This can be done with case neck brush if the reloader chooses not to use an ultra-sonic cleaner, rotary tumbler, or another kind of mechanical cleaning tool. Keep in mind, brass can be tarnished. Outside of not looking the best, the discoloration of brass will still allow it to operate just the same as shiny brass. It is the surface dirt, grit, and corrosion that is the problem when it comes to proper functionality inside a firearm or reloading die.

On a side note, it is important that outside of cleaning your brass, it is also important to ensure that a reloader takes apart their dies to clean them as well. Over time dirt, grit, and lube can build up inside a die resulting in improper function that could potentially damage cases.

Personal Satisfaction
This is another reason to clean brass. Having that shine adds a level of accomplishment to one’s reloading procedure. I guess you could look at it similar to washing your car in the sense that it is important to remove brake dust, stuck on dirt, salt, and other deposits from the mechanical areas of the vehicle for proper functionality and performance, but shining up the paint, wheels, and trim adds that sense of pride and satisfaction to the whole procedure.

When To Clean Your Brass?

Reloading is all about constantly inspecting your components. This applies to every step along the way, including the cleaning of your brass. Any time there is dirt, grit, or corrosion that can be observed either visually or palpably, you know that it is essential to conduct some level of cleaning to your brass prior to running it through a reloading die or chambering it in a rifle. Spent cases that get stuck in a chamber could lead the shooter to believe that an over pressured round is present when really it could just be a dirty case that is causing the hang up.

Different shooting disciplines can require more cleaning than others. For example, pistol cartridges tend to be dirtier than rifle cartridges, requiring more cleaning just from that standpoint. Also, rifle shooters in Bench Rest or F-Class disciplines may never let their spent case touch the ground and may not need the degree of cleaning that say an IPSC shooter would require when their brass comes out of a dirtier chamber and finds its way to the ground where it gets covered in dirt, dust, and other debris. The bottom line is when your brass accumulates any degree of dirt or grit, cleaning is recommended, regardless of how often that occurs.

What To Clean Your Brass With?

Vibratory Cleaner - This uses corn cob or walnut media to clean the brass. This is the most economical option, when it comes to case cleaning equipment, but it can be messy as it produces a fair bit of dust.

Ultra-Sonic Cleaner - An excellent way to clean brass but does not produce as shiny of a finish as it would with a rotary tumbler. The degree of cleanliness depends highly on the type of solution that is used.

Rotary Tumbler - Uses stainless steel pins and will provide the best results but not at an inexpensive price. (Expert tip: use a small amount of Dawn dish soap and Lemi-Shine crystals with water to give top notch results.)

How To Clean Your Brass?

1. Remove the spent primer - Use a decapping die to remove the spent primer from the case. Since the brass has not been cleaned yet, do not use a resizing die with a decapping pin to remove the spent primer. Doing this will run the risk of the expander ball getting stuck in the neck causing damage to both the die and the case.
2. Use your cleaning equipment of choice - Run the brass through your cleaning equipment with the necessary cleaning procedure.
3. Check primer pockets - depending on the degree of cleaning required, extra care and attention may be needed to remove any additional carbon buildup in the primer pocket and flash hole. This will allow the new primer to be installed smoothly and not jammed into the pocket. Keep in mind that over cleaning the primer pocket with tools runs the risk of grinding away some of the brass, making the pocket too big and loose to properly house the new primer.
4. Dry your brass - this can be accomplished with a mechanical dryer or dehydrator however, just leaving the brass out to air dry is the most economical, if you have the time. Using compressed air to ensure all media and moisture is out of each case is important, however, it is imperative that safety glasses are used to avoid injury.

In the end, cleaning your brass is less about perfection and more about setting a solid foundation for safe and consistent reloading. As Randy Simmoneau from Sights and Arms puts it, "Having a little bit of OCD when you are a reloader is a good thing." That attention to detail ensures each round performs as expected, because "in order to be accurate, you have to be consistent and it has to be repeatable." Cleaning brass comes with a minimum requirement to get it to a workable state, so don’t overthink it. Eliminate the surface dirt and debris, and your brass will do its job.

This information has been brought to you in thanks from Korth Group Ltd. – Outdoor Education.

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