Some shooters clean their cartridge cases using stainless media or ultrasonically. Both methods make brass shiny and clean, both inside and outside. When the wet-cleaning process is complete, you are left with a pile soaked in water. How can you dry your brass quickly without leaving unsightly water marks? Here are some great answers…
In our Shooters’ Forum thread, Terry asked “How do I dry my brass after Ultrasonic Cleaning?” Many smart suggestions were made in a Reloading Forum thread. A dozen fellow members outlined a variety of effective case-drying procedures, which work equally well for both wet-tumbled brass and ultrasonically-cleaned cases. Here are the top 10 brass-drying tips from our Forum members.
How to Dry Cartridge Brass after Wet Cleaning
1. Food Dehydrator – Shake the brass in a towel to remove the majority of water. Next, leave the food dehydrator on for 45 minutes until there is no moisture in the cases. — Lawrence97
2. Lyman 5-Level Case Dryer – Rinse off cleaning solutions, then load brass into racks of the Lyman Cyclone Case Dryer. This dryer is easier to load/unload and holds more cases than food dehydrators.
3. Hot Water + Compressed air — Rinse your cases in a single batch with scalding water from the kitchen sink. Brass is very easily removed by hot water. Then, hit them with compressed-air. It takes 10 minutes. Simple. — SG4247
4. Oven Drying in Pre-Heated oven — After preheating the oven to 200deg, turn it off and place brass on a tray. Most important! Tell your wife so she won’t turn it up to 425 for pizza! Tell your wife what you are doing so she doesn’t crank it up to 425 to heat pizza!
Many members suggested oven drying between 150-200deg. We recommend turning off the oven to avoid overheating your brass if the cases are not removed.
5. Towel Dry Then Warm With Heat Gun — Roll Brass in a towel till no more water is shaken out. Spread out on the cardboard box top, and use Harbor Freight’s heat gun to blow off. Coupon for $9.99 After about a half hour wait, they are ready to go. This is without primers. — Shaggy357
6. Compressed air, then sun dry outside – I wash the brass, and then blow them out using compressed air. Depending on the season, you can lay them out on a towel and let the sun dry them. HogPatrol
7. Dishwasher Dry Cycle – I use the dry cycle in the winter when I place my brass cases, neck-down, on the racks of the dishwasher. In the summer…well I’m in Texas. They sit on the porch for a while. Toolbreaker
8. Alcohol Rinse, then Air or Oven-Dry — Rinse with 90% Isopropyl Alcohol and either air dry or stick into a 175deg oven. Alternatively, use a dehydrator. — Zipollini
9. Slow Air-Drying in Loading Blocks – I have a reloading blocks with holes drilled into it. I load up the block and let it air dry in the cupboard for two days. JCS
10. This thread is making me OCD. It seems complicated to just dry brass. My brass dries perfectly when I anneal. This whole process cannot take more than an hour per batch. The brass is then cleaned, annealed and sized. CHLuke
Brass can be deprimed by tumbling it in water, Lemishine and dish detergent.
Shake them in a strainer for a few seconds to remove the majority of media. Then grab 4-5 pieces and shake them over a bucket to remove the remaining media. Finally, place them inside a towel.
Then, blow out the primer pocket and wipe it with a towel. Load in the Annealeez.
