September 2, 2021
Cleaning Cartridge Brass & Reloading Dies — Methods Explained
Creedmoor Sports is a top vendor of products for competitive shooters as well as serious hand-loaders. Creedmoor Sports offers informative content to its customers in addition to great gear. Creedmoor InfoZone offers Reloading Tips and Gear Reviews, Shooting News and basic gunsmithing information.
Creedmoor Sports President Bill Gravatt is an expert in reloading gear and processes. He is the inventor of many popular tools that Sinclair Int’l markets, and he brings this expertise to Creedmoor Sports. Bill hosts a series “how-to” videos that were created for the Creedmoor InfoZone.
Cleaning Cartridge Brass — Many Options
Bill Gravatt shows you how to clean your cases in this video. Bill says, “Powder residue must be removed before inserting your cases into your dies for reloading.” There are many ways to clean your cases. Many shooters combine several methods …”
1. Manual Cleaning — Use 0000 Steel wool on the outside and a Case Neck Brush on the inside. Any residue can be removed with a paper towel. This is a great way to clean the range after you have loaded it.
2. Vibratory Tumbling — This is a traditional method that works well, especially for pistol brass. Try both Walnut and Corn Cob media. A small amount of liquid brass polish can give your media a brighter shine.
3. Wet Tumbling with Stainless Media — This can clean your brass from the inside and out. Make sure to check that no pins are stuck inside the flash-holes. Be aware of peening in the case mouths, which can happen over time.
4. Ultrasonic Cleaning — Ultrasonic cleaning is great for small parts and brass. Ultrasonic cleaning removes all carbon and traces lube from the case necks. Ballistol can be used to smoothen the seating of bullets.
Cleaning Reloading Dies
Many hand-loaders forget to clean their reloading dies. Bill Gravatt offers smart advice for cleaning your dies in this Tech Tip of 60 seconds. Bill points out that reloading dies can become clogged with case lube or carbon after heavy use. It is important to keep them clean. You should also clean new dies before you use them. They come with a corrosion inhibitor.
1. Step 1 — Before cleaning, take apart the die and spray it using a good degreaser. This can also be done with brand-new dies.
2. Step 2 – To remove gunk and lubricant, take a patch and put it in the die. Make sure to include the decapping assembly as well as other internal parts.
3. Step 3 — After cleaning and drying the die, but before reassembly spray the die with a good corrosion inhibitor such as CorrosionX or StarrettM1.
Tags: Bill Gravatt. Brass Tumbler. Cleaning Brass. Creedmoor Sports. Reloading. Ultrasonic Cleaning. Wet Tumbling.
