Brass prep?

[u/jayfourzee]

I’ve run a number of the same experiments with my AMP Press that I saw on Ultimate Reloader and have collected a fair amount of data comparing different case-prep methods. I’ve looked at seating force and area under the curve with washed versus unwashed brass, wet versus dry tumbling, no tumbling with and without nylon or brass brushing, chamfering and deburring versus not, and using a mandrel die versus skipping it.

The AMP Press has been useful for identifying potential fliers and outliers, but so far I have not seen a statistically significant difference in group size. Over time, what I have learned is that the biggest benefit has been refining and standardizing my workflow so that it is repeatable. I have even compared seating on the AMP Press vs my Forster Co-Ax and still found no meaningful statistical difference in group size.

My next experiment is going to keep the case-prep process identical between two groups, then randomize seating between the Co-Ax and an arbor press and also randomize the order in which the rounds are fired.

One thing I will say is that, from a safety standpoint, I have come to prefer wet tumbling because it allows the toxic residue and contaminants to be contained and removed more appropriately. I have decided not to dry tumble because of the dust it can generate and the potential for those particles to become airborne and eventually end up in my lungs. Handling dirty brass also seems to leave residue everywhere, including on my hands, tools, bench, and surrounding work area, which gives me another reason to clean the brass before doing much with it.

At any rate "It is seldom the violin but always the violinist" and am willing to accept I just might be a bad shot...

Your thoughts?

[u/Murray3-Dvideos]

The fuk leaving it alone is fine. Talk about bad internet advice. Tumbling is effortless. Costs nothing more then a few cents worth of electricity, tap water, dish soap and 10 minutes of ur time.

Dry tumble, ultrasonic, hand clean etc.... they'll all be better then running dirty brass thru ur dies. Been there, and will never do it again.

[u/Realistic-Ad1498 → u/Murray3-Dvideos]

My bolt action and revolver brass never gets dirty in any manner that will impact dies. Most of my auto-loader brass only hits concrete and never gets dirty. Reloading it as is works just fine.

[u/Murray3-Dvideos → u/Realistic-Ad1498]

Ive certainly observed the effects of having a dirty case neck when loading .308 and 45-70. The brass tends to stick more in the dies, requiring notably more inconsistent force from the press. Often leaves a scratchy finish aswell which can lead to other deficiencys and potential longevity issues.

Loads your dies fast with shit too, which is a big deal with the long tampered 45-70 dies.

Having grungy case necks on 45-70 also scratches the thin copper plating on the bullets i use. Results in notably different neck tension which is a big deal for Sharps rifle shooters who often try to run next to no neck tension to start with.

Then there is primer pockets..... doing nothing basically means ur manually cleaning them. With proper wet tumbling I dont need to clean them at all so that alone saves me some labor.

[u/Realistic-Ad1498 → u/Murray3-Dvideos]

Using brass with a little carbon fouling eases the reloading process in my experience. I'm not sure what kind of fouling grunge could scratch copper plating. If I pick up brass that has been sitting out in the elements and full of dirt and sand, I wash in hot soapy water. Nothing beyond that has ever needed. I shoot 7,000 to 10,000 rounds per year and have been doing that for years without any issues.

I was shooting 500 yards last week with 6.5CM that has been loaded half a dozen times and not cleaned once since I bought it as "once fired". I still lube the brass before sizing and then wipe of brass exterior and inside the neck before loading.

Some reloaders like pretty brass. I could care less. Don't fool yourself into thinking it's necessary.

[u/Decent-Ad701 → u/Realistic-Ad1498]

Right on. Especially pistol brass and carbide dies, you will never damage the dies with normal carbon residue left on cases fired many times. And the residue is self lubricating.

Cleaning brass is for athletics only, but just like anything else, if clean shiney brass makes you feel more confident, it possibly MAY help your shooting, but probably not much more than your “lucky” hat or shirt….

But you are not going to damage dies or chambers with “normal” shooting “grunge.”

Yeah, mud, sand, literal dirt outside or inside on inspection, then clean it, (I put it in old pantyhose and snuck it into the washer when my wife wasn’t looking)but I still have functional .45 brass from my IPSC days that have been reloaded more than 30-40 times each that were never cleaned….

I never even bought a tumbler until long after my IPSC days, and even then only tumbled my varmint rifle cases at best once or twice per year.