That sounds dirty, but isn't - at least, if you're talking reloading. I haven't invested in a tumbler to polish the spent brass, and so I did it by hand while watching the Boob Tube.
I'm told that dirty brass shoots the same as clean brass, but thought I'd give it a try. It wasn't too bad, and while I'm not sure how much cleaner the brass is, although the cloth and my fingers got kind of discolored, so it must have done something.
I picked up a powder scale at the gun show and some .303 bullets, and so hopefully I'll get some loaded cartridges done tomorrow. Hey, recycling is fun! Save the Earth, and all that. I can't wait to share my Green experience with my Prius driving friends!
And what else about sounds dirty, but isn't?
Just remember, ammonia based polishers like Brasso can shorten the life of your brass, so if you're going to do it by hand, use citrus based polishers.
ReplyDeleteJust a friendly Pro-Tip from a fellow reloader.
Clean, shiny brass keeps dies from getting scratched and raises the firearms' self-esteem, making them more confident and motivating them to shoot true.
ReplyDeleteWhat powder/bullet you using?
I polished plenty of brass in the navy.
ReplyDeleteMostly it was right before inspections :-)
"And what else about sounds dirty, but isn't?"
ReplyDeleteBring it to full cock.
Don't use too much lubricant.
Apply slow, steady pressure.
Damn! No wonder I like shooting so much.
Ya, I'm a pig.
I picked one up at Cabela's for 50 bucks and is works well...holds plenty of .38 Spec/.357 and .32 Winchester Special...I use a walnut medium, put the unit it out in garage and toss a couple of used fabric softener sheets in each batch, more then pleased with it..
ReplyDeleteAnd just think, on Erf Day you can put lead back where it came from.
ReplyDeleteThumler Tumbler. a magnificent device. so quiet and you get shiney brass in a couple of hours. i use corn cob media and a little Dillon brass polish and the stuff looks like new.
ReplyDeletepre your question, i bow to the muzzle loaders for their lexicon:
nipple picks
nipple wrenches
ram rod
"ramming it home"
bore butter
Citric acid is great for cleaning tarnished brass. There's way more than you ever wanted to know about it here. It passivates the metal so it's less able to tarnish later.
ReplyDeleteLemi-Shine, a commercial product for dishwashers, is mostly citric acid and you can find it in supermarkets with the other dishwasher products.
I bought my tumbler at Harbor Fright, been using it for about 5 years now.
ReplyDeleteCaught it on sale and also used a 20% off coupon, think I paid 20 bucks for it.
Good investment if you're not using an ultrasonic cleaner.