Cleaning outside of necks

3

338lm

New member
For you guys that get burnt powder on the outside of your case necks after firing, do you bother cleaning it off before reloading it again? If you do what do you use?
 
A good way to scratch and possibly ruin a sizing die, is to run dirty brass in it. I tumble mine using crushed walnut shells. A final polish with some 0000 steel wool will really put a nice shine on them if needed.
 
Most clean their necks - some do not. The only difference is potential wear on the sizing bushing. I say potential because I don't know how much it wears a bushing over the years. Can't be much...you probably need a bushing that is .00001 larger and don't know it.

It has nothing to do with group size but rather how the minds work. If you believe it helps then do it. Don't think it hurts but you could be doing something more valuable to your agg instead...like watching what condition another guy that's beating you shoots.

I ended up not cleaning necks after years of going to the line with exceptionally clean necks. I think I remember wiping them off once in a while just to remove any "grease". Won just as much with black necks as I did with shiny necks. Certainly, there are those that disagree and believe shiny necks are better. You'll need to make your own decision to clean or not but before you do - try it both ways. Make sure you have no conviction either way before doing that as it will take potentially forever. The test won't hurt anything because it doesn't matter. Somewhere along the line you'll realize that clean necks is not why you're winning/getting beat.
 
338lm said:
For you guys that get burnt powder on the outside of your case necks after firing, do you bother cleaning it off before reloading it again? If you do what do you use?
Click to expand...

I always clean so I can identify any potential safety problems [cracks, splits, nicks, etc.] using Nevr-Dull: http://www.nevrdull.com/ Walmart has it in the Automotive Department. :)
 
Quick wipe

I just do a quick wipe with a solvent based rag around the neck. Ultra clean necks never won me any matches. I agree with Wilber as to the practicality of super clean necks...or brass for that matter. Over the course of more than thirty years of bench rest shooting I've experienced about eight or nine split necks...and some of my brass dates to 1997. Look at your flags...determine the condition when you want to shoot...that pays off bigger dividends than clean brass.:rolleyes:

virg
 
I keep a wad of 0000 steel wool in a plastic bag, in my loading kit, just to wipe powder fouling off of case necks, although I have to say that this is mostly an appearance issue. I think that you would have a hard time proving any practical consequence of just leaving the black stuff alone. Grit would be another matter.
 
I am going to start annealing my brass after every one or two firings. Should a person use some steel wool on the outside of the necks to clean off the burnt powder before annealing the brass? Or do you not worry about the burnt powder and just go ahead and anneal the necks?
 
Why don't you try it both ways and come back and tell us your conclusions. I really think that this can be done either way. When I have annealed, I did it before sizing, and cleaned afterwords.
 
A California gunsmith and machinist named Donald "Pumpkin" Neilson once told me steel wool never, never, never has a place on a reloading bench. So I don't use steel wool.
 
OK lets get back to the original question , (Cleaning outside of necks ). As was mentioned before yes i always clean my cases with 0000 steel wool, the only diff is i keep my steel wool on my shooting bench and clean after i get dun shooting my group if i have any time left. Steel wool does get all over the place especially on my imperial wax.
Gabe
 
Stool I have to agree with you on this one also! ( I think thats twice) I do not put dirty brass in my dies. 0000 steel wool works great but not over the top of your die wax. And don't burn it on more, when you anneal.

Joe salt
 
When I have finished doing some or all of the following: chamfer inside/outside of the necks, primer pocket cleaning, primer pocket uniformer, case neck inside brushing and using Scotch-Brite on the outside of the necks I always use my air compressor to blow out the inside and outside of the cases. Each one of those steps can leave residue on or in the case and needs to be removed.
 
Seems that some difference exists

Imagine that!

OK, we need to establish a difference here in what folks are shooting. I'm talking benchrest group shooting while others are talking reloading at some stable place where they have all the time needed to do whatever they choose. Certainly, you almost always have time to clean your necks at a benchrest match if you choose and if I was reloading at home I suppose I would clean necks as well. That's purely supposition though....

I'm saying that we didn't qualify the process where we choose to, or not to, clean necks.
 
Wilbur said:
Imagine that!

OK, we need to establish a difference here in what folks are shooting. I'm talking benchrest group shooting while others are talking reloading at some stable place where they have all the time needed to do whatever they choose. Certainly, you almost always have time to clean your necks at a benchrest match if you choose and if I was reloading at home I suppose I would clean necks as well. That's purely supposition though....

I'm saying that we didn't qualify the process where we choose to, or not to, clean necks.
Click to expand...

You're thinking again, fearless leader.

I'm thinking stool is not mikeinco.
 
Wilbur said:
I'm talking benchrest group shooting while others are talking reloading at some stable place where they have all the time needed to do whatever they choose.
Click to expand...
Not everyone who does benchrest group shooting chooses to load at the range so they may be interested in this thread.
 
Neck Cleaning

Dick Wright taught me to use Birchwood Casey Lead Remover Polishing Cloth. There is absolutely no debris (steel, plastic, etc.). Cleaning the cases after the necks have been wiped with the Lead Remover Polishing Cloth is accomplished by rolling them in a rag that has a little Coleman white gas on it. One pack of the Cloth will last me years and years.
 
Texas Plinker said:
Not everyone who does benchrest group shooting chooses to load at the range so they may be interested in this thread.
Click to expand...

How many cases do you load before heading out? Not arguing for sure but just need to know....things have changed quite a bit these days.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top