Case neck cleaning

[Tumbleweed]

I'm sure many guys on here know of this little trick but thought I would throw it out there anyway. I've never been happy with the way my tumbler with corn cob media cleans the case neck, it's just not aggressive enough to get the black carbon and discoloration off of the neck area. I always just used some brake cleaner on a rag and that still was not that effective. Last night I had the idea to try some 0000 steel wool on the necks before throwing them into the tumbler. Wow did it work good, and fast. The necks look better than brand new. It also worked good to get my sharpie marks off the case too.

 

[gunpower]

I'm sure many guys on here know of this little trick but thought I would throw it out there anyway. I've never been happy with the way my tumbler with corn cob media cleans the case neck, it's just not aggressive enough to get the black carbon and discoloration off of the neck area. I always just used some brake cleaner on a rag and that still was not that effective. Last night I had the idea to try some 0000 steel wool on the necks before throwing them into the tumbler. Wow did it work good, and fast. The necks look better than brand new. It also worked good to get my sharpie marks off the case too.

I have done that for years. I also polish the brass by using a drill press, this is for brass that has become tarnished.

 

[NW Hunter]

What do you guys use to clean the inside of the necks?
I tried using 0000 steel wool wrapped around a bronze brush chucked in a drill.
Necks looked awesome but it caused terrible run-out! Must have heated up the neck.
Reloading can be very humbling...

 

[dwm]

Try an ultra sonic cleaner. Whole case including inside of the neck get's clean.

Very clean too!

 

[Mikecr]

This concern, and actions taken w/regard to inside neck cleanliness, fall out of line with good reloading practices.
The carbon layer provides for consistent seating, and prevents cold welding.
You should leave it as it is from normal brass cleaning.

All the latest fads taking inside brass to squeaky clean conditions add nothing performance wise, and can be outright detrimental.
I don't say this just because I don't clean brass so much. I have, with every method.
My conclusions are objectively based on the results of it.

 

[green 788]

This concern, and actions taken w/regard to inside neck cleanliness, fall out of line with good reloading practices.
The carbon layer provides for consistent seating, and prevents cold welding.
You should leave it as it is from normal brass cleaning.

All the latest fads taking inside brass to squeaky clean conditions add nothing performance wise, and can be outright detrimental.
I don't say this just because I don't clean brass so much. I have, with every method.
My conclusions are objectively based on the results of it.

Well said, I agree.

 

[Reelamin]

Brasso....way faster then steel wool and a heck of a lot easier.

 

[Tumbleweed]

This concern, and actions taken w/regard to inside neck cleanliness, fall out of line with good reloading practices.
The carbon layer provides for consistent seating, and prevents cold welding.
You should leave it as it is from normal brass cleaning.

All the latest fads taking inside brass to squeaky clean conditions add nothing performance wise, and can be outright detrimental.
I don't say this just because I don't clean brass so much. I have, with every method.
My conclusions are objectively based on the results of it.

I just used the steel wool to clean the external portion of the neck and shoulder. I don't do any extra cleaning beyond what the tumbler does to the inside of the cases.

 

[green 788]

What do you guys use to clean the inside of the necks?
I tried using 0000 steel wool wrapped around a bronze brush chucked in a drill.
Necks looked awesome but it caused terrible run-out! Must have heated up the neck.
Reloading can be very humbling...

if you size them after cleaning inside the necks you shouldn't get runout...

But I still concur with others here, cleaning inside the necks is not necessary... I just brush mine out enough so they'll let the expander slide through easily, using a nylon brush, with a faint touch of case lube on it.

 

[Mikecr]

if you size them after cleaning inside the necks you shouldn't get runout...

The increase in runout comes from expansion friction. This with a ball, mandrel, or bullet.
From the bullet, variance in seating stem wedging, due to increased seating forces, due to increased seating friction, causes resultant variance in seating depths, and runout.

You don't want to do a lot of neck expansion, or accept a lot of seating force otherwise, with bullets.

 

[NW Hunter]

Mikecr,

I learned something from you today. Thanks for your insight.lightbulb

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

I'm sure many guys on here know of this little trick but thought I would throw it out there anyway. I've never been happy with the way my tumbler with corn cob media cleans the case neck, it's just not aggressive enough to get the black carbon and discoloration off of the neck area. I always just used some brake cleaner on a rag and that still was not that effective. Last night I had the idea to try some 0000 steel wool on the necks before throwing them into the tumbler. Wow did it work good, and fast. The necks look better than brand new. It also worked good to get my sharpie marks off the case too.

I find 0000 steel wool with a little lighter fluid on it to work very well, and quickly.

 

[Mikecr]

The carbon inside necks is our friend, and it's free.
Makes no sense to remove it

 

[Seabeeken]

The carbon inside necks is our friend, and it's free.
Makes no sense to remove it

After 10 years, I think he moved on Mike