Cleaning
Step 3 of 10 · Clean brass protects your dies, your chamber and your measurements.
Fired brass carries carbon, dirt and sometimes range grit. Cleaning it protects your dies from scratches, keeps your measurements accurate and makes inspection easier.
The common methods are dry tumbling with corn cob or walnut media, wet tumbling with stainless steel pins, and ultrasonic cleaning. Dry tumbling is simple and inexpensive. Wet tumbling gets brass clean inside and out, including the primer pockets, but the brass must be dried completely before loading. Ultrasonic cleaning removes carbon well without media.
Some shooters prefer to leave a light layer of carbon inside the neck for consistent bullet release. Whatever method you choose, use it the same way every time so your brass is consistent from batch to batch.
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