Dirty Brass Problem?

P

pd_buster

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brass.jpg


- The case on the left is "FC" headstamp, after tumbling.
- The case in the center is "R-P" headstamp, after tumbling same amount of time, at the same time as the "FC" case.
- The case on the right is "WIN" headstamp before tumbling.

Questions:
What causes the black necks?
Is it normal or am I doing something wrong?
I have tried using steel wool on the necks and it takes it right off. Will steel wool damage my cases or accuracy?
Any ideas how to clean them quicker? (I am using Lyman Corncob Green media)

It takes about 2 hours of tumbling to get it off the WIN, RP and W-W Super headstamped cases, but the FC cases are perfectly clean after about 10 minutes. Thanks for any help, PD.
 
Quote:

- The case on the left is "FC" headstamp, after tumbling.
- The case in the center is "R-P" headstamp, after tumbling same amount of time, at the same time as the "FC" case.
- The case on the right is "WIN" headstamp before tumbling.

Questions:
What causes the black necks?




The black is caused by the burning deturrent used to slow the burning rate of powders.

It is worse with ball powders and some stick powders that use polyester coatings (Alliant)... and least with single base powders like H322, Varget, H-4895, etc.


Quote:
Is it normal or am I doing something wrong?




Nothing wrong. It is made a bit worse by loads of ball powder that are less than maximum because the neck doesn't seal as well.


Quote:
I have tried using steel wool on the necks and it takes it right off. Will steel wool damage my cases or accuracy?




No...


Quote:
Any ideas how to clean them quicker?




Yes... use "Iosso Brass Case Cleaner" (Midway has it) - wash/soak the cases for 5 minutes and the black stuff is cleaned mostly off - even from the insides. I little time with corncobb will finish it. They will look gold plated.

Quote:
It takes about 2 hours of tumbling to get it off the WIN, RP and W-W Super headstamped cases, but the FC cases are perfectly clean after about 10 minutes.



The necks on the FC cases may be softer and seal the neck a bit better.

CatShooter
 
What charge of what powder are you using? You may be using a too slow of a powder with a reduced load. If so, watch out for hangfires...JOHN
 
If you just need to clean the neck up a little, simply put some Hoppes, Butch's Bore Shine, etc, onto a rag and make a quick rub around the neck. It'll take it right off.

You can also use automotive polish in your media. It costs considerably less than the stuff repackaged and marketed for reloaders. Nu Finish reportedly works well.
 
Never really measured application by volume other than a few squirts. I've heard that Meguiar's Deep Crystal Deep Gloss Polish supposedly works better.
 
Order a couple of /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gifKrazy Kloths from Sinclair International. They're perfect for touching up case necks.
 
Nu Finish is a car polish...yes it is a liquid. You can get it at about any of the Marts or auto supply places.
 
Scotch Brite pad as skb2706 said sounds like that is the easiest way to do it.
I have always just use Never Dull, comes in can, auto parts and verious places have it. Fisherman use it alot for cleaning their lurs.
 
Cleaning the case is a minor problem, there may be more going on here.
I am not sure, but I have never seen the necks so sooted up before unless there was a problem either in the chamber or powder charge. Have the cases always looked like that? Because a little smoking of the neck is understandable but that last case seems a little excessive. Have you had the chamber checked out by a smith? How many rounds thru the barrel? JUST MY 2 CENTS WORTH!....JOHN
 
After reading this post earlier, I signed off and went home only to find the opposite problem. I had left a handfull of cases in the tumbler for almost 24 hours, at least a good 20 hours. So clean I could almost see my ugly mug in the shine.

I'm not sure that much should be made out of the amount of soot that your getting. The nice thing to see is that the shoulders are sealing nicely against the inside of the chamber. Though I must admit that my last 22 rounds from my 22-250 using Varget didn't show this much soot. But I've always felt my rifle had a smaller chamber and I was shooting some nice NORMA--250 Savage brass that I had resized to 22-250. This might give them a bit thicker neck than your shells.
 


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