Steel wool

RedPaint

FNG
Joined
Jan 13, 2022
Messages
33
I only reload for my 44 mag. A range trip might just be 50 rounds or so. I do not have a tumbler and do not want to buy one since I’m only cleaning 50 cases a week. I have done soaked the brass overnight but it was never very clean. Today I had 60 cases to clean. I deprimed, cleaned the pocket, cleaned the inside with a brush, then did a quick wipe with steel wool. Just a few turns. I could not believe how easy it was and how clean the cases were. Took about 5 minutes and cases looked like new. Just an fyi for any other reloaders who don’t reload thousands of rounds at a time.
 

nhyrum

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 29, 2019
Messages
174
Location
Wyoming
The harbor freight rock tumblers are a great cheap way to get into tumbling.

I bet steel wool works great too though

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk
 
OP
R

RedPaint

FNG
Joined
Jan 13, 2022
Messages
33
Thanks for the harbor freight suggestion, the steel wool worked so well I may just do that.
 

rayporter

WKR
Joined
Jul 3, 2014
Messages
4,406
Location
arkansas or ohio
i frequently load a couple hundred in a weekend competing or testing loads and always use steel wool or never dull. a piece of never dull wiped on cases goes a long way, too.
 

Vern400

WKR
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
Messages
495
I only reload for my 44 mag. A range trip might just be 50 rounds or so. I do not have a tumbler and do not want to buy one since I’m only cleaning 50 cases a week. I have done soaked the brass overnight but it was never very clean. Today I had 60 cases to clean. I deprimed, cleaned the pocket, cleaned the inside with a brush, then did a quick wipe with steel wool. Just a few turns. I could not believe how easy it was and how clean the cases were. Took about 5 minutes and cases looked like new. Just an fyi for any other reloaders who don’t reload thousands of rounds at a time.
Great idea. I do the same thing but I use a Scotch Brite pad from the hardware store. I'm doing bottleneck cases. I use a cordless drill and a Lee case trimming setup. After I trim and chamfer with the drill I give it a quick spin on the Scotch Brite and then tumble. I don't know if it's important but they look really good.
 

Unckebob

WKR
Joined
Aug 21, 2022
Messages
1,058
Thanks for the harbor freight suggestion, the steel wool worked so well I may just do that.

They are dirt cheap if you look for a sale or get a coupon and work really well.

BTW - I stopped using pins unless the brass is really filthy range pickups. Use really hot water (I use 50/50 hot tap water and tea kettle water), a drop or two of Dawn and a bit of Lemishine. A case dryer (basically a food dehydrator) isn't needed. I just dry them lightly with an old towel (gets most of the water off/out of the cases) before drying them in the sunlight on an aluminum pan.
 
Top