Case Prep Question

[six pack]

You may think this is the simplest thing in the world but in 45 years of reloading I've never seen this before. I have 100, once fired Lapua cases that I'm getting ready to load for my grandson's 7mm-08. They have been in my sonic cleaner for an hour and my vibratory cleaner for over three hours. Problem is, I can't get the carbon off the necks! I can knock it down a bit with steel wool but it still leaves the stains. Anybody have a cleaner or cleaning method that will get it off? Help!

 

[Rick Richard]

If the residue is not causing cycling issues, then why worry about it. It seems like you have done what you can other than tumbling in steel pin media, which may not clean any better. Just my opinion.

 

[dok7mm]

I've not encountered any neck carbon that won't clean off with the steps you've taken.

It looks like your necks weren't sealing to chamber wall, perhaps too low a charge. Try Boretech carbon cleaner on a rag.

 

[six pack]

Nope, no cycling issues whatsoever. Just my analness wanting my reloads to look at least as good as new factory loads.

Dok, that's a good idea. I may see if I can find some. Is it safe to use on brass?

 

[Rick Richard]

Nope, no cycling issues whatsoever. Just my analness wanting my reloads to look at least as good as new factory loads.

Dok, that's a good idea. I may see if I can find some. Is it safe to use on brass?

Have you tried a Liquid car wax in your tumbling media? There are some folks out there that use it and says it shines the brass...just a thought

 

[six pack]

Have you tried a Liquid car wax in your tumbling media? There are some folks out there that use it and says it shines the brass...just a thought

I've actually tried that with no results. I even tried turtle wax directly on the necks.....nothing. Darndest thing I've seen. Anyone ever try naphtha, mineral spirits, or "goof off"?

 

[dok7mm]

Probably any decent carbon solvent will knock it off, but I've used BoreTech with best results. Just wipe and tumble afterwards.

If you have a maroon abrasive pad, it would be better than 0000 steel wool. Sounds like something really baked hard, I'd also give that chamber neck a really good scrubbing.

 

[aushunter1]

Is your tumbler a SS pin tumbler??
They work on anything!

I know its not good for the brass as it ammonia based but I use Brasso if I really want to get it off BUT then I put it back through my ultra sonic cleaner with a small amount of citric acid & some dish liquid + hot ish water to get the brasso off, even after & have polished them by hand!

I don't do it very often, maybe once in 4 or 5 resizing's.

But a SS pin tumbler with the compound gets rid of any blemishes!!

 

[six pack]

Unfortunately, no, it's not a SS pin tumbler. Believe it or not, I tried Brasso on a few and it didn't touch it. I remembered having a package of treated cloth in my cleaning supplies that is supposed to remove lead, carbon, etc. that I'll try in the morning and report back. Really puzzling because the loads on the first firing were mid-range to max so the brass should have sealed. I'm clueless on this one.

 

[aushunter1]

Unfortunately, no, it's not a SS pin tumbler. Believe it or not, I tried Brasso on a few and it didn't touch it. I remembered having a package of treated cloth in my cleaning supplies that is supposed to remove lead, carbon, etc. that I'll try in the morning and report back. Really puzzling because the loads on the first firing were mid-range to max so the brass should have sealed. I'm clueless on this one.

Brasso didn't ever budge it

That's weird.

So can I ask if we can get a picture.

My discolouration is mainly from neck sizing & using graphite lube but yes I have also had it from a bit of flash back before the case expands.

Sort of leads me to think there was some sort of residue on the case neck & its burnt into the layers of brass??

When you say once fired were they loaded straight out of the bag or were they cleaned or sized before the 1st firing?

 

[six pack]

Brasso didn't ever budge it

That's weird.

So can I ask if we can get a picture.

My discolouration is mainly from neck sizing & using graphite lube but yes I have also had it from a bit of flash back before the case expands.

Sort of leads me to think there was some sort of residue on the case neck & its burnt into the layers of brass??

When you say once fired were they loaded straight out of the bag or were they cleaned or sized before the 1st firing?

I FL sized the brass when it was new for consistency and neck sized the fire formed brass using Imperial wax. I them ran them through the sonic cleaner for an hour and vibratory cleaner for over three hours. I did not see or feel any residue.
Here is a pic of average cases in the lot. Maybe 10-15% are worse.

 

[Knight]

Lapua is the only brass I use. I the past I've used corn and nut shell to tumble and I could not remove that dark ring around the neck. Now I'm using steel as a medium and the brass comes out new, including primer pockets. Good luck!

 

[crkckr]

I've had that happen before but usually only on cases that have been sitting around, not cleaned, for extended periods of time. One easy way to remove it is with a maroon scotch brite pad or 000 steel wool. I chuck the rounds into a drill motor and hit the necks & shoulders with the abrasive, then a quick polish with 0000 steel wool or a white scotch brite pad. If you're really anal, you can use a cloth with a bit of Brasso to polish them up... makes 'em shine like a diamond in a goats @ss! That is unless you have 400 of them, chucking that many in a drill motor is going to get a bit mind numbing! The next time I run into it I'll try the Bore Tech cleaner & steel pins in the tumbler. That makes the brass look like new, inside & out!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[HobieH3]

Unfortunately, no, it's not a SS pin tumbler. Believe it or not, I tried Brasso on a few and it didn't touch it. I remembered having a package of treated cloth in my cleaning supplies that is supposed to remove lead, carbon, etc. that I'll try in the morning and report back. Really puzzling because the loads on the first firing were mid-range to max so the brass should have sealed. I'm clueless on this one.

Oversized neck in the chamber, or thin-walled case neck? Have you measured before and after firing?
Not a reloader just an engineer.