Questions on Cleaning steps in 22 LR brass jackets

[ohnomrbillk]

I'm just getting around to using my Swage setup.

I used stainless pins with dawn soap and lemi shine to wash my cases once. Then, using a lanolin/castor oil lube, I have derimmed my brass. I then rinsed in mineral spirits to remove the lube.

My my question is the next step. I know there is more priming compound exposed that needs washed out again. I also need to anneal the cases.

I've read that some say to wash prior to annealing because it's easier to get the priming compound out before you heat them.

I've also read where some anneal first because the washing will remove scale from the annealing process.

I guess i ss I could wash both before and after.

I know from annealing case necks and wet tumbling that I prefer to anneal second because the tumbling tends to peen the case mouth a little and work harden it.

What at are you guys doing?

[Valornor]

Do you have a sonic cleaner? That is my favorite way of cleaning out primer residue from cases and prepping cases for use as jackets. The Lyman sonic brass cleaner solution works well for that. In terms of annealing, I like to dip the jackets in ISSO cleaner and let them sit for a bit. This does wonders for cleaning off the scale due to annealing and also serves as a cleaner, obviously no agitation so I don't know how well it would clean the primer residue off the inside of the case but it'll remove the scale pretty readily.

If you are using SS tumbler media, it will remove the scale on the outside of the shell, and likely do a pretty good job with inside the shell too. How easily depends on the cleaning solution. Something that is slightly acidic would do better, while dish soap would work well, I think you could speed it up using something more designed for cleaning brass.

[newcastter]

S/S tumble before depriming, S/S Tumble before annealing then S/S tumble again before seating cores.

[kc3ak]

For me, SS tumbling before de-rimming, quick wash after, then annealing and SS tumbling to clean scale. I also use the dawn and lemishine, works very well for me. By the way, I anneal in a small electric pyro controlled kiln, it has a capacity of about 6x5x6 and will reach 2100 in about 7-8 minutes (if I set it that high).

[pertnear]

I've boiled, used citric dips, ultrasonic & SS pins to clean hulls. Alone & in combination. I've annealed before & after & not at all, etc. I still can't say for sure what the best series of steps are to use. I think SS pins do the best, most through job of any cleaning method though.

But here is the realization I came to. Think about what you are doing & why you are doing it. You can make some extremely accurate bullets out of RF hulls, but if you really want to make super target grade bullets buy jackets.

Using the same brand of RF hull, make a batch of bullets the easiest way possible. Make another batch triple cleaning & double annealing, whatever while trying for perfection. Shoot both batches & see if there is a noticeable difference. Most people with a super match grade barrel would not be shooting brass jacketed bullets anyway and that's the type of barrel you'd need to detect small variances in 10 shot bullet groups between batches.

Just IMHO...

[Bills Shed]

For me, SS tumbling before de-rimming, quick wash after, then annealing and SS tumbling to clean scale. I also use the dawn and lemishine, works very well for me. By the way, I anneal in a small electric pyro controlled kiln, it has a capacity of about 6x5x6 and will reach 2100 in about 7-8 minutes (if I set it that high).

+1 for me, I also have an extra step if making 40gn, 1E projectiles. I also trim my cases to the required length after derimming then anneal then tumble. The tumbling removes any burrs left from the trimming as well. When making .172 jackets the process is pretty much the same.
bill

[mckenziedrums]

Think about what you are doing & why you are doing it.

I sure wish more people took that approach and gave that advice... If you're making plinking bullets from 22 brass, is it worth all the extra steps?? Not to say you can't make fantastic bullets from 22lr, because you can, but ultimately a purpose built jacket is likely to be more uniform with less work. I've made a few 243 bullets from 22 mag brass and I did stainless tumble (I like clean brass!), anneal, then tumble the scale off. Seemed to work just fine for me.

[Pipefitter]

My steps in making .224 bullets from RF cases:
1. Pick up the brass I or someone else has shot
2. A good rinse in a perforated strainer with a garden hose to rinse off sand and grit.
3. A trip through the ultrasonic cleaner with Lemishine and Dawn dish soap to help remove priming compound.
4. De-rim using lanolin swage lube, and a hot water and Dawn dish soap bath to remove lube.
5. Anneal and a strong citric acid bath (1 tablespoon Lemishine or powdered citric acid to each gallon of soft water) as soon as the cases come out of the oven to knock off scale, followed by a several step rinse in running soft water.
6. Another trip through the sonic cleaner to remove any leftover scale and to ensure that the inside of the cases are as clean as possible.
7. Swaged cores are seated in the jackets, followed by point forming.


I may be over doing the cleaning steps, but after paying $800 or more for Dave Corbin's dies I don't want any sand or ground glass scratching my dies.

[Utah Shooter]

S/S tumble before depriming, S/S Tumble before annealing then S/S tumble again before seating cores.

Yup. I would add to anneal after taking the rim out.

[rmatchell]

The nice thing about doing 22lr jackets is that you can clean and anneal thousands at a time.


I try to clean mine before they go into any die. Lots of extra work but I couldnt afford to replace them.

[Bills Shed]

I try to clean mine before they go into any die. Lots of extra work but I couldnt afford to replace them.

Amen to that. I would rather clean an extra time than pay for another set of dies.
bill

[DukeInFlorida]

1) SS pin clean before derimming
2) Derim
3) Anneal in pot, see other thread ( http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post3749262 )
4) SS pin clean to remove all residue
5) Walnut shell polish with mineral spirits and NuFinish - this keeps the brass nice and shiny until I can get to it.
6) Pour cores using a core mold from BT Sniper
7) Lube cores with my own spray resizing lube. Quart of 91% isopropyl and couple tablespoons of anhydrous lanolin (from randy Rat, see Vendor Section) Lubing them allows them to run through the core swage die easier, no sticking.
8) Swage cores to proper weight. I currently swage cores to 45 grains
9) Degrease cores, currently using non-petroleum carb cleaner outdoors.
10) Apply a small amount of swage lube with fingers on outside of the brass jackets, and Seat Cores
11) Degrease the seated "preforms" using carb cleaner again.
12) Re-Lube with swaging lube as follows: Couple of teaspoons of swage lube smooshed around in a quart zip lock bag. I add in a reasonable qty of the "preforms" and smoosh them around. They get coated with a nice thin and clean film of swage lube.
13) Point Form
14) Tumble in walnut shell media with NuFinish polish and mineral spirits to remove swage lube and make them nice and bright and shiny.

Result: perfect little 55 grain .224" HP bullets

[ohnomrbillk]

7) Swage cores to proper weight. I currently swage cores to 45 grains
8) Seat Cores
9) Lube with swaging lube and Point Form

Result: perfect little 55 grain .224" HP bullets

1. do you Lube your cast votes prior to swaging them?

2. if so, do you then remove the Lube prior to seating them?

3. do you Lube the outside of the jacket prior to core seat?

4. if so, is there enough Lube left on it to point form, or do you have to add more lube?

[DukeInFlorida]

1. do you Lube your cast cores prior to swaging them?

Yes, and degrease prior to core seating. I use my own spray lube ( quart 91% isopropyl and two tablespoons anhydrous lanolin (from Randy rat, see Vendor Section)

2. if so, do you then remove the Lube prior to seating them?

Yes

3. do you Lube the outside of the jacket prior to core seat?

Yes, with thicker swage lube

4. if so, is there enough Lube left on it to point form, or do you have to add more lube?

No, I degrease after core seating, and put a teaspoon of swage lube in a quart sized zip lock bag, and smoosh it around inside the bag. I add the cleaned "pre-forms" to the bag, and smoosh them around. They all get nicely coated in a thin film of the swage lube. That also keeps them VERY clean for the point forming operation. I then point form with the fresh clean thin coating of lube. I'll go back and edit my post, with the complete in-betweens.

[newcastter]

Yup. I would add to anneal after taking the rim out.

Yes, I think my auto correct switched my derim to deprime.

You guys can skip S/S tumble stages and still produce projectiles, but what I end up with is extremely high end match bullets, so ya skip a cleaning step here and there after all your only making them for plinkers right................