Mixing BP & SP brass

[james6600]

I soak my black powder brass in water then let it dry before polishing. Should I keep my BP brass and media separate from my smokeless brass and media. How do you clean your BP brass?

[Springfield]

I never have, haven't had any problems.

[Don McDowell]

The only problem you might run into by mixing your brass, is if the smokeless fired brass needs to be resized before reloading. Other than that there should be no problems.
Depending on the number of brass I have to clean, I use 1 of two tumbling systems. If a large amount of brass (200 rds) need cleaned then I use the thumblers model b with ceramic media. If just a few (50 or less) then I wash, rinse, dry and run thru the vibrator with corn cob media and a dallop of brasso for polish.

[james6600]

Corn cob is what I use, but you lost me on the resizing issue why would it be a problem?

[Don McDowell]

3 of my rifles don't need to have the brass resized when shooting blackpowder loads, the chamber pressure is low enough that the bullets will just slip fit into a primed case. When shooting smokeless the pressure is a tad bit more and the brass needs to be resized to hold the bullet in the case. Two of my rifles have chambers large enough that resizing every time is necessary.
So if you resize each and every time mixing the brass won't matter.

[TXGunNut]

I treat my 45 Colt BP and SP loads as different cartridges and keep them separate. I use Starline brass for my stouter SP loads and R-P brass for my BP loads. I shoot a fairly stout SP hunting load in my Ruger and don't want them winding up in my Colt or Colt clones.

[Lead Fred]

I sue the same brass for everything. I also resize every case

Dont care what they look like, as long as they are clean

[bigted]

I treat my 45 Colt BP and SP loads as different cartridges and keep them separate. I use Starline brass for my stouter SP loads and R-P brass for my BP loads. I shoot a fairly stout SP hunting load in my Ruger and don't want them winding up in my Colt or Colt clones.

that is exactly what ive come to the conclusion with my 45 colt brass. I shoot bp in my rem cases and smokless in the starline cases.

[james6600]

As of now my black is a different caliber than my smokeless and I usually have 50 or less black so I just throw them in the polisher with some other brass and sort after they are polished. I was concerned that my method might contaminate the media and spread corrosion. I would like to load some 45colt in black but don't want to disassemble my revolver every time I shoot, if time wasn't a factor BP is all I would shoot. And thanks for the moment of clarity Don McDowell, as my BP load is for a BP only gun it didn't dawn on me that you were talking of two different loads for the same gun which would cause sizing issues.

[RMulhern]

:killingpc[smilie=b::groner:

[Springfield]

I don't disassemble my revolvers or my rifles ever time I shoot, not even close. I do the normal remove the cylinder cleaning but only take it all the way down maybe every 2 years. Never found any problems in there when it's down so I don't sweat it. I shoot BP in my pistols 2-3 times a month at cowboy action shoots. I always resize so it all goes in the tumbler with my wife's smokeless brass after it soaks in water an hour or so. The difficulty in cleaning BP guns is WAY over stated.

[james6600]

So the powder residue doesn't get in the lift paw or the cylinder lock? And does BP swell the 45 colt case enough to seal it in the chamber, I know with the powders I have tried in smokeless the brass doesn't seal much until you reach the upper end of SAA loads. I don't mind the work of a dis assembly but eventually screws and finish will start to suffer.

[Springfield]

Now that is a good question. Almost all my BP guns are 44-40, so the brass seals pretty good and keeps the innards clean. My wife shoots smokeless 45 Colt. The original question was could you clean the brass in the same tumbler, and yes, I do it all the time.