What we do? 
Capital Cartridge sorts through approximately 200,000 LBS of brass every month, and are capable of filling orders ranging from 25 casings of specialty calibers to full truckloads of brass for commercial ammunition re-manufacturing. We take pride in the ability to meet all of our customer’s needs.

What We Recommend

For gun enthusiasts who reload brass ammunition, cleaning is highly recommended and an often hotly contested procedure. After every firing, there is some residue that collects both on the inside and outside of the casing. In general, the majority of residue tends to collect in the neck area and frequently the casings appear dull.

Experts recommend cleaning brass casings to prevent dirt and debris from accumulating in your die which shortens its lifespan. Further, cleaning the brass casings also helps prevent scratching in the die. In some cases, the accumulated debris inside the casing can splatter and contaminate your load. Finally, a very important reason to clean brass is to help identify any potential problems with the casings.

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO CLEAN BRASS WHICH INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

1. Tumbling is ideal if you have a large number of casings. There are commercial tumblers with media additives available. All you do is place the casings inside. The tumbling motion loosens up the debris and the cleaning is thorough. Tumbling works best if the casings are cleaned immediately after firing. The longer the residue is left unattended, the harder it is to remove it with this process. If you use fresh media additive regularly, you will have polished clean brass casings every time. Most standard home tumblers recommend using 50-100 casings at a time. The tumbling time varies from 30 -180 minutes. It is important to check the casings after tumbling to make sure that there are no media granules left inside any of the brass. The one major negative about tumbling is the noise and dust generated. However, on the plus side, it is not a labor-intensive process and does work well. There are many types of media available and you may have to use several to determine what works best for you
2. Chemical Cleaning is another option for cleaning brass. The casings are inserted in a mesh bag, immersed in a cleaning solution and allowed to soak for a predetermined time. They are then rinsed in warm water and allowed to air dry. Chemical cleaning is easy to use, works well but the dry-time can be prolonged. While the casings are cleaned well, they will not appear polished like the tumbler. On the positive side, there is usually never any left over residue. If you want to polish the brass, just place them in the tumbler for a few minutes but without the media. Today, there are several types of environmentally-friendly chemical cleaning solutions.
3. Hand Cleaning is another option but it is labor intensive. The biggest advantage of hand washing is that you can inspect each casing for damage. There are several sizes of brushes available to clean casings using a power drill. In addition, there are several types of steel wool and cloths available to clean the external surface of the casings.
4. Ultrasonic cleaning is becoming a common method to clean brass. There are several types of commercial ultrasonic cleaners on the market. You will need to buy the cleaning solutions, which are specially designed to clean brass. The brass casings are placed inside the container with the solution and the vibratory motions loosen the internal and external debris. These devices are easy to use, work rapidly but the casings still have to be air-dried, which takes some time.

CLEANING BRASS CASINGS BY MULTIPLE METHODS

In the end, the choice of cleaning brass depends on personal preference and may involve more than one method depending on your results. The most labor intensive is manual cleaning, but it allows you to safely and individually inspect the casings which may be more important for precision shooting. The other methods all work equally well and the costs average about $100 to set up. The reusable solutions vary in price from $5-$15 depending on the volume and will need to be disposed of after they lose their ability to clean effectively. If you are new to brass cleaning, there are multiple videos online going into detail on each method and you will soon have an idea what is involved. If you still have questions, speak to a reloading expert in your local area, online, or visit your local gun shop.

Visit Capital Cartridge for all your brass needs.