How to Brighten Rifle Case Brass

Rifle case brass needs to be cleaned and brightened before reloading for several reasons: It is easier to spot hairline cracks on a bright case, a clean case will prevent misfires because of seating primers in obstructed primer flash holes and using a dirty case in a reloading die can cause a buildup of residue that can result in a case getting stuck in the reloading die. Tumbler polishing is the most effective way to clean and shine both the outside and the inside of the cases, making them as bright as new.

Things You'll Need

  • Tumbler
  • Pre-treated case cleaning media
  • Brass polish media additive
  • Soft cloths
  • Loading block
  • Sealable plastic bags
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the tumbler on a sturdy surface that will not create excessive noise. Plug in the tumbler.

    • 2

      Fill the tumbler, according to the manufacturer's recommendations, with the pretreated case cleaning media. Corn-cob media is one of the most efficient, cost-effective cleaning medias available, but you might want to experiment with others.

    • 3

      Add the brass polish media additive to the cleaning media if your cases are exceptionally tarnished. Follow the directions on the media additive to determine the amount to add to the cleaning media.

    • 4

      Place the rifle case brass in the tumbler. The quantity of cases that can be put in the tumbler is determined by the size of the tumbler and the caliber of the cases. Check the tumbler's directions for quantity calculations, and be careful not to overload the tumbler.

    • 5

      Put the cover on the tumbler and turn it on. Allow the tumbler several hours to do its job. The dirtier the cases are, the longer the tumbler will need to run.

    • 6

      Check the cases periodically by turning the tumbler off, removing a case, and inspecting it. When the cases are clean and bright both inside and out, and there is no oxidation visible on the cases, the cases can be removed from the tumbler.

    • 7

      Remove the cases from the tumbler and lay them on a soft cloth. Using another soft cloth, wipe each case to remove any residual cleaning media dust.

    • 8

      Inspect the cases for any hairline cracks. Discard any cases with cracks or visible flaws, and place the remaining cleaned cases in the loading block for reloading or store in a sealable plastic bag.