Reloading - Inspection and cleaning

A re-sizing die can be used to remove spent primers.  However, as the cases have powder residue, that does provide undue wear on the die.  The decapping die does not touch the case while the center punch removes the spent primer.

There are two methods to clean spent cartridge case:  1) tumble them in a dry mixture (crushed corncob or walnut shells), 2) run them through an ultra-sonic cleaner with a formulated case cleaning solution.  

There are several brands of ultra-sonic cleaners available.  Mine, sold by Lyman, is used for a more than just cartridge case cleaning.  There are different cleaning solutions based on the material you want to clean.

The model I use, Lyman TS-2500, has a stainless steel tub with basket insert.  The tub is marked with MIN (about 3 cups) and MAX (8 cups) fill levels.  While tap water can be used, distilled water is recommended for better cleaning and reduced water spots while drying.  

For medium to heavy duty cleaning, a mix of 1 oz. cleaning solution to 20 ozs. of distilled water is recommended.

Place your dirty cartridges in the cleaning solution, agitate the basket to ensure there are no air pockets in the cartridges, and start the cleaning cycle.  For normal cleaning, a single three minute cycle should be enough.  The cycle timer can be reset for a longer cleaning cycle if desired.

After cleaning, rinse the cartridges in distilled water and allow to dry.  I do use a compressed air to speed drying time.  Once dry, the cases can be dry tumbled for a brighter finish.

Cases before cleaning	Cases after cleaning