Does cleaning brass cases help accuracy?

Bill Wynne

Bill Wynne

Active member
I ask this question to those of you who shoot centerfire benchrest because I have watched and listened to a demonstration and talk after a meeting with friends at the San Angelo Gun Club. We were shown different ways to clean brass until it shined. I have not shot serious Centerfire Benchrest in my life. I do clean off the necks of my cases with steel wool because it bothers me. I do like the looks of clean shiny brass but my thinking is that of the many factors that affect accuracy, brass that does not shine is way down the list. Please correct me if I am wrong.
 
My brass is usually amongst the dirtiest at the match. Lol! Seriously though, I prefer a little carbon be left in the neck vs very clean.
I once cross sectioned the chamber area of an old 222 with a boat load of rounds down it. You could very clearly see where the neck area of the chamber was worn by the unsized portion of dirty necks sized in a bushing die. Plain as day. So it's probably worthwhile to at least keep the carbon on the outside to a low roar. Especially on calibers that get very good bbl life, ie a 30br or this little deuce.
 
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Lol, at myself. Back in the 90s when I first started shooting in the IBS I went to my first match at York. Shooter beside me had a nice looking set up and brass the glowed. I thought, Wow, this guy ,just be good. I kept track of him for probably 10 years. His brass always glowed, his rifle and set up very nice, not sure if he ever finished above 50%.. I guess we all have different expectations and standards of what makes a good trip to the range. I see no advantage to filthy brass, or glowing brass. Somewhere in between works for me. I put a lot of effort into preping my brass but I don't spit shine it. So short answer..no.
 
+1 to leave "some" carbon inside the neck. Cleaned to bone shiny neck interiors feel uneven at sitting bullet.

With regards to exterior, I belong to the shiny and <50% at group shooting, shiny and top 3 this year for the hunter class.

I dislike leaving carbon on my necks. It tends to built a true layer after some shots. I dislike the idea when using such small neck clearance. It gets more and more difficult to remove.

For the dirtiest of you, what's happening at annealing ?
 
There is an interesting YouTube by Erik Cortina on this subject, watched it yesterday. Worf watching.

Pete
 
I subscribe to the John Horn theory of benchrest. Anything that you can standardize is one less variable you have to worry about. I clean the exterior of my necks, run a stiff nylon brush through the neck, size, trim often but not any less then one yardage and go for it. I have just started to anneal my cases after each match but the jury is still out on this step.
 
I used to clean my brass. Have not cleaned my brass in a couple years. If I start leaving finger prints on stuff other than cases,I toss them in the garbage and get out some new brass. I converted my cases tumbler to rock tumbler for the daughters.
 
Bill Wynne said:
I ask this question to those of you who shoot centerfire benchrest because I have watched and listened to a demonstration and talk after a meeting with friends at the San Angelo Gun Club. We were shown different ways to clean brass until it shined. I have not shot serious Centerfire Benchrest in my life. I do clean off the necks of my cases with steel wool because it bothers me. I do like the looks of clean shiny brass but my thinking is that of the many factors that affect accuracy, brass that does not shine is way down the list. Please correct me if I am wrong.
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I have always believed that cartridge cases are the holder of the things that really matter and not much else providing they fit the chamber reasonably well. I will say, I too like the look of shiny finished reloads and occasionally polish some to satisfy that urge. I've never seen anything to indicate the visual image of cases affected accuracy though. I do not believe it hurts anything, however or wouldn't put the time into doing it.

Much of the newer field research is being done buy the long distance shooters and from the World Champion comes the opinion that cleaning brass is a waste of time.
 
Carbon IN the necks is different than carbon ON the necks. Clean brass is easier on your chamber. No putting grit where it isn't needed.
And besides that, clean brass shows "you care", rather than just throwing loads together just to make them go BOOM!!
 
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