I have decapped, tumbled, and sized brass for my .45-70. The flash holes still have crud in them. How do you clean the flash hole on your brass?

With a flash hole cleaner [img]http://www.midwayusa.com/mediasvr.dll/image?saleitemid=914112[/img]


Lyman Product #: 914112 at midwayusa.com

Duh! All the money I've spent getting set up and the time spent looking through Midway, Cabela's, Midsouth, Natchez, and recently found Sinclair that I would have figured out there is a flash hole cleaner for a flash hole. How many questions proving my stupidity can I ask in a matter of a couple of days? Thanks again 10ring!

RPM1031 wrote:

How many questions proving my stupidity can I ask in a matter of a couple of days? Thanks again 10ring!

I havent seen a stupid question here yet. I'd concider something crossing the stupid line if it was something like this "how can I use .7mm bullets in my .270?"

On a serious side we have a great bunch of knowledgable people here... but even with all the years of experience here we've all made some major boo-boo's (I admitted to charging 40 cases with powder only to realize I hadnt put in the primers... someone else sheepishly admitted the same, someone loaded the primers in backwards once etc etc).

Ask any question you have, as a group effort you will get a good answer, or as best as we can give and if that doesnt suffice, we can point you in the direction to get the answer anyway.


-DallanC

Thanks for the encouragement Dallan. I didn't start shooting until into my 40's. First few years I'd head to PA to relax and shoot a 50 cal. CVA Hawkins then tried to get into hunting. I've got a great wife so I've been able to start collecting a number of guns and reloading equipment. The problem is now that I'm turning 52 I'm trying to learn the stuff I should have started learning over 40 years ago if I had come from a family that hunted. Didn't take my first hog until a couple of years ago at a game preserve, 1st and only deer was a 150# 8 pt last fall, and only bear turned out to be a LITTLE 2-3 yr old last May in Quebec. Other than that a few ducks and geese here and there. Leaves me felling a bit ignorant. Folks on the site have been GREAT. Thanks again to all!!!
Bob

RPM1031 wrote:

How many questions proving my stupidity can I ask in a matter of a couple of days? Thanks again 10ring!

No, no, no....i'm just trying to help you out! This is a very helpfull site and ever since i've been here i've noticed everybody gets and is treated equil.

And like DallanC said, you haven't crossed that stupid line by any means (but if you were to clean a barrel 'black powder' with a bird bomb like a former hunting buddies son did....we'd have problems).


Take care

I know you were just helping me out and I appreciate it! I know you weren't busting my chops. Sometimes I just shake my head at myself thinking "How did I manage to miss that".

Flash hole and primer pocket cleaner...Hummmm...Let me think a moment. Oh yeah. I remember what I use and it's free except for about ten minutes labor...Get a pull cable, like a throttle cable or choke cable. One with a solid wire and clip it about one inch from the guide rod part of the handle. Makes a fine primer pocket cleaner...

I used to tumble after resizing and decapping. For several years now I tumble before resizing and decapping. Doing it in this order eliminates the
primer hole plugging issue.

I use a primer pocket cleaner to clean the pimer pocket since it doesn't get cleaned during tumbling. It never got cleaned during tumbling when the primer was out either...

I simplified it by using a media that is too fine to get trapped in the flash hole. What a concept...Still clean the primer pocket with my neat tool...

Thanks for all the help! There's great bunch of guys here.

Glad to have you on board. Ask all the questions you want! We have all made mistakes. I believe that by best all around was before Dillon had a powder level checker. I loaded @ 450 rounds of .45 Auto and the powder measure was blocked overnight by a mud dauber. I didn't follow my own rules and paid the price. Had to throw away all the bullets, remelt & recast is more like it, after pulling them all.

Keep on asking as there are no dumb honest questions!!!

Pulled about 300 38sp reloads. I guess they were 152gr swc that were given to me. Had a couple just pop leaving the bullet stuck 1/2 way between the barrel and the cylinder. Figure I can reload the bullets for plinking either in 38 spec or .357 mag.

Sooner or later I'll have to get some molds for the .45-70 and .38/.357. Got the pot, etc plus a few hundred # of WWs along with some lead from stainglass windows. A fella posted on a site that he thought he had about 50#of WW at a car dealership. It must be about 300#. Made some decoy anchors for a friend and could use some myself but will have plenty left for bullets.

My flash hole cleaner is a small hex key (Allen wrench). Standard procedure at my place is to pop the primers, tumble, then clear the flash holes.

Coyote Hunter, It's good hear from you. Thanks for the advice (and all the advice and loads you gave me on Big Bore). I'm finally set up and about to start trying some loads. All you guys from the old Marlin forum were alot of help in picking out equipment and powders. Hope to be loading my first shells before the week is out. After that I'll hit the range and try to learn how use the Beta Master. Have around 1,000 405 Rem. to play with thanks to Cabela's repeatedly screwing up my equipment order. They sent me 2 orders of 500 to replace 2 bags of 100 that were broken open due to poor packing. They finally said keep them! I'll learn on the cheaper stuff before I try the North Forks you have recommended. Besides my shooting needs to be better before that or I'll just be wasting them.
Thanks again for everything.