Author Topic: Cleaning shotgun shells before reloading??? (Read 1827 times)

Cheyenne Ranger · « **on:** February 23, 2003, 10:55:41 AM »

Some of my shotshells are pretty dirty from both powder residue and the dust off the ground.
Any suggestions on the best way to clean them before reloading. Washing? Tumbling?
thanks
CR

ButlerFord45 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2003, 11:23:44 AM »

Ya know, I haven't cut open a shotgun shell since I was old enough to know better, but seem to remember a lot of what looked like cardboard in head of the thing, which would kinda rule out washing. Cut one open, see whats in it. I know that the "Active" (sp) hulls are one piece plastic, washing should be no problem. Cant see why tumbleing should cause any problem. 'Course, my being "frugal with my time"

if they are dirty or muddy, I wipe'em off on my pant leg before I stick'em in the size die :grin:

Snakebite · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2003, 03:26:46 AM »

Put the hulls in a mesh sack or bag, if you can't find one, a pillow case will work, but not as good. Put the bag in the washing machine and run a usual wash. If you add Downey fabric softner, they will come out of your shotgun better! (that only makes a difference to us gamers). Then, put them into the dryer with some cloths to keep the noise down. This doesn't work well with paper hulls, but works great with 99% of whats out there.

Snakebite

Shootin' Carts Jimmy · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2003, 03:48:22 AM »

Safety tip - I don't tumble any of my brass or hulls until AFTER I've washed them in the dishwasher (with a mesh bag). Reason being that there is a LOT of lead dust in them and you don't want that in your tumbling media because it will create contaminated dust when you sift. Airborne lead dust is a major problem - some of my kids were ranking high on the lead levels and a pard pointed this out to me. Once I started washing the spent cases first, problem solved.

just my .03

jimmy

Cheyenne Ranger · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2003, 04:50:31 AM »

I've heard from our school nurse (I be a school marm during the week) that lead is very bad for the kids. Keeps them from fully developing parts of the brain and such. It's bad for adults too but worse for the children
CR

Cuts Crooked · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2003, 02:55:53 PM »

led is bad fer da braain? Nebber new dat b4 now! :eek:

Cheyenne Ranger · « **Reply #6 on:** February 26, 2003, 04:26:38 AM »

As we say here at school, "A mind is a terrible thing to lose..." :grin:

Cheyenne Ranger · « **Reply #7 on:** February 26, 2003, 04:28:46 AM »

On as more serious note: don't eat or drink with "messing" with lead. I did some stained glass work and this is the way you can get lead into your body (along with the more common breathing it in).

Fred · « **Reply #8 on:** February 26, 2003, 12:53:44 PM »

After washing the lead out of the shot gun hulls and you put in load of wash am I gonna end up with "lead pants"? and if so isn't that "blast" that comes after eating a couple bowels of cowboy fire hot chilie going to send out lead fragments? I don't want to hurt anyone!