Question cleaning tumbled brass? Do I need to before loading

Hello, I picked up some once fired not de primed cleaned brass , it was tumbled don't know what type of media. Brass looks great got it from the boards right here! While looking it over I noticed is just a very light coat extremely fine dust, media on it. I've been loading for a while but don't clean my brass. So wondering.
Question is! Do I need to somehow get the dust off this stuff before I load it. Again not a ton on it at all.
I do use carbide dies if that helps. It's a pistol cartridge 45 ACP about 600 rounds. Thanks for your help! George George

PS sorry for leaving a title with nothing in it but I could not edit the title so I re-posted!

The dust is probably from well used walnut media. You don't need to wipe it off, but I would. I like to have a small rag that has been gently sprayed with WD-40 and then left overnight. The wetness seems to evaporate leaving behind a very light oil that will pick up dirt and dust but not leave an oily film on the brass.

If the dust bothers you, I'd spread it out on a towel,, place another towel over it,, and just rub them together to let the towels remove most of it. As noted,, very likely just walnut shell dust.
And even the dust,, it's an abrasive,, so even with carbide dies,, it's also a good idea to use a light coat of lube before working the brass.

I have carbide dies for several calibers. And to ease my loading,, AND the extra strain on my arms,, I still lube my brass with a light coating prior to working it. Easier on me, my equipment,, and reduces the potential of a stuck piece of brass.

Depending on the media used, the dust may be abrasive. Walnut dust isn't real abrasive, but if any abrasive additive is used, like rouge or commercial "case tumbling media" I'd clean them. But with regular media without added abrasive you would probably have to resize 100,000 rounds before any damage is done to our die. If for any reason you question the dust, go ahead and remove it, the two towel method contender mentioned is a good idea, you only have to do it once and it is quick and easy...

Thanks guys! As I said I usually reload without cleaning my brass. So what they look like doesn't really bother me. The dusty cases doesn't feel abrasive to me. Thank you for the two towel method. Also my concern was more for the inside of the brass like when resizing the brass. Have a air compressor could blow each one out but I load with a single stage press and I really don't want to add any more processes to that. That was the reason for the question. Thank you again!

George said:

...I load with a single stage press and I really don't want to add any more processes to that. That was the reason for the question. Thank you again!

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Understood!

Depending on which press you use, Inline Fabrication might have a gadget to help you out. https://inlinefabrication.com/collections/case-ejector-system

I just picked one up for my new (vintage) RC. Looking forward to getting it set up!

Possibly of no concern here, but I always deprime cases before tumbling them. Gets the primer pockets cleaned out somewhat. I just throw the tumbled cases into an old towel and shake 'em around a little to remove any "dust". Using carbide dies, I then resize them and the depriming pin knocks out the occasional bit of tumbling media stuck in the flash holes. May not be important, but it makes me feel better. JMHO :wink:

JMHO,
Thank you for your reply! Yeah I didn't tumble the cases myself, the person I bought them from on the form tumble them with the primers in. Have no problems with that. But I do like your idea as far as putting a bunch of cases in a towel and just shaking them up! That sounds like it's going to do it with ease. All others ideas were good also, no question they all work. But I have so much Choice here I'll pick this one! Thanks again! George

Part of the field equipment I use each summer consists of cotton bags about 1/4 the size of a pillow case. Once issued, these can't be returned to inventory so I just hold onto them for whatever need. These are just right to dump 300 .223 cases into and shake/roll/rub for 15-20 seconds which removes most of the dust and particles of media. Basically same as rubbing with a towel but w/o any chance of spilling or dropping.

Mobuck said:

Part of the field equipment I use each summer consists of cotton bags about 1/4 the size of a pillow case. Once issued, these can't be returned to inventory so I just hold onto them for whatever need. These are just right to dump 300 .223 cases into and shake/roll/rub for 15-20 seconds which removes most of the dust and particles of media. Basically same as rubbing with a towel but w/o any chance of spilling or dropping.

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I do the same thing. Old pillow cases, fabric gift bags, old socks, etc.

FWIW; IMO tumbling is overrated and new reloaders are unnecessarily lead to believe it is a necessity. I reloaded for 12 years before I got a tumbler, quite successfully. I just wiped each case with a solvent dampened rag as I inspected it (first step). No ruined/harmed dies, no scratched chambers. (The first reloaders I encountered was in 1969 and they were using ammo from an ammo can and they were all brown. The targets spoke for the quality of their handloads). I have never really concerned myself with what the guy next at the range to me thought of my "non-glossy, super shiny" handloads and all my brass is clean and functions quite well...

My experience was far different. I went through 2 name brand .223 sizing dies before making it standard practice to run range brass in a tumbler for at least 1/2 hour before sizing.

Tumbling depends on where the brass ends up. I rarely tumble because none of the revolver brass touches the ground. From box to gun, back in the box. So only tumble when I want too which isn't often. If I had to pick my brass off the ground all the time, I'd probably tumble them to make no dirt is on them to scratch my dies.

I use big coffee creamer containers with screw lids to keep different sizes separate after firing. Ever get a .223 stuck in a .41?.44? Brass. First thing I do when I get back. Toss a can in Lyman tumbler. Tumble all then set up to decap. I use a light spray coat of lube. Hornady and Lyman.