I use a tumbler when cleaning brass prior to reloading it. The tumbler gets the case clean but the necks are never clean. A friend gave me 50 257 Roberts cases that someone gave to him. I thought they were new but has been fired so there must be a way to get the necks clean. Any ideas?

steel wool works or neck turn all the brass lightly

0000 steel wool

SS pins, dishwasher soap, water, and Lemi Shine. Brass is like new inside and out including the primer pockets.

For many years I've been using method which was recommended by the NRA in 1958. Soak in quart of vinegar and one tablespoon salt for about 20 minutes. Rinse very thoroughly in water. Tumble to polish if you want bright brass. Or use "as is". I'm now using a lot of range brass, for pistols and 223, some laying out for a good while and heavily tarnished. You'd think it was new brass when I'm done. Try a glassful of white vinegar with a shot of salt. Bet it will easily clean your brass.

Squirt a little Brasso in with your walnut media and tumble the crap out of it for a few hours.

No way, do as you wish but I have no problem getting the necks clean just tumbling in corn cob treated with Iosso case polish. Best stuff I have ever found. If the brass is really bad I just put a little Iosso gun brite on em, tumble in walnut then polish in corn cob. They come out nice and brite.

Strange, I've never had a problem like that..

Just tumbled this lastnight for a few hours...Came out pretty clean, as per usual...

Maybe you need to use a different media?

Looks good Swifty. I like and appreciate clean brass. Its also good for your chamber and helps with accuracy.. I agree about the brasso. Don't want that chemical on the inside of the case, mixing with the powder, etc. Thats just me though...

BSA what are you using for media?

I use walnut with a little Iosso now and then and for really bad a little elbow grease with scotchbrite. But then again, what's the matter with a little tarnish around your necks?
Or use nickel plated.

Vibratory talk media no matter what type of the is can technically get wore out basically meaning it's got too much dirt stuck to it. They make different additives and I think it's called rejuvenator. It'll make a lot of difference water. But ass was sitting here stainless steel pins hot water lemi shine and Dawn soap really clean. I personally won't the outside nice and clean but not as worried about it as the inside.

Those are still a little dirty around the neck. I personally wouldn't run them. But to each their own...

Couple folks asked, what media you using and what are you adding to it. I add fast orange hand cleaner to my media..

Use fresh walnut media with some NuFinish polish and a little mineral spirits. Let them go for a few hours.

There are other additives or treated media available, but I haven’t messed with them.

All I really care about is clean brass, not shiny brass.

You could switch to wet tumbling with SS pins if you want like new looking brass.

I have taken some extremely dirty range brass and done a Poor Man’s wet tumble - a large watertight container, add brass cover with hot water and add a squirt of dish detergent plus a bit of lemishine. Manually agitate every so often, then poor out, rinse thoroughly and dry.

This doesn’t do near the same job as constant agitation with SS puns to scrub, but it gets nasty stuff pretty clean, and once dry I tumble with walnut and that has turned some very dirty brass very nice looking.

A dab of Iosso gun brite let sit for a couple minutes rub off with a towel. Pickup brass before and after, if it wasn’t bad I would throw it in the tumbler for an hour to finish it.

THIS ^^^^^^ They will look new!!

I use steel pins on my 5.56 range brass.. because I do big batches.. but use my regular tumbler for brass that I already cleaned with steel pins..

Those aren't tumbled just neck sized only from last time. I don't tumble unless I FL resize and mostly to get the lube off. YMMV