Cleaning Brass Shotgun shells

[Dutchy Rodell]

I just ordered brass shells and a loading kit from Hammerdouble.   Loading these shells will be my first experience in reloading.  What do I do to the shells after they have been fired at the range to protect them?    Before loading?  If I don't polish them in a machine what do I do to keep them from tarnishing?  Dutchy

[Dick Dastardly]

At the match, a wide mouth jug with soapy water.  Dump yer brass in rite after the unloading table at each stage.  When ya get home, rinse 'em and tumble 'em in Ceramic Porcelain tumbling media.  In three hours yer brass will look better 'n new.

DD-DLoS

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy, Dutchy!

Yeah!  Dick is talking about a fine  type of polishing material that is superior to all others (that I know of), but you didn't say that you wanted to BUY a cleaning/polishing setup.  If you do nothing more than soak those fired cases, they won't corrode.  HOWEVER, there aint NUTHIN' gonna keep 'em from tarnishing without a polishing setup!  Even a normal cleaning using walnut grit to clean and corncob grit with brass polish impregnated to polish the cleaned cases WON'T get BP cases perfectly shiney.  It'll do a decent job, but it won't keep 'em like new - which CAN be done with most cases fired with smokey-less powder.  To my limited knowledge, the ceramic media is the ONLY way to turn those fired cases back to pure gold.  And it is the MOST expensive way to start the cleaning and polishing route.  It MAY, however, be the cheapest - in the long run ... it's just that the start-up cost is much higher than other methods.  Click on Dick's "Advertisement" banner on one of his posts, and he'll get ya fixed up at the best price if ya wanna invest in the BEST cleaning media.

PS - No, I don't work for Dick or get commission for recommending his stuff.    It's good WITHOUT my recommendation! 

[Wills Point Pete]

 I wait until I get home and then dump my brass shotshells in a plastic bucket full of hot soapy water, Dawn Dish soap. After a couple of good rinses I dump the still damp cases into my vibratory tumbler full of corn cob media with a tad of liquid Flitz in it, Flitz is available from Midway.
I run the tumbler for a while and then decap the cases and run them some more.
They shine right nicely. I am sure that Dick's ceramic media will clean and shine them faster but it ain't like I'm in a hurry.

[litl rooster]

ceramic media will clean and shine them faster but it ain't like I'm in a hurry.

Steel Horse yer not on his payroll yet?

Dutchy there's many ways to clean and load you have to sort thru all this, experiment and find the ones you can afford and be comfortable with. You'll find all the help you need here. 
Personally I use pet store Lizard Litter(ground walnut shells) and Brasso's they shine enuff for me. I haven't tried the Ceranmic media but I have used the Flitz. I have built a washing machine< no cost just time> for my brass when I take them home I dump them from the soapy water into it and clean them. The shot shells get tumbled along with the other brass. I use a plumbers 3/4" fitting brush<cost about $3< and clean the mouth of each casing before loading.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy again, Dutchy!  (Great "name" there pard.  I like the movie!)

I didn't mention it, but I'm like Pete and Rooster.  Dump in water, dry them overnite (or 2 or 3), put 'em in the vibratory cleaner with cleaning media and 'bout 1/8 to 1/16 cup (or less) of paint thinner - to get the grime off (gotten @ Pet Smart like Rooster suggests,) then back into the Vibrator with media and about 1/8 cup (or less) of Midway brass polish and they come out purty shiny except where the BP stains the cases.  Good enuff and real clean.

Many use crushed walnut (Lizard litter) to clean the cases 'cause the walnut granules are pretty hard and scrub residue good, then change to crushed corncob (Gerbil litter or something) with liquid like the Midway polish, Brasso, Lyman's or RCBS polish or many use Flitz and the corncob holds the polish well.  Either media will work for either job, 'tho.

[Wills Point Pete]

 Oh, if you don't have a tumbler, either the vibratory or the rotary, do not open a vein in despair.
Birchwood Casey and Iosso, plus other outfits that i disremember right now, sell liquid goo that cleans and shines cases. I don't think they are as conveniant but they wold. All you need is a big plastic bowl or bucket.
Once your cases have had the soap, water and rinse they are really ready to load. The brass doesn't care if it's shiney or not. We like the shiney brass because of the style points and that it is a little easier on the brass pickers. Shiney brass is easier to find in the weeds and the dust of a range, it does not shoot a bit better, though.