Why tumble brass

How do you feel about using rice for cleaning media? Had a shot, so I took it. Joined: Feb Jim in Idaho: I had not suspected that sizing a cartridge case caused powder residues to flake from that case's interior.

Thank you for that information. I have never owned or used a tumbler since I started reloading in the late 's. I manually decap each case with a Wilson punch and base; sometimes I use a Crocagator sp? This gives me a chance to inspect each case by sight and by feel. Then I put each case into common size batches, so that cases that would nest within each other are not part of each batch that I wash: 9x19 and similar are kept from their.

Other nesting possibilities are similarly prevented. I do clean any caked mud from inside or outside each case with a piece of damp paper towel. Each common size batch goes into a plastic one-gallon milk jug, or a two-liter soft drink bottle, or some other recycled plastic container.

A half to whole teaspoon of liquid dish detergent goes into the bottle along with warm to hot water. I screw the bottle's lid on tightly and then get a lot of exercise agitating the bottle full of water, detergent and cases. After 15 or so minutes, out comes the dirty soapy water and in goes more warm to hot water. More agitation for a few minutes, followed by more pouring and refilling.

I do this several times. Then I pour off the last rinse cycle and open the bottle, cutting off its top if that's required to allow me to conveniently remove the cases. I put the cases into a stainless steel or plastic bowl and rinse a few more times. I then shake out each case and put it on a paper towel, on the floor near an air register. In a day or two, the cases are dry and ready to be put into clean zip-lock bags, there to await reloading.

Yes, it takes time, too much time. But I handle each case several times, and one result is that my reloading is spared problems that arise from unsuitable cases. That leaves only my personal errors to bedevil my reloading! I should mention that after tumblin, I take the appropriate sized bronze bristle brush and use the cordless again and hit every inside case neck Cleans the inside case neck up and they the are all uniformly cleaned with the once in, once out method.

Uniformity and consistency is never a bad thing I'm guessing you go that extra mile 'cause the necks aren't clean enough to suit you. That chore and uniforming or cleaning primer pockets is my most hated task. You're right MM, on all counts. But the drill part does help considerably!! Worth it to me Take care MM.

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Originally Posted by FreeMe Depends on what you mean by "clean". When I first started reloading back around , I used the Lee Loader kits, which was a really minimalist approach to handloading, requiring no press. I also wanted save money and not buy a tumbler, and my reloaded brass really looked bad. They worked, though. Ultimately, you need a tumbler. Originally Posted by MontanaMan Gotta disagree with that. Tumbling won't make the inside look as shiny as the outside, but it does clean it up.

I've cleaned enough range brass to know that. Josh - don't just look at the price of new reloading tumblers. The rolling tumblers that rockhounds use will work just as well. Be on the lookout for used gear. Joined: Nov Posts: 54, Parts unknown EthanEdwards Campfire Oracle. And I've tumbled enough with a Thumler's Tumbler to know that there's still a lot of residue on the inside on bottleneck cases, especially smaller caliber cases If you don't believe it, roll up a piece of or grit sandpaper into a tight tube and clean the inside of some necks after tumbling and then get back to me on how much cleaner the neck is after using the sandpaper.

I really don't care too much about the body of the case, but clean necks help with uniform tension and improving sizing button drag. To get the inside really clean, a liquid needs to be used. I think we have some topic creep going on that's causing the disagreement. Tumblers do a great job on the inside of handgun cases, even the bottlenecked. This is the handgun forum after all. Switch to Threaded Mode. Hunter's Campfire. Hunting Optics.

Ask The Gunwriters. Thread Starter ssharp Start date Mar 24, Messages 13 Reactions 0. Pretty new to the reloading thing. I have heard a few different opinions on this, so I'm asking for more now Maybe a little about why too? Thanks in advance! Messages Reactions I tumble my brass every time, first I deprime and clean primer pocket using the Sinclair Uniformer then I put in vibratory cleaner using fine walnut shell material overnight. They come out sparkling clean outside and nice on the inside, especially the mag cases.

I wouldn't use anything else but the fine walnut and corncob that I got from a fellow forum member. Mark W. Silverton, OR. Silver Supporter. Bronze Supporter. Messages 8, Reactions 11, I tumble my brass right after I punch the primers out. Works great put the case in the anvil head down put the punch in the case wack the punch with a plastic hammer.

Then into the tumbler for a few hours of cleaning. After the Tumbling I lube and size the brass. After the washing the brass is placed on an aluminum sheet standing up and put in the household oven for about an hour at degrees to perfectly dry it.

Then Prime I use a hand primer then charge with powder and seat a bullet one at a time weighing each powder charge. I do it a bit different. I will tumble first, then size if I am doing pistol. If I'm doing rifle I will tumble first, then size and afterward tumble to remove any lube left on the cases.

The why is Never run dirty brass through your dies. It will wear little grooves into the die, and them start leaving ugly marks on your brass. I tumble first thing, then remove the primers. Keeps the media from plugging the primer hole.

I de-prime with a Lee universal die then tumble. When the case is sized the normal de-prime pin will ensure no media is in the flash hole. It seems to work for me. What would be some reasons to not tumble every time?

Nwcid Yakima and N of Spokane. Platinum Supporter. Messages 3, Reactions 1, Click to expand Messages 2, Reactions Collateral Monmouth. Messages 84 Reactions I had planned to use the Ultrasonic on small batches of rifle brass that I had neck-sized.

Once cleaned they would be deprimed and sent for another trip through to clean the primer pocket and more of the insde of the case. And I would advise that you should always tumble before depriming, unless you are using an Ultrasonic.

It is possible to get a chunk of media, or some other foriegn material, stuck in the flash hole or primer pocket and the depriming pin will just push it out of the way. Unless you are depriming in a seperate step using a 'universal' depriming die, then you will be using your sizing die to do this and if your brass has not been cleaned you run the risk of allowing a piece of grit to scratch your die.

Although One-Shot is a 'dry lube' and many people just leave it I find that they will often look discolored or mottled and re-tumbling for a few minutes cleans them right up. All of the other rifle rounds are loaded in a single stage press and are lubed with regular case lube currently RCBS. BigBluePup S. Messages 17 Reactions 0. Let's through another perspective here contrary to popular belief.

On a instructional video I watched about making hand loads the instructor talked about NOT tumbling brass every shot. I have heard some guys wash their media from time to time but I never have. Mar 29, 2, 83 Northern Colorado. Zilla Walnut, can be found at Petco, is very fine and never sticks in flash holes. I've been dry-tumbling for years using various media and never once had the degree of cleaning I'm seeing with the Stainless.

The drying process consists of rolling the cases in a towel a few times and letting them sit for a day or so. In summer I just put them in the sun on the porch.

Right now I think I'm stuck with dry tumbling. My process has been working just great for cleaning, but it doesn't yield polish. I think I'll try more corn cob media and less walnut media for the final tumble cycle.

Keep them coming! If you keep one specific batch, heavily laden with polish, the final polish may only take 45 minutes. Additive is your buddy! Jun 18, 18 Occupied Colorado. Dry in alcohol. Mar 26, 1 42 Monroe, NC. Twoboxer Sergeant Full Member.

Mar 29, 1. Click to expand Sep 25, 3, 8 54 kitsap WA. I tumble before resizing, then again for 20 minutes to remove the lube after the ammo is loaded. What are your favorite types of corn cob media? Sep 21, 60 NorCal.

Oct 14, 11 53 Tennessee. Then anneal not every time , lube, size, tumble mins in corn cob treated with carnauba cleaner wax to remove lube. Then I load. Who really cares how clean it gets on the inside or the primer pocket with blaster ammo? After the first cleaning, lube, size, prime, charge, seat, crimp, then tumble the loaded round for mins in the treated corn cob. The corn cob and carnauba cleaner wax is very similar to the commercially available 'treated media'. Last edited: Apr 3, Mar 16, 3, 96 Surprise, AZ.

Feb 3, 0 51 Southeastern PA. Rinse in cold water then rinse in alcohol to displace water Shake out cases and dry on towels. Kirkd Sergeant Full Member. Nov 25, 0 Greenwood, IN. I dry tumble first step in the reloading process with corn cob media. I do not dry tumble my precision loads as it hardens the brass. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk. Nov 17, 2, Huntington WV. The old fashioned way - I put it in a box of walnut media, and toss it down the stairs.

If that doesn't work I use a vibratory tumbler. No polish or any additive. Just straight media.