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Message
Reloaders: How do you clean your brass?
Posted on 8/16/14 at 9:25 am
Posted on 8/16/14 at 9:25 am
Been looking into the wet/stainless steel product. Anyone have any knowledge of it? How satisfied are you with your process?
7
Posted on 8/16/14 at 9:30 am to Bagger Joe
Posted on 8/16/14 at 9:36 am to KingRanch
Thanks. What do you primarily use it for, KR? Rifle or pistol rounds? Do you deprime before tumbling?
Posted on 8/16/14 at 9:38 am to Bagger Joe
Always de prime before tumbling, it gets the primer pocket spotless and it's easier to install the new primers.
95% of the rounds that I reload are pistol rounds. The other 5% are 300 BLK and 30-06 for now.
95% of the rounds that I reload are pistol rounds. The other 5% are 300 BLK and 30-06 for now.
Posted on 8/16/14 at 10:17 am to Bagger Joe
I use a Franklin dry tumbler with corn media, brass polish, and a little NuFinish. Brass looks factory clean and very bright. I'm tumbling a mix of pistol and rifle brass. I looked into wet media tumblers but didn't see much of an advantage and the tumbler I got was less than 1/3 the cost with everything combined.
Posted on 8/16/14 at 10:18 am to Bagger Joe
I went cheap and got a harbor freight rock tumbler and stainless media. It works great, I thought it might be small but I can do around 220 260 cases at once and of course more of smaller brass. I'll try to get some pictures later.
Posted on 8/16/14 at 10:19 am to Clames
quote:
1/3 the cost with everything combined.
In the long run stainless will pay off, I'll never have to buy media again. You will continue to have to buy media.
Posted on 8/16/14 at 10:39 am to KingRanch
Maybe over the span of years but as of now the corn media holds up well enough that I only have to buy a bag a year (dirt cheap stuff anyway) to top off the tumbler every few months. I figure in about 10 years or so the cost savings would show up if I went that way.
Posted on 8/16/14 at 11:55 am to Clames
People dont know you can actually wash you corn media, and let it air dry in the sun.
Also add NuFinish and mineral spirits.
I dont wet tumble yet but my dry method works well enough for me for now.
The order is:
De-cap or remove primer (I use a Lee universal decapper for this) then I tumble, trim and clean primer pockets, I lube cases then I size them, after which I may tumble again to remove the lube, then I prime the casings.
Also add NuFinish and mineral spirits.
I dont wet tumble yet but my dry method works well enough for me for now.
The order is:
De-cap or remove primer (I use a Lee universal decapper for this) then I tumble, trim and clean primer pockets, I lube cases then I size them, after which I may tumble again to remove the lube, then I prime the casings.
Posted on 8/16/14 at 12:02 pm to ninthward
True, but even when fairly dirty the media still seems to have no problem cleaning brass. Also like a sponge for tarnish and powder residue.
I tumble first, de-prime/resize, trim, then use a case prep center to scrub primer pockets, remove military crimps, and debur.
I tumble first, de-prime/resize, trim, then use a case prep center to scrub primer pockets, remove military crimps, and debur.
Posted on 8/16/14 at 12:43 pm to Clames
Thanks for all the info guys. I'm getting back into competitive shooting and reloading after about a 18-20 year break. Sold all my reloading equipment back then and now looking to buy again. Know I'm going with a Dillon loader but shopping for brass cleaning stuff. Read good things about the stainless wet systems.
Posted on 8/17/14 at 7:29 am to Bagger Joe
bapple says that stainless is the cat's arse.
I'd like to get into that, but I have a fair amount invested in walnut and corn media tumbling.
LC
I'd like to get into that, but I have a fair amount invested in walnut and corn media tumbling.
LC
Posted on 8/17/14 at 8:18 am to Bagger Joe
I use one of Dillon's tumblers.
I been using the same media for a long time and the brass still gets clean so I haven't done anything.
I been using the same media for a long time and the brass still gets clean so I haven't done anything.
This post was edited on 8/17/14 at 8:20 am
Posted on 8/17/14 at 10:31 am to Bagger Joe
Here is a breakdown for what I use:
1. Harbor Freight dual drum rock tumbler.
$54.99
2. STM touch up 2lb pack.
$19.95
Add a little dish soap that I stole from the wife and a little bit of lemi-shine or its generic version for about $5.
So for about $100 including shipping/taxes/etc you have a basic stainless wet tumbling setup. Best thing is I dont have to deal with the dust of other media nor do I have to dig corn cob media out of 223 brass anymore. Just rinse the dirty water out of the pins and put them up, dont even have to dry them if you dont want.
1. Harbor Freight dual drum rock tumbler.
$54.99
2. STM touch up 2lb pack.
$19.95
Add a little dish soap that I stole from the wife and a little bit of lemi-shine or its generic version for about $5.
So for about $100 including shipping/taxes/etc you have a basic stainless wet tumbling setup. Best thing is I dont have to deal with the dust of other media nor do I have to dig corn cob media out of 223 brass anymore. Just rinse the dirty water out of the pins and put them up, dont even have to dry them if you dont want.
Posted on 8/17/14 at 11:14 am to kengel2
Cool, how many 5.56 / .223 can you fit in there?
Just trying to get an idea, I also have a whole bunch of other calibers to reload.
Like 9mm, .38/.357, .308, .30-06, and .45ACP.
I've been collecting brass for quite a while.
LC
Just trying to get an idea, I also have a whole bunch of other calibers to reload.
Like 9mm, .38/.357, .308, .30-06, and .45ACP.
I've been collecting brass for quite a while.
LC
Posted on 8/17/14 at 11:20 am to Bagger Joe
I used a tumbler with some type of polishing rouge, cleaned a serious amount of brass in it too.
Posted on 8/17/14 at 11:37 am to LongueCarabine
quote:
Cool, how many 5.56 / .223 can you fit in there?
Says 180, but I put about 200 in there. Could probably fill it with more, like I said I do 220 260 cases.
You could always find a bigger tumbler as well, I wanted to try it out before I dive all in to stainless tumbling.
Posted on 8/17/14 at 11:57 am to kengel2
Ok. I'm sold on the wet/stainless system, but I've read that to get the max out of it, the cases need to be deprimed. Don't like the idea of putting dirty brass in my Dillon to resize and deprime. Anyone ever used a Harvey Deprimer? How bout drying? What are some drying methods? I've heard a food dehydrator works well and can be had for cheap.
Posted on 8/17/14 at 1:01 pm to Bagger Joe
I just got a lee depriming die, never used the harvey deprimer.
As for drying, I use whatever the cheapest dehydrator is from academy. Takes about 45 minutes to dry brass and about 6 hours for jerky.
As for drying, I use whatever the cheapest dehydrator is from academy. Takes about 45 minutes to dry brass and about 6 hours for jerky.
Posted on 8/17/14 at 1:48 pm to Bagger Joe
quote:
Ok. I'm sold on the wet/stainless system,
You won't regret it. Here's my review of my stainless tumbling system: (KR's Delta Elite in the opening sequence, nailing a plate at 50 yards)
Cleaning/Tumbling Your Brass
Some pictures of brass I've done:
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