quote:
My next question is about tumblers and media. bapple recommend stainless. My uncle told me that he uses a normal tumbler with plain long grain rice. I'm torn on what to do!

I use a normal tumbler with some media, I dont even know what it is. I usually just tumble it until it looks ok, then I load it and shoot it again. I dont really need my rounds to look brand new or anything. They look good, just not quite as shiny as brand new.

That being said, if you got the money to spend, stainless media or a sonic cleaner is the way to go.

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Posted by KingRanch

The Ranch

Member since Mar 2012

61625 posts

Posted on 2/11/14 at 7:35 pm to kengel2

quote:
usually just tumble it until it looks ok, then I load it and shoot it again. I dont really need my rounds to look brand new or anything.

That's what I'm thinking. I don't care what they look like as long as they go pew

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Posted by bapple

Capital City

Member since Oct 2010

11924 posts

Posted on 2/11/14 at 7:41 pm to kengel2

quote:
I dont really need my rounds to look brand new or anything. They look good, just not quite as shiny as brand new.

It's not even really the new look that is the thing I love most about stainless tumbling.

#1. Loads can be much larger than vibratory. (this is good if you load in bulk like I do).

#2. Primer pockets get super clean for easier primer seating and media rarely gets jammed in primer pockets. You'll occasionally get two pieces of stainless media caught in primer holes but they can be pushed out with pliers or a screwdriver.

#3. It does an excellent job of deburring and polishing cases. Hard scratches from concrete wouldn't get nearly as polished as they did through my stainless tumbler.

#4. Loads are EXTREMELY consistent. If you put in a load that has some clean brass and some incredibly dirty brass, the entire load comes out looking exactly the same. With vibratory, one case can sit in one spot and stick due to case polish without circulating through the media.

#5. You never have to replace your media, only the dawn and the Lemishine additive.

#6. You set it for a certain amount of time and forget about it. With vibratory, as your media gets dirtier you have to run the loads much longer. Stainless tumbling is only timed based on the number of cases I put in there. Larger loads go 5 hours, smaller ones go 4.

#7. The cases looking new and clean make them much easier to load without getting your hands super dirty. It's a pleasant thing.

#8. All of the lead contaminants from spent primers go right down the drain when you dump out the water. It doesn't stick in the media and make it disgusting over time. You also won't be inhaling any of this dust.

EDIT: Forgot to add one.

... Damn I sound like a STM spokesperson.