Using a Harbor Freight tumbler to cleanup ammo?

[BOBGBA]

Has anyone used a Harbor Freight tumbler using traditional media (corn cob, walnut shells) to clean up old ammo? Any issues?

[Capybara]

My bad reading, didn't notice you said to clean up old ammo and not brass. Same thing still stands though, those HF tumbler canisters are tiny so I don't know how many rounds plus media they would hold and they tumble not vibrate. Wouldn't you want a vibratory tumbler with traditional media?

[BIGOX]

For cases or loaded ammo?

[Steve45-70]

I am sure it would work. If you are cleaning up loaded ammo I would feel a little better about a vibrator type cleaner but rotary would probably be fine.

If you are just cleaning brass get a wet cleaning system. They work great. I have the Frankford Arsenal Lite. I would get the full sized one if I were to do it again. If I have really dirty brass I will throw it in the cleaner for a hour or so without pins Decap and polish with pins for a couple hours. Mostly though I skip the first step and just polish

['ol shooter]

It works as well as any tumbler, doesn't take long to shine cases back up. Do it dry for loaded ammo!

[BOBGBA]

You'd likely want to use water, Dawn and Lemishine along with Stainless Steel pins.

If you use traditional media in those little cannisters, you're not going to have very much room at all, they are tiny. Wet cleaning with SS pins is much better, the brass becomes almost like new and you even get into the primer pockets.

Yes, that's the method I used for fired brass. My question was about cleaning ammo.

For cases or loaded ammo?

Loaded ammunition

...Do it dry for loaded ammo!

That's the hope. I wanted to see if anyone else has done it.

[bohoki]

i find it best just to rub live ammo with steel wool i guess if i had a few boxes of stuff that had the green fuzz maybe but its just so easy to kind of twist them on some steel wool

[Capybara]

Yes, that's the method I used for fired brass. My question was about cleaning ammo.

Yep, sorry about that, bad reading comprehension on my part, I changed my reply up above.

[BOBGBA]

My bad reading, didn't notice you said to clean up old ammo and not brass. Same thing still stands though, those HF tumbler canisters are tiny so I don't know how many rounds plus media they would hold and they tumble not vibrate. Wouldn't you want a vibratory tumbler with traditional media?

I didn't anticipate needing one and I don't really want to have to have two types of tumblers. I'll probably have to test out what I've got and see how well it works.

[BrassCase]

I know a guy who does it with all his loads. I believe he uses corn cob. I think he uses a vibrator though.

[jmpgnr24k]

It works. But if the corrosion is so bad it has thinned out the case is what you’re looking for

[golfish]

I didn't anticipate needing one and I don't really want to have to have two types of tumblers. I'll probably have to test out what I've got and see how well it works.

If you happen to find yourself 60 miles east of home I'd gladly give you the HB vibrating unit. I'm really curious to find out how you get the job done. You've got this sir

I thought that you were going to pull the bullets, clean and reload. I got ahead of myself on the other thread.

[BOBGBA]

If you happen to find yourself 60 miles east of home I'd gladly give you the HB vibrating unit. I'm really curious to find out how you get the job done. You've got this sir

I thought that you were going to pull the bullets, clean and reload. I got ahead of myself on the other thread.

Thanks Mark, for the very kind offer. I'll keep it in mind. That's almost enough incentive to make a trip to Phillips.

[NapalmCheese]

I've used the HF tumbler for years for brass (not loaded ammo). I've used it dry with walnut and wet with steel pins. These days I just use it wet with pins.

At any rate it won't don't thousands of cases at a time, but it does enough and works just fine. Better than my other solution of putting it all in a PVC tube filled with walnut lizard litter and leaving it in the bed of my truck while I drove around town for a week.

[bruce381]

It works as well as any tumbler, doesn't take long to shine cases back up. Do it dry for loaded ammo!

yep +1