Tumbling Media in Flash Hole

[mstlaurent]

Here is how I do it:

1. First a quick tumble to remove grit and dirt.
2. Set up press with RCBS lube die in station 1 and sizing die in station 2. This lubes, sizes, and decaps the brass.
3. Trim with Possum Hollow chucked up in a drill press.
4. Long tumble to remove lube, polish brass, and clean primer pocket.
5. Set up press to load, with a decapping die in station 1 instead of the sizing die. The decapping die pops any tumbling media stuck in the flash hole without sizing the brass again.

[iareConfusE]

...you really think corn cobb would make an issue on a part that is designed to pop out a peice of metal....

cmon man

If the pin goes in a little bit crooked and is pushed of to the side because of the media, it's very possible that it could snap or bend because the media has nowhere else to go until you apply enough force to pop out both the media and the primer while both are under compression. I've seen some heavy duty tools ruined by the most innocent looking things before.

So after resize and decap, you don't tumble again to remove the lube?

No, because I don't need to lube the straight walled pistol brass in carbide dies.

[jwest]

I use a metal punch and lightly remove it (media)- I then blow out the cartridge with compressed air.

[sequoia_nomad]

If the pin goes in a little bit crooked and is pushed of to the side because of the media, it's very possible that it could snap or bend because the media has nowhere else to go until you apply enough force to pop out both the media and the primer while both are under compression. I've seen some heavy duty tools ruined by the most innocent looking things before.

As others have stated, chances are very slim of anything happening. It really doesn't take much pressure at all to remove a primer. That little chunk of media will disintegrate between the metal of the decap pin and the spent primer before anything will bend. If the pin "goes in a little crooked" you probably have other problems within your die that need to be addressed, IMHO.

[JamesY]

As long as you're doing straight walled pistol cases, you're fine. otherwiee, i do what mstlaurent does.

[iareConfusE]

Cool, thanks for the responses guys.

[Oceanbob]

LOL

...you really think corn cobb would make an issue on a part that is designed to pop out a peice of metal....


cmon man

Too bad nobody has invented a way to tumble brass with 800X

[Diabolus]

Though its been around a while, this is a far superior method to get brass super clean including the primer pockets and inside. I had to order some brass recently, and the seller used this method. It's far superior to vibratory tumblers; however, it does take more work and the capacity is less.



And the steel pins (1/16" x 1/2") used for tumbling, in testing reports I have read, the actual weight of the brass was unchanged throuhg several cleaning cycles: