Tumbling Brass

[PLINK]

I use one of these.

http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/23659/catid/8/Dillon__039_s_CV_500_Vibratory_Case_Cleaner

Yep, it is not cheap but it does work very well.

[What Just Happened?]

I picked up a tumbler from harbor freight for $40. The capacity's okay. I don't have that much brass to tumble... yet. Going to the indoor range is awesome. A bunch of people who don't reload and like to throw their brass away.

I've been tumbling with walnut from a pet store (or walmart) and a capfull of NuFinish car wax. The walnut shells are intended for lining pet cages as a sort of litter for birds and lizards.

So far, two hours has been working well for me. Thanks guys for your input, I really appreciate it.

[Turbinator]

So far, two hours has been working well for me. Thanks guys for your input, I really appreciate it.

I personally find 1.5 hours to be enough.

Turby

[thebloodsonthewall]

you get what you pay for!

I own one of these, and i can vouch that it is good!

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...0012545215277a

I order that one from Midway earlier this week. It was on sale for $69. I am going to go to the pet store and get some media and Nu finish from target or wherever I end up first.

[hawk81]

About 3 hours will do. If it's new corn cobb.

[Chaingun]

~1 hour, but I don't expect ultra shinny brass

For case lube about 20-30min

[Rule .308]

Does anybody know if the Nu-finish has any ammonia in it? I tumble my stuff anywhere from a couple of hours to overnight depending upon how dirty it is and how beat down my media is at the time. I always tumble it for however long it takes to make it really shiney and then just long enough to get the lube and what not off of it, usually no more than an hour.

[What Just Happened?]

I hope it doesn't. A lot of people recommend it and swear by it.

[rue]

I leave my tumbler on over night for good measure.

[bug_eyedmonster]

Sorry to bring this back up from the dead... I just got a tumbler as well, and hope to start reloading soon. How often do you guys change out the media and how often do you add more polish to the media? I've yet to actually start tumbling, but I bought a Dillon CV-500, the Dillon brash polish, and walnut media. Sorry for the retarded newb questions...

Jerry

[jandmtv]

you change out the media when you notice it takes too long to clean the brass, you can add a cap full of polish every time you tumble fired brass, but don't add any when you are tumbling the case lube off the cases after resizing.

i would pick up some corn cob media instead of walnut, it polishes the brass much better than walnut.

[bug_eyedmonster]

you change out the media when you notice it takes too long to clean the brass, you can add a cap full of polish every time you tumble fired brass, but don't add any when you are tumbling the case lube off the cases after resizing.

i would pick up some corn cob media instead of walnut, it polishes the brass much better than walnut.

Thanks for the info, I'll use up the 5 pounds of the walnut stuff first, then I'll swith over to corn. Will I need to resize cases for handgun rounds? If I remember correctly, someone also mentioned to tumble with the primers in, and then punch them out. But since I don't have a press (saving up for a Dillon 1050), I'm just going to get the brass cleaned up. I can just seal the clean brass in a freezer bag, right?

Jerry

[jandmtv]

this is how i do it

tumble fired brass (with primers in) for 1-2 hours
lube
resize/deprime
trim (if needed)
clean/uniform primer pockets (if needed)
deburr flash hole (if not previously done)
tumble again 4-8 hours

and i store the clean brass in large ziploc bags.


good luck.

[ibanezfoo]

I just throw it in the tumbler in the morning, go do some yardwork and come back and check on it. Usually after a few hours it is good to go. Sucks cleaning out the media from the casings though, at least on stuff like .223.

-Bryan

[ar15barrels]

Sucks cleaning out the media from the casings though, at least on stuff like .223.

Get a rotary media seperator.
Makes quick work of getting all the media out.