Lesson learned: Separate small pistol brass from large BEFORE tumbling

[asm_]

How about those 9mm x 18mm brass? You can're really tell them apart from the regular 9mm until you started seating bullet.

[klewan]

How about those 9mm x 18mm brass? You can're really tell them apart from the regular 9mm until you started seating bullet.

I've never seen a brass case Makarov round; I guess they exist and would sneak into the 9mm as well. I've only seen/shot the copper washed steel case stuff, those you don't even pick up.

Just remembered, cut down 9mm brass was the first Makarov brass. Starline started making Makarov brass about '94, but you never found it at the range with the way Makarov's fling brass.

[tiller]

I never seperate before tumbling...

I just dump the brass bucket into the tumbler...

Only usually have a couple that get stuck... No big deal

[Fishslayer]

Ugh, .380 is my nemesis. Every once in a while I'll accidentally pick them up at the range and not notice they aren't 9mm.

Sort by hand enough and you can almost always tell when you get one of the little buggers.

Someone told me you could mix a batch by putting the large caliber in first. They will fill with media & the smaller ones won't fit inside.

Ummmm.... no.

[noylj]

When I come back from the range, I deprime and inspect each case (you do inspect each case, right?) and then place each in a container for that cartridge.
I can not think of any way to make the process any faster and still inspect each case. Even if I sorted by size with the plastic sifters, I still need to separate cartridges of nearly the same size and I still need to inspect each case.
Now, some say that it is easier to inspect after cleaning. I have not found that to be true as bulges and cracks can be seen and felt, clean or "dirty."

[chknlyps2]

9 fits into .40, .40 fits into .45.... its like one of those chinese puzzles that fit together when you were a kid.

My .44 mag brass always gets put back in the same box after I shoot it, its easy with a revolver but some how a .40 got in with a batch that I tumbled, it was far enough in that you could not see it and when I went to decap it drove that .40 to the bottom and its stuck hard. The die resized the top half of the .44 on the way down and now it has a bulge on the bottom half, it looks funny.

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1370871650.463008.jpg
This is the rack I use to sort my brass. It is approx 14 inches square and an inch or so deep. The dividers are removable and it's made from scraps, except for the 1/4 inch tempered hard board. Cases go in upside down so I can verify the lp from the sp 45 brass. Differences in lengths are obvious and easily out sorted. This rack was originally built for small parts storage.

[bruce381]

thats a cool setup but I don't have the time.

I bag each caliber at the range and shoot only 1 caliber at a time. So whem home bags are already sorted, the problems come from range brass I sweep up but that goes into its own bag, so only 1 bag to sort.