Pins Stuck in Case After Tumbling

[jk80]

Check into chips instead of pins. They clean as well as pins and I've never had a problem with them. I only use wet tumbling with really grungy brass, ha ent found anything as quick and thorough. Any other time I use dry media. Not to hijack a thread but has anyone used brass juice?

 

[AlNyhus]

Not this one!

I pegged 'ya as a savvy sort right away. -Al

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I wash(tumble no pins) hot water,jungle Jake cleaner brass that has been on the ground. I recently purchased a small ultrasonic cleaner, using it for small batches(under 50) because it's faster and the pockets are cleaner.

 

[Zero333]

Once I have all the brass primed on the tray, I take a flashlight and look down each piece of brass to make sure I see the primers through the flash-holes and this gives me the benefit of catching anything else that could be stuck in the case.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Also be careful if you use the dry media that you dip the case neck into the ceramic balls. Those balls can lodge in the case mouth.

 

[Jarhead6870]

Spread the cases out and run a strong magnet over them. Cases with pins remaining in them will become evident

 

[Screamer]

I was cleaning .223 brass in my stainless pin tumbler and discovered this situation…….
while placing the brass mouth down in my loading block something caught my eye in one of the flash holes…… it was a stainless pin inside the case stuck width wise across the flash hole, I thought maybe it was a one off situation but I checked the other 49 pieces and found 5 more, which got me thinking about the thousands of rounds of 223 I’ve cleaned and loaded and the occasional unexplained flyers I’ve had, what happens to that pin when I pull the trigger, the primer can’t be hot enough to melt stainless but can the ignition of the powder charge melt it, if not it’s going down the barrel, will it damage the bore????
wow

I've bore scoped a barrel that had a stainless pin from tumbling go down it....a very effective way to destroy an excellent Lilja barrel.

Why shooters obsess over surgically clean cases is one of shootings great mysteries.

I agree with what AL is saying here.
Brass does need to be cleaned from time to time for sake of reloading dies & sizing, & smooth chambering in a given rifle. I guess some people like shiney, perty ammo, but it don't make it shoot better. Been reloading for 45 + years and corn cob media & a quality cleaning solution works fine. I have never understood the logic of cleaning soft metal (brass) with a harder metal (SS). Kinda like washing your car with a SOS pad. Just sayin.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Brass Juice is you friend if you want clean shiny brass.

 

[SKWERLZ]

It absolutely will go down the bore, and the next bullet will iron it into the bore. Get rid of the pins. Clean brass is not worth messing up a barrel.

^^^^^^^

 

[Webster]

Check into chips instead of pins. They clean as well as pins and I've never had a problem with them. I only use wet tumbling with really grungy brass, ha ent found anything as quick and thorough. Any other time I use dry media. Not to hijack a thread but has anyone used brass juice?

You got me worried. Will look inside every case with a flash light from now on. I don't mind spending the time on inspection.

 

[Steel Mover]

I got rid of my tumbler and went to a straight vibratory cleaner and dry media. I shake my brass in a colander dipper then pour it a colander with 1/4" holes drilled in it. I still pop each piece of brass on the mouth, on the wood bench, prior to trimming. Metal in empty brass will tear up a FL die on a Dillon....the exact reason I stopped using the tumbler. It was the night before a match, was in a rush, and I had no match ammo to shoot, at the match, that ended that business right then and there.

 

[6MMsteve]

A quick wipe with Acetone is all I do anymore, but sometimes I tumble rumble but not much

 

[whatsupdoc]

If you clean with steel pins you have to inspect the cases. I do it after priming with the cases in
a loading block, I use an illuminated magnifier that is attached to the bench to quickly inspect
every case.

Firing a round with pin(s) in the case will yield different results. Some will travel down the barrel
some will stay in the case and some will fall out of the case during extraction into the chamber preventing a new round from chambering. Ask me how I know this!

The worse culprits are 223 where the pins get stuck in the bottom of the case right in front of the flash hole and 25 caliber rounds where the pin is the exact same length as the inside of the fired case neck.

 

[jpx2rk]

I use one of these to separate the pins from the brass during the rinse cycle. Never found a pin in a case when processing the brass after being dried.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1016958652?pid=27190

 

[farmerjohn]

It absolutely will go down the bore, and the next bullet will iron it into the bore. Get rid of the pins. Clean brass is not worth messing up a barrel.

Wait till they see what one of those pins will do to a brand new $1500 induction annealing machine ...........John

 

[bozo699]

This might sound strange, but I have not cleaned a case in 20 years.

Even though I have. shot thousands and thousands of rounds of 6PPC and 30BR in competition.

^^^^^^^^^^
This!…..
Wayne

 

[DShortt]

I tumble all range brass I get in SS pins before I do anything with citric acid, Dawn dish washing liquid and Armorall wash and wax added to the water. That's the only time I clean brass that way and once my inspection and prep process is finished I'm confident there's no way anything is left in those cases. I also only use range brass for situations where I think it's likely I won't recover all the cases and perhaps none.

 

[Pres100]

I don't stress about SS tumbling at all. I've tumbled 10,000+ pieces (pistol and rifle) with pins, and while I have seen a few stick in the case, it's no where near multiple pieces per load ... I inspect every case and it's pretty rare that I even find one. I never obsess about shine or over cleaning and usually just do the minimum...High volume gas gun rounds get pretty dirty and no way I'm running uncleaned rounds through the dies. Also no way I'm hand wiping each piece!

Although I mostly dry tumble (also minimally without obsessing over shine) still have to check flash holes. I've also messed up putting liquid polish in and then putting the brass in too soon ... the insides got caked with clumps of polish and corn cob!

Different needs for different people and applications, but bottom line is reloading demands paying attention at every step.

I am interested in what farmerjohn mentioned ... what happens when pin is annealed along with Brass in the AMP??

 

[BP1]

Brass Juice is you friend if you want clean shiny brass.

This is what I use in a wet tumbler

 

[Tommie]

Hate those damn pins