Anyone use Stainless Steel Pellet/Pins media for cleaning brass?

[daddyseal]

I am new here, and am garing gear to reload.
I've read that corn cob and walnut are not nearly as effective as stainless steel pellets...and clean casings Inside and out...including primer hole, when they are deprimed first. And you never need to replace this media!

I have Thumlers Tumbler that is recommended, which needs 5lbs of media, plus water, etc., and brass to do job.
But I can not find stainless media for much less than $46 for 5lbs....Does ANYONE here know of a cheaper source?

thanks~

 

[amlevin]

Give this company a call. Their prices have been better and shipping for 5# will fit in a small USPS flat rate box.

http://www.pelletsllc.com/

I've been using the Stainless media for some time now and am only keeping enough ground "Iowa Toilet Paper" for some rare occasion that I might want to shine some brass that twinkles like jewelry.

The stainless media gives more of a burnished finish that's more than bright enough for me. Shinier than factory finish by a long shot. Having a spotless primer pocket and case interior is great.

 

[daddyseal]

thanks amlevin,
that is one of the places I've been looking at.

can you tell me how much the price is for 5lbs, please?
and what shipping cost was for you, friend?

 

[brian427cobra]

Nothing cleans rifle brass easier that SS media, BUT I find dirty brass(inside) shoots better, the outside needs to be clean to protect the dies, the inside doesn't matter, primer pockets clean easy enough by hand, go to a BR match and watch how the shooters clean there brass, that is all the clean brass needs, anything more is eye candy.

 

[daddyseal]

Gotcha...
I like that the SS media will last for years...without having to replace after a couple usings.
And why clean the pockets one at a time, if the SS will do them all at one time?
(I'll check some of them, and if a touchup is needed I'll ream them manually)

 

[racesnake]

I've stopped using the SS media. I use a squirt of dish washing liquid and a pinch of Lemi-Shine in hot water. Tumble for 2hrs and brass comes out looking like new on the outside without the scouring the inside.

 

[daddyseal]

You mean tumble in the big thumlers tumbler without any other media, except water and those additives?
I'll try it~!!

 

[spclark]

I'm a fan of the ss media / wet cleaning method after two seasons. Never go back to vibrator / corn / walnut media. As for the ss media price: you only need pay once & you really need five pounds in a rotary of any size....

Not yet tried using just the water solution alone but will do so with the next batch of cases. If it works, so much the better & I can save the ss pins for really dirty cases later on.

 

[STP]

I just started using the SS pins with Dawn detergent and LemiShine with water. Best cleaning method by far for the interior of the cases and primer pockets. A real time saver for me.

Regards,

Scott

 

[daddyseal]

I thought so, I also have plans to reload for my pistols of Many different calibers...
So, when I find reasonable SS, I'll buy definitely some~

Again, is re ANYPLACE I can get 5lb. for (maybe) $35?

 

[spclark]

Again, is there ANYPLACE I can get 5lb. for (maybe) $35?

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Stainless-Steel-Pin-Media-3mm/339356
$29.95 for a little more than half a pound...

http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Stainless-Steel-Pin-Media-5mm/339355
$15.95 but still only 250 grams, a little more than half a pound...

http://www.fdjtool.com/ProductInfo/47.2E_663.aspx
$39.95 for... yep, 250 grams;

http://m.grainger.com/mobile/details/?R=5UKA6
$110 for half a pound?

http://www.ishor.com/TumblingMedia.php
$110 for 1 lb.


http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/stainless-tumbling-media.html

Looks pretty good compared to othet sources, and they're a sponsor here. Their's is what I use.

 

[in2deep]

The problem folks run into with SS media is not going by the instructions and end up tumbling the brass for hours at a time with "the more the better technique" which cumulatively is hard on the brass and not necessary for clean brass.
It's not like using corn cob or walnut and would pay a new user to read the complete instructions as there are a essential (but easy) things that make it work as good as it does. Don't add too much Lemmishine but do add enough soap so that there are still suds when done tumbling.

 

[markm87]

Yeah.. the soap keeps the media flowing. I accidentally forgot the soap on one load. The media was all stick and clumpy... probably harder on the motor... and definitely not as effective at cleaning.

 

[infantrytrophy]

Again, is re ANYPLACE I can get 5lb. for (maybe) $35?

This is where I bought 5 lbs. last year for about $25, if I recall correctly:
http://www.pelletsllc.com/CutWireShot/CutWireShotSizes

Works great. The size of the little pins is about .040 x .260". They call it "stainless steel shot". The lady that I spoke with on the phone last year was very pleasant and knew exactly what size to order, once I told her what I was using it for.

5 lbs should last you a lifetime.

Randy

 

[people]

I use it. My long range loads are more consistent. When loading pistol it is easy to see into each casing at a glance to ensure everything is correct.

 

[Preacher]

As with a few of the others I'll never use anything but the SS pins...
Pay attention to the instructions and all will be good...

 

[spclark]

Yeah.. the soap keeps the media flowing.

Detergent (I use liquid laundry detergent, about a teaspoon per gallon; dishwashing 'soap' foams waayy too much IMHO & is harder to rinse off) is needed as a wetting agent. Helps to soften deposits then keep particles in suspension until the cycle is complete. The citric acid in LemiShine is used in some descaling operations in metals fabrication so for our use probably enhances the removal of tarnish, an oxidation product, as well as helping to loosen burned-on propellant residue. The SS media is simply a mechanical aid & speeds loosening & removal of crud inside & out.

I run my cleaning cycle (RCBS rotary) for 1-1/2 to 2 hours & like the results. Even cases that have been walnut-media tumbled for hours and hours that still bear external deposits and internal residue come out looking better than new.

One note: leaving a batch in the cleaning solution once the tumbler's stopped may lead to dulled brass. I think there's a mild etching happening that affects the surface apoearance on cases. To avoid this just time your activities so you're around to empty the tumbler at or near the end of a cycle & rinse the cases in plain water. Dulled cases used as-is might be a little harder to clean next time but can be polished up by running them again in a new cleaning cycle for 20 - 30 minutes.

 

[infantrytrophy]

There is another reason to use the method of cleaning brass - to make it easy to examine the inside case wall.

When you use this method, it cleans the case so that it is like new, even the inside case wall. That makes it easy to examine for case wall defects, such as the "ring", representing localized case wall thinning from excessive stretching. When that case is loaded and fired again, it will likely result in a case separation. :'(

This is more common that most guys realize with 223 brass fired in an AR. This is particularly likely to happen when the case shoulder is sized back too far. On the next firing the case stretches and thins the case wall, making it susceptible for a case wall separation.

To examine the inside case wall, shine a small bright LED flashlight up through the flash hole and look for a bright ring about 3/8" up from the case head. You could also examine for this "thin wall ring" with a tool made from a bent paper clip, but the flashlight method is better - it detects defects that are missed by the feeler tool method.

It probably makes no difference in accuracy whether the inside case walls are clean or dirty, but it is very much an advantage to be able to examine the super-clean inside case wall for excessive case stretching, particularly with 223 brass.

Randy

 

[spclark]

There is another reason to use the method of cleaning brass - to make it easy to examine the inside case wall. (snip)
It probably makes no difference in accuracy whether the inside case walls are clean or dirty, but it is very much an advantage to be able to examine the inside case wall for excessive case stretching, particularly with 223 brass.

Agreed!

I've been shooting a 6HAGAR spacegun since late 2007. The brand of case that works best (at least until Hornady's new 'factory' brass becomes available soon!!) for 600-yard loads is quite prone to this condition despite being sized for minimal shoulder bump. Other case cleaning methods flatly will not do as good a job cleaning case insides as the SS Wet method outlined.

"Candling" cases on pretty much any small flashlight is an excellent way to light up interior evidence where cases have begun to thin, well before a feeler tool might work or an external stretch ring becomes apparent... or you suffer a case separation during a match.

 

[markm87]

Detergent (I use liquid laundry detergent, about a teaspoon per gallon; dishwashing 'soap' foams waayy too much IMHO & is harder to rinse off) is needed as a wetting agent.

I'll have to try that. My tumbler was running all weekend. I've got the process down to a science.