Brass Cleaning with SS Pins

[xring]

Just picked up a used Rotary Tumbler and it has the Pins included . I'm going to try it in the future , but I'm wondering about the Pin size . They are about 0.040 O.D. and about 0.263 Long . I will be doing mostly 223 Cases and wonder if these Pins are too long for the job . If so , what size Pins ( OD & Length ) will work best , and who Sells them ? Also what Liquid and how much Solution should I use ? TIA .

 

[#40Fan]

Try it with the pins you have first and see what happens. It won't matter what case you have, you'll end up needing to shake the pins out afterwards and possible remove the stuck sideways ones.

Hot water, 2 second squirt of dawn dish soap and a little lemi shine.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If you dont like those pins, sleeping giant brass has some different ones

 

[jepp2]

about 0.040 O.D. and about 0.263 Long

I use the Stainless Tumbling Media and their pins are ~ 0.047 x 0.255". Occasionally on 25-06 brass a pin will lodge in the case neck. Never in 223 IF you separate properly. I never found shaking the brass while underwater to work.

 

[Richard Coody]

cases look like jewelry

not for me

 

[Texas10]

I switched to this SS media. Much smaller, pours out easily, does a great job. Only drawback is some random pieces of ferrous iron that rusts. I pick them out as i see them. But much nicer polish job and much easier to use.
https://www.sleepinggiantbrass.com/STAINLESS TUMBLING MEDIA 1lb

 

[waterdog]

I switched to this SS media. Much smaller, pours out easily, does a great job. Only drawback is some random pieces of ferrous iron that rusts. I pick them out as i see them. But much nicer polish job and much easier to use.
https://www.sleepinggiantbrass.com/STAINLESS TUMBLING MEDIA 1lb

This stuff really works!

 

[divingin]

I never found shaking the brass while underwater to work.

Simply shaking the brass underwater generally won't do it. You need to get the cases mouth-down while underwater, and the pins will fall out (the surface tension that holds the pins in while above water goes away when underwater.)

I used to manually upend cases while underwater - that took quite a while. I then went to pulling pins out with the magnetic media pick-up tool. It works, but also takes a while.

I now use (well sort of, more on this below) the Frankford Arsenal rotary separator. Fill the bucket with water, pour the pins and cases in, close it up and spin the basket about 20 revolutions. It's very rare to find a pin left in the brass (occasionally I got a pin jammed crosswise in the mouth of a 308 case, usually on a second pin laying along the case wall. Maybe one in every few thousand cleaned.)

I've kind of gotten away from cleaning rifle brass; don't pick up as much range brass as I used to, and don't shoot the AR's much anymore. For bolt guns, I just hit the case necks with some bronze wool and clean the primer pockets. Pistol brass still gets washed though.

 

[Rsadams]

I have always removed the pins by shaking them under the water.... I have never found a pin in the case doing it that way... No matter what you do be sure to inspect EVERY case with a flashlight inside to make sure all the pins are out , along with the flash holes... I also use the larger pins from the company listed above....

I really only use the wet method for really nasty brass. Normally useing the Walnut or Corncob dry vibration tumbler 99% of the time... It's really a personal preference...

 

[mousegunner]

I've used a magnet but some say pins get magnetized but so far nothing yet.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I've used a magnet but some say pins get magnetized but so far nothing yet.

Frankford arsenal sells a magnet with a release handle. It will pick up a 223 case with one pin in it. It makes emptying the tumbler a lot easier when you remove most of the pins first

 

[jpx2rk]

New to the wet tumbling game, I've noticed some of the pins sticking together like they are magnetized but seem to split or break up easily when touched. I've done two loads in new set up, and not found any stray pins after drying so far.

Will the pins "stick" to the interior wall after the cases are dried??

 

[cw308]

After trying wet tumbling , l gave my dry tumbler & media to a friend . Will never go back . I use Imperial dry neck lube , come in a small jar with deads. I drop the base of the bullet into the beads then seat the bullet . Makes seating smooth. As far as Dawn dish detergent , asked my wife why she didn't use Dawn , she said Sun dish detergent works better , she was right .remove fired primers first , I use a universal depriming die . I let my tumbler run for 3 hours , brass looks brand new inside and out . I let them air Bry after wiping the down in the plastic holders that comes with store bought ammo . The first time I wet tumbled , when you remove the cover an see your brass I was amazed . It did look like jewelry.

P.S.
The pins woun't Stick to inside of case walls . What l do is what removing them from the tumbler , I shake out any pins and dump the cases in another bucket filled with warm clean water to remove any soap . The tumbler water will be pretty dirty . I dunno an rinse clean , you can leave the pins in the tumbler .

 

[Longtrain]

If you dont like those pins, sleeping giant brass has some different ones

Switched to these, after getting pins stuck in my 6MM cases. Works great, highly recommended.

 

[Chris Covell]

I love my setup.

 

[JimSC]

those pins are perfect length to stick in a 6.5 mm neck, I average 3 or 4 stuck per hundred cases also had one out of several thousand cases get a pin lodged in a Palma style .059 dia flash hole

 

[mousegunner]

New to the wet tumbling game, I've noticed some of the pins sticking together like they are magnetized but seem to split or break up easily when touched. I've done two loads in new set up, and not found any stray pins after drying so far.

Will the pins "stick" to the interior wall after the cases are dried??

I think if they stick slightly is because there was just a little soap left. Good rinse and vigorous shaking will knock them out. I always look into the cases on a loading block just in case, haven't found one yet.

 

[cw308]

I remove the cleaned cases from tumbler an drop the cases in a bucket of warm clean water . Makes them squeaky clean , I may find one across the neck or two in flash hole on 308 cases . No big deal .