This was range brass that my wife and I picked up, which was everything we saw. Harbor Freight wet tumbler, 1/8" diagonal stainless tumbling media, chemicals and 4 hours of time. Very happy with the results.
New: First Time Cleaning Brass
- Thread starter pontiac2m8
- Start date
It's a good start. Four hours is a little long, I've bought and sold atleast two and a half tons of range brass.
I use the larger Frankford Arsenal Platinum a wet tumbler.
A half a teaspoon of the Lemishine Booster
A cap full of ArmorAll Wash n Wax
And a small squirt of Dawm dish soap.
And hot tap water.
I only let it run for an hour, drain it and rince it a few times until the water comes out clean the fill it back up with hot tap water and add another cap full of ArmorAll Wash n Wax and let it run for another fifteen minutes.
Then I'll rince it again and hang the brass on my drying racks.
I just tumbled a hundred pounds of range brass last weekend.
I use the larger Frankford Arsenal Platinum a wet tumbler.
A half a teaspoon of the Lemishine Booster
A cap full of ArmorAll Wash n Wax
And a small squirt of Dawm dish soap.
And hot tap water.
I only let it run for an hour, drain it and rince it a few times until the water comes out clean the fill it back up with hot tap water and add another cap full of ArmorAll Wash n Wax and let it run for another fifteen minutes.
Then I'll rince it again and hang the brass on my drying racks.
I just tumbled a hundred pounds of range brass last weekend.
Nice yeah I looked at it after 2 hours and the primer pockets on some were still dirty.
6.5 forever
Silver $$ Contributor
Wow you guys go to a lot of work and it does look nice. If you are selling the brass I'm sure it makes for happy customers!
Done ALL the stuff out there and ended up going back to corncob/walnut media mix in a standard tumbler.
I have Wet tumbled with SS pins.
I have UT cleaned.
Now I'm back to the good ol tumbling with corncob and walnut mixd.
It's what the targets told me they prefer. So I'm not going to argue against a target.
Edit:... Stainless steel wet tumbling is for extremely corroded range brass that's been laying for a few years over a few winters/summers etc.
I have Wet tumbled with SS pins.
I have UT cleaned.
Now I'm back to the good ol tumbling with corncob and walnut mixd.
It's what the targets told me they prefer. So I'm not going to argue against a target.
Edit:... Stainless steel wet tumbling is for extremely corroded range brass that's been laying for a few years over a few winters/summers etc.
I actually didn't expect it to get that clean. I am not worried about shiny but it was a cool surprise.
Back in the day I wanted a V8 converted Fiero. 2 seater 8 cylinder. Just a screen name that has stuck with me. Lol
Thanks for the feedback!
bozo699
Gold $$ Contributor
100% spot on and what most competitive 600 and 1000 yard competitors do!… shiny brass don’t win matches alone.
Wayne
Dave M.
F-Open Class shooter (284 win, 6dasher, 6.5-7PRCW)
lol. Cleaned brass rarely wins either.
bozo699
Gold $$ Contributor
Dave,
That’s actually what I wrote but didn’t want to hear the garbage so added the alone but now that you said it,… yes it rarely wins as it has no carbon in the necks that is crucial to consistent bullet release!
Wayne
Agreed, the carbon needs to be left in the inside of the case as much as possible, I use to dry tumble with various mixes, but the dust removal is something I wanted to get away from, I purchases an FA large barrel wet tumbler, using SS pins and squirt of Dawn dish soap only, I run the timer for short intervals and check the cases to see how much fouling is removed from the outside, once their clean enough for me? Which is pretty clean! the inside of the cases still retains a lot of the carbon in the neck aera that I want to keep! YMMV
I should have clarified. I don't clean any of my bolt action brass once they come out of my gun. Lube, resize, and reload! .223 I pick up or 308/6.5 range brass I wet tumble the first time to get sand and other "stuff" off.
All pistol brass gets clean each time. Just easier that way. We shoot a LOT of 9mm and 38 super. All of that ends up on the ground before it is picked up.
All pistol brass gets clean each time. Just easier that way. We shoot a LOT of 9mm and 38 super. All of that ends up on the ground before it is picked up.
I don't tumble any brass I clean the outside of the necks with a Krazy kloth and load them up
Everyone has their own way of brass prep and their own beliefs on the subject, so what ever floats your boat have at it.
I want clean brass with no crud on them so wet tumbling is my preferred way.
I've dry tumbled a load of brass in corn cob and tumbled a load in walnut media.
I then wet tumbled these in the Frankford Arsenal Platinum rotary tumbler and the water came out just as black as dirty range brass.
Most of us don't shoot 600 yards so we don't worry about having crud on our cases.
I want clean brass with no crud on them so wet tumbling is my preferred way.
I've dry tumbled a load of brass in corn cob and tumbled a load in walnut media.
I then wet tumbled these in the Frankford Arsenal Platinum rotary tumbler and the water came out just as black as dirty range brass.
Most of us don't shoot 600 yards so we don't worry about having crud on our cases.
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