pros/con tumbled brass?

[patgblue]

Is it best to tumble your cases? Some say before and after sizing.What is the scoop.Any suggestion on model of tumbler would be appreciated.Bench rest shooters what is tour take on cleaning brass?

 

[dreever]

Tumbling seems to have fallen out of favor since Jason came up with the ultra sonic cleaning system. Personally I'm a lazy and it just seems like to much fooling around for me so I've stuck with tumbling.

What I do is size and de-prime the brass then into the tumbler they go.

There is a possibility that treated media, especially walnut shell with the added oils from the shells themselves MAY leave enough residue inside the cases to polish out the throat upon repeated firings, after all that treatment is a polish. I say again MAY, as I've no proof one way or another. I don't take any chances so I use untreated corn cob media from Sinclair's. I just leave the cases in longer. Usually in the neighborhood of 24 hours, or more. It's in the basement, out of the way so the noise dosen't bother anyone. It does the work, while I do something else.
As to which tumbler, I have a Lyman 1200 that's served me well for years and years without any problems. It's just like the "Energizer Bunny" it just keeps running and running.

Jason's system does get things squeaky clean inside and out, including the primer pockets if's that's what you need. Hopefully some others will chime in here with their comments.

Danny

 

[patgblue]

Thanks for the response on this topic.Bench rest pros what is the hot set up and why? StephenPerry I'm sure you have some good advise on this tumbler topic.Any info appreciated.

 

[AlNyhus]

I don't take any steps at all to clean my brass. After firing, I wipe the case neck with some 0000 steel wool, clean the primer pocket with a Ron Hoehn tool, brush the inside of the case neck 3-4 times with a worn out bronze brush, dab some Imperial lube on the case, send 'em up the f.l. die through a non-TiN coated steel neck bushing, wipe 'em off and load 'em up.

At the end of the season, I'll give my cases a more involved cleaning by soaking them in a mixture of vinegar, water and dish soap. I avoid tumbling cases like the plague as I've seen several instances where residual tumbling media has damaged sizing and seating dies resulting in the die transfering small scratches to the cases.

I guess I've never understood the fascination with having ultra-clean cases...in fact, there is some evidence to support the case for powder residue in the case necks adding a bit of lubricity to the seating process.

Case cleaning is another one of those things where if you really feel it makes a difference, you'll shoot better. Confidence in your stuff is a good thing...even if it doesn't always make sense to someone else. :thumb:

Good shootin'. -Al

 

[StephenPerry]

Al
I'm glad you put your name on this first. I do essentially the same except I make new brass a couple times a season. I remember one of my shooting mates was selling used brass well seasoned from shooting. He is tumbler of brass. I looked at the shiny gold pieces of well used 6 PPC Lapua brass. Where I want a sharp feel between the shoulder and body of the cases he know had 6 PPC Weatherby cases. I looked at him with his pressed clothes and wilcat PPC cases and said NO.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

 

[memilanuk]

I think some of it depends on the volume you are shooting, and how bad the powdery you use fouls.

For my bulk-loaded .223 Rem & .308 Win, or my hunting ammo,stuff loaded on the Dillon 550), I have a great big Dillon tumbler that I load up w/ rice. Thats right, rice. Cheap,$12 for a 50# bag @ Costco), works pretty damn well, and not nearly the dust problem I was having w/ walnut or corn cob. Varget tends to leave some nasty hard powder fouling that just doesn't like to come off easily as compared to some other powders.

For my match stuff... brass sorted into little batches and all that, I tend to be a little nicer. Something like the steel wool treatment mentioned above works pretty well. Then again, I'm processing this stuff in batches of 50, max. Doing that for say, 500,or 5000) cases would be a losing proposition in my mind.

YMMV,

Monte