Rice as Tumbling Media

[Straightshooter1]

Those are pretty! Some clowns told me that a blue indication on the brass meant it was over annealed. LOL

The amount of discoloration has a lot to do with what's on surface when heated up (like oils from handling, remnants of cleaning solution, elements deposited from the flame, etc.). When brass is really clean, it's hard to get the brass to turn a color when just heated, like with induction. For the picture I posted, the blue look is being mostly a reflection from the blue box they lay in .

 

[acloco]

IMHO, corn/rice/walnut media all leave residue on brass. Sorry.........

 

[NorCalMikie]

I've used rice and it seems to work pretty well. Once it gets REAL DIRTY,
just throw it out in the field for any critters that may want it.
And I use a big Thumler's Tumbler, not a vibrator type machine. From what I've heard, it does MUCH BETTER than the vibrator units. No chance of brass settling in the bottom and not getting kicked around.

 

[chkunz]

I have tried it all and wound up with water with a small amount of Simple Green and tumble for two hours.
Dry in a toaster oven on warm for 30 minutes.

This is as good as it gets.

 

[M-61]

IMHO, corn/rice/walnut media all leave residue on brass. Sorry.........

Ok. IMHO…. that might be so. However since this cleaning step occurs prior to sizing which is prior to lubing, and I’ve always used the RCBS pad, that pad should be filthy. It’s not. Changed 2x in maybe 50 years. I wore it out not because it was dirty.
This is what I have found and what I use.
I guess that residue hasn’t affected my shooting and it’s only the group size that concerns me.

 

[Bill Norris]

Ok. IMHO…. that might be so. However since this cleaning step occurs prior to sizing which is prior to lubing, and I’ve always used the RCBS pad, that pad should be filthy. It’s not. Changed 2x in maybe 50 years. I wore it out not because it was dirty.
This is what I have found and what I use.
I guess that residue hasn’t affected my shooting and it’s only the group size that concerns me.

I feel to some degree the residue inside the necks left over from the rice/baking soda comb. is helpful with bullet seating. However, I do lightly brush before seating bullets. The feel is much smoother at any rate. Once my rounds are loaded I wipe them down with a clean micro cloth so I don't feel there is any harm from the residue.

 

[M-61]

I feel to some degree the residue inside the necks left over from the rice/baking soda comb. is helpful with bullet seating. However, I do lightly brush before seating bullets. The feel is much smoother at any rate. Once my rounds are loaded I wipe them down with a clean micro cloth so I don't feel there is any harm from the residue.

I make a pass or two in the neck with a nylon brush.
I guess checking for media also

 

[Bronsin]

I don't tumble my brass with anything at all, ever.

 

[SG4247]

Clean your AR brass before annealing in the AMP.

If you don’t, baked on carbon is the result and your 6mmAR improved, won’t be. This stuff was nearly impossible to remove.

 

[Dave M.]

I use fine ground walnut shell media and have for years. I like it better than rice or
corn husks for my tumbling. Im not big on cleaning my brass as it shoots just as well shiny or
not. YMMV....everyone seems to have their own process here.

Precisely. My brass, other than the outside of the necks every other firing, never get cleaned in a tumbler or vibe bowl.

 

[Fclassfool]

I don't tumble my brass with anything at all, ever.

Me either! If they need shining up I'll wipe them with the Krazy kloth or never dull.

 

[762plinker]

Corn cob with NOTHING on it. Gets things CLEAN. New brass doesn't come with anything on it so why add something that wasn't there from the beginning?
SS media will get stuck in the flash holes and across the inside if the necks at times. Getting it out gives you just one more time to inspect your brass for problems/defects before it gets to the loading block.
Don't have time for that "extra inspection"?
Maybe take up another hobby.

i have been a fine ground corn cob guy for years. cheapest source is BLASTING media. one 40lb bag will last a long time. try splitting with a friend

 

[big5ifty]

I've tried rice, it doesn't work better for me than fresh Lyman media.

Tumbling media is a consumable, don't be shy to toss media that's tumbled thousands of rounds.It's not meant to last forever.

 

[K22]

Precisely. My brass, other than the outside of the necks every other firing, never get cleaned in a tumbler or vibe bowl.

You know, I've been contemplating doing the same for some time now because I have a difficult time believing that tumbling adds value to performance. The simpler the reloading process the better I like it.

Sometimes we get trapped in doing something just because we have always done it. One of the values of this forum is to discover other shooters ideas that may challenge me to rethink what I'm doing. Thanks.