SS Wet Tumbling Outstanding Recommendation

[urbanrifleman]

Have you annealed any after cleaning them with the chemical guy’s stuff? Would like to know if there was any scorched reside after annealing.

It is not that kind of waxing. I would not expect to see anything any different, but I do not anneal.

 

[Doug Beach]

Which detergent results in the smallest group size?

 

[urbanrifleman]

Which detergent results in the smallest group size?

On a serious note, my best brass I do not clean very much at all, and sits very little, so I don't care what it looks like. So, for me I will say dirty brass is actually better than clean. Being obsessed with clean brass can actually cause more problems than it solves.

So, on the whole, none.

 

[acloco]

Clean brass propagates clean EVERYTHING else - dies, presses, chambers, and...and..and.

Picked up some car wash this afternoon. I don't have any dirty brass at the moment though. Will try to fix that over the next week or so.

 

[Hoot]

I'm a fool for chemicals. Got more lubes and solvents than you can shake a stick at. Ordered a bottle of the Chemical Guys stuff and will give it a try once comfortable shooting weather returns in 3-4 months. Everything's clean right now. Worst come to worst, I'll use it on my truck.

Hoot

 

[jpx2rk]

Which detergent results in the smallest group size?

Certainly not anything from a discount store. Boutique stuff only.

 

[M-61]

I have always used a vibratory cleaner with walnut media. Been reading for a few years now about wet tumbling and stainless steel type media.

I'm ready to spend the money and switch but I was wondering what amount, I should expect the size of my group to shrink?

I have 3 BR rifles. 222, 6BR, 30 BR. They will all shoot in the 2's fairly consistently and in the 1's if EVERY single thing is going for me. (Not that often)

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I have always used a vibratory cleaner with walnut media. Been reading for a few years now about wet tumbling and stainless steel type media.

I'm ready to spend the money and switch but I was wondering what amount, I should expect the size of my group to shrink?

I have 3 BR rifles. 222, 6BR, 30 BR. They will all shoot in the 2's fairly consistently and in the 1's if EVERY single thing is going for me. (Not that often)

SS pins will improve your groups IF you do your part

 

[urbanrifleman]

I'm not sure Advanced Auto Parts counts as boutique.

 

[Oso]

Alright - I felt like trying something different. I dropped by my local Auto Zone and they had 2 bottles. A description of the bottles of the Citrus Wash & Gloss that I found was that it contained a lighter liguid (chartreuse neon yellow) floating at the top of bottle and a thicker buttery thick conditioner-like substance sitting at the bottom. The 1st bottle was 70% Buttery at bottom and 30 % Neon yellow liquid on top. The 2nd bottle had 20% Buttery conditioner at bottom and 80% Neon yellow liquid on top. I was concerned about QC and what was the appropriate/desired mixture. Not knowing the answer, I put both bottles back on the shelf and drove 3 miles to the next Auto Zone. What are the odds that the2nd store would also have 2 bottles that looked identical in disproportional fills as the 1st Auto Zone?! I choose the bottle with the significantly greater volume of conditioner substance at the bottom, which I assumed was some form of soap/wax.

My first impression running the same brass for same time in side by side tumblers both with equal amounts of brass (250 cases), water, lemishine (1/4 tspn) and steel pins. The only difference was one tumbler had Dawn (3 drops) and the other tumber had Citrus Wash & Gloss (e drops, bottle shaken well until homogenous solution). My .223 brass already had an initial cleaning, and this was a rinse to remove lube during case prep, remove any brass trimmings, and clean out primer pockets. After a quick 20 minutes of tumbling, I can tell the difference between the two loads was a 20% shine.

I ran a complete second load with only Citrus Wash & Gloss... the outcome was the same.... Emptied and refilled with fresh water and Dawn to get it back to where I want it. The Citrus Wash & Gloss didn't generate any foam, which I believe is critical to pull away carbon/grease/soot from the cases as they tumble. This may not be a big deal for bolt guns, but if you shoot suppressed AR15 then you know how important this is to getting cases back to clean brass color for reloading.

Sorry for negative review... I really was looking for something that would not only clean but also provide a protective coat. Maybe if I had grabbed the bottle with 70-80% neon yellow liquid and 20-30% thicker conditioner-ish material at bottom the outcome would be totally different.

Edit: I feel really bad about the negative review. I am running a third load comparison to see if the outcome is different.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Alright - I felt like trying something different. I dropped by my local Auto Zone and they had 2 bottles. A description of the bottles of the Citrus Wash & Gloss that I found was that it contained a lighter liguid (chartreuse neon yellow) floating at the top of bottle and a thicker buttery thick conditioner-like substance sitting at the bottom. The 1st bottle was 70% Buttery at bottom and 30 % Neon yellow liquid on top. The 2nd bottle had 20% Buttery conditioner at bottom and 80% Neon yellow liquid on top. I was concerned about QC and what was the appropriate/desired mixture. Not knowing the answer, I put both bottles back on the shelf and drove 3 miles to the next Auto Zone. What are the odds that the2nd store would also have 2 bottles that looked identical in disproportional fills as the 1st Auto Zone?! I choose the bottle with the significantly greater volume of conditioner substance at the bottom, which I assumed was some form of soap/wax.

My first impression running the same brass for same time in side by side tumblers both with equal amounts of brass (250 cases), water, lemishine (1/4 tspn) and steel pins. The only difference was one tumbler had Dawn (3 drops) and the other tumber had Citrus Wash & Gloss (e drops, bottle shaken well until homogenous solution). My .223 brass already had an initial cleaning, and this was a rinse to remove lube during case prep, remove any brass trimmings, and clean out primer pockets. After a quick 20 minutes of tumbling, I can tell the difference between the two loads was a 20-30% shine.

I ran a complete second load with only Citrus Wash & Gloss... the outcome was the same.... Emptied and refilled with fresh water and Dawn to get it back to where I want it.

Dawn won hands down... The Citrus Wash & Gloss didn't generate any foam, which is critical to pull away and keep carbon/grease/soot separated from the cases as they tumble. If you shoot suppressed AR15 then you know how important this is to getting cases back to clean brass color for reloading.

Sorry for negative review... I really was looking for something that would not only clean but also provide a protective coat. Maybe if I had grabbed the bottle with 70-80% neon yellow liquid and 20-30% thicker conditioner-ish material at bottom the outcome would be totally different.

Use real lemon from your fridge for your citric acid to get that jewelry type shine.

 

[Oso]

Round 3

I did another side by side. During this round each tumbler got 4 fat drops of either Dawn or Citrus Wash & Gloss. The tumbler with Citrus Wash & Gloss had a thin head of bubbles compared to Dawn's foam head, which was thicker and stronger cohesion between bubbles. +1 Point to Dawn

I ran the tumbler for 20 minutes and the results were both tumblers were clean. However, Dawn continues to produces a cleaner more polished brass case. +1 Dawn

Dawn Tumbler


Citrus Wash & Gloss Tumbler

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Round 3

I did another side by side. During this round each tumbler got 4 fat drops of either Dawn or Citrus Wash & Gloss. The tumbler with Citrus Wash & Gloss had a thin head of bubbles compared to Dawn's foam head, which was thicker and stronger cohesion between bubbles. +1 Point to Dawn

I ran the tumbler for 20 minutes and the results were both tumblers were clean. However, Dawn continues to produces a cleaner more polished brass case. +1 Dawn

Dawn Tumbler
View attachment 1221455

Citrus Wash & Gloss Tumbler
View attachment 1221456

Try one with a dishwasher packet and some real lemon from the fridge (bout a tbsp). Then youll be impressed

 

[Oso]

I have a whole new medium bottle of Dawn (Blue) that will last for another 100K of brass and a new bottle of Lemishine to go with it. I save fresh produce for mixed drinks or to squeeze over my food. Brass cleaning stuff gets to live in the attic when not in use.

My sense is the main difference between the two cleaners was that Dawn pulled away grease and residue out of the solution allowing brass to become cleaner..

 

[Texas10]

On a serious note, my best brass I do not clean very much at all, and sits very little, so I don't care what it looks like. So, for me I will say dirty brass is actually better than clean. Being obsessed with clean brass can actually cause more problems than it solves.

So, on the whole, none.

I'm with you, on both counts. I wet tumble with SS media, but I've switched to RCBS concentrate because it leaves the brass shiny longer. I'll do this for long storage brass.

BUT, i don't clean my match brass, preferring the leave the carbon/graphite in the necks because it shoots more consistently.

 

[Oso]

I shoot a lot of suppressed gas guns....everything gets dirty even the first 3 or 4 unfired cases still in the magazine look like Russian enameled steel cases. I see comments on steel tumbling for 2-4 hours????!!!! I take a fraction of that time with barely any effort and consistently have very clean brass.

Before any tumbling happens, I run all my brass through/under a magnet to catch any steel cases. The moment you open the tumbler the smell is a giveaway that you overlooked a Russian steel case and then the motor oil black bubbles are the next clue. The enamel coating will create chaos that takes a huge amount of effort to undue... wiping down the container until no more black grease comes off and then having to run a cycle with just the canister and steel pins to clean them up and then finally re-running the screwed up brass to get it clean.

1) Load tumbler half way full with brass, and then add steel pins.
2) Add warm tap water until tumbler is 80% full and then tamp/rock/agitate the tumbler so that the water enters the cases and release the trapped air. Expect water level to drop significantly with rifle brass.
3) Top off with water until tumbler is 80% full.
4) Add 4 drops of Dawn dish soap and 1/4 tspn Lemishine.

Pistol & Bolt Rifle brass - tumble for 25 minutes and comes out looking like Pirates' Treasure.

AR10/AR15 brass - tumble for 45 minutes. If brass is horrible and looks like someone set tires on fire on top of the brass (all super dirty suppressed brass) then I might change out the dirty water after 30 minutes, and refill with clean water and a couple of drops of Dawn and continue tumbling for the remaining 15 minutes.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Alright - I felt like trying something different. I dropped by my local Auto Zone and they had 2 bottles. A description of the bottles of the Citrus Wash & Gloss that I found was that it contained a lighter liguid (chartreuse neon yellow) floating at the top of bottle and a thicker buttery thick conditioner-like substance sitting at the bottom. The 1st bottle was 70% Buttery at bottom and 30 % Neon yellow liquid on top. The 2nd bottle had 20% Buttery conditioner at bottom and 80% Neon yellow liquid on top. I was concerned about QC and what was the appropriate/desired mixture. Not knowing the answer, I put both bottles back on the shelf and drove 3 miles to the next Auto Zone. What are the odds that the2nd store would also have 2 bottles that looked identical in disproportional fills as the 1st Auto Zone?! I choose the bottle with the significantly greater volume of conditioner substance at the bottom, which I assumed was some form of soap/wax.

My first impression running the same brass for same time in side by side tumblers both with equal amounts of brass (250 cases), water, lemishine (1/4 tspn) and steel pins. The only difference was one tumbler had Dawn (3 drops) and the other tumber had Citrus Wash & Gloss (e drops, bottle shaken well until homogenous solution). My .223 brass already had an initial cleaning, and this was a rinse to remove lube during case prep, remove any brass trimmings, and clean out primer pockets. After a quick 20 minutes of tumbling, I can tell the difference between the two loads was a 20% shine.

I ran a complete second load with only Citrus Wash & Gloss... the outcome was the same.... Emptied and refilled with fresh water and Dawn to get it back to where I want it. The Citrus Wash & Gloss didn't generate any foam, which I believe is critical to pull away carbon/grease/soot from the cases as they tumble. This may not be a big deal for bolt guns, but if you shoot suppressed AR15 then you know how important this is to getting cases back to clean brass color for reloading.

Sorry for negative review... I really was looking for something that would not only clean but also provide a protective coat. Maybe if I had grabbed the bottle with 70-80% neon yellow liquid and 20-30% thicker conditioner-ish material at bottom the outcome would be totally different.

Edit: I feel really bad about the negative review. I am running a third load comparison to see if the outcome is different.

I use at least a tablespoon, if not a bit more. You are using three drops? Like drops? That seems like very little.

It's cool if you dont think it cleans as well. But since it is half wax, you have to use more I suppose, I got all kinds of foam. And the water is BLACK. Which is my cleaning indicator.

I don't have any pictures from my last batch of 223, but the primer pockets were at least as clean as Dawn. But like I said, I assumed it was half wax and used an amount appropriate. Super shiny.

I didn't get it to make it shinier I got it for the added wax coating. But my results got the cases at least the same amount of shine. But I used a healthy squirt the size of a silver dollar at least.

 

[10at6]

I use the armor all car wash..works great

 

[sparky123321]

Dawn, Lemi Shine and hot water for me.

I use a Dillon media separator to rinse and remove the pins. I place the separator under an outside faucet and let it rip. I keep the water running as I turn the handle. I normally tip the bucket once or twice to get a more complete rinse. Then I do a final rinse/spin by adding a little dissolved Lemi Shine into the bucket with the water off. A final tip of the bucket and spin and they're clean, shiny, all the pins are separated and as much water as possible has been removed.

I then place the cases in a bath towel and roll them back and forth to remove more water. Then air dry on a dry towel. If it's summer I place the towel on the ground in front of the dehumidifier in the basement.

I usually don't end up with any spots but really don't care if I do because I just deprime my brass before cleaning in SS pins. After they are clean and dry I spray with a little Royal Case Sizing Lube, full length or neck size and then 5-10 in corn cob to remove the sizing lube.

If I plan to anneal I do that before sizing obviously.

 

[se3388]

Urban
I use the same separator and it works great. I have been tumbling brass since about 1978 in crushed Walnut shells with additives but a couple of years ago I built a SS pin tumbler and haven't even thought about going back to dry tumbling. I use about 5 good drops of Dawn and a 25 acp case of Lemishine and brass is great. I might try Citrus Wash & Gloss from Advanced Auto for the wax.

Steve........