Stainless chips instead of pins, pros, cons?

[Texas10]

Sounds like you don't have enough media, or too many cartridge cases in your batch. Try changing adding more media. Remember that chips migrate into the cases leaving less to cushion and polish the brass.

 

[Texas10]

When using chips for the first few times I noticed a lot of tiny scratches in the brass. This was due to the sharp corners on the chips. They wear down quickly and the final result is quite satisfactory once past that stage.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

When using chips for the first few times I noticed a lot of tiny scratches in the brass. This was due to the sharp corners on the chips. They wear down quickly and the final result is quite satisfactory once past that stage.

I read somewhere to tumble them alone for 8hrs. I did that with my pins and chips and never got any of the metalflake problems nor scratched cases

 

[Termite I]

I'm with Texas10 on not enough media. I've heard you want at least one pound of media to one pound of brass but I use a lot more media than that. SS media is definitely more aggressive than corn cob or walnut but takes a lot less time and does a better job in my opinion. I pop the primers out then clean the brass before resizing. I trim to length and chamfer as one of my last steps before loading them up.

 

[MN50Shooter]

Hi, here is what Im observing with the pins. It's leaving tiny dings or burs around the mouth of the neck. So much that I have to debur it before I can move forwards with my load. It can be a slight pain. Lol , let me know if the chips does this too.

Add, either more pins or cases per load. Then, shorten your tumble time. I run mine 3 hrs, with 7 lbs of pins, and the water level is filled up to within 1" from top of drum (Thumler's Tumbler Model B). I have never had this issue

 

[Longtrain]

Used pins for years, mainly for 223 and 308, for the most part they worked fine. Switching to a BR and Dasher, pins fit PERFECTLY in a 6mm neck. Royal PIA to go through each case. Changed to the chips, cleans fine, no stuck pins, have no fault with them at all.

 

[Rustytigwire]

Sleeping Giant Brass
Daughter helping.
couple of small wood chips, one visible, insignificant really.
Did not find any iron pieces, very clean, no fines.
5 pounds pins vs 5 pounds chips.
Thanks

 

[cw308]

I will stay with the pins.