Tumbling Brass

[wkdickinson]

When you do this use a NIOSH respirator. There’s lead dust in that. Which is why I switched to wet tumbling.

Assuming you are shooting jacketed bullets, where does the lead come from?

 

[riflewoman]

The primer is the culprit.

 

[46and2]

I've been putting used dryer sheets in my tumbler. It's amazing how two old dryer sheets cleans up the media and eliminates the dust...and static.

No really sure why I started doing it but I wish I had been doing it all along!

 

[Scott Harris]

Same here. I really like the results I get with white rice. It gets the primer pockets cleaned out pretty well and does a good job on the outside of the case while still leaving some carbon coating on the inside. Initially, I used long grain rice, but way to many flash holes of my .308 cases get plugged (long grain probably works ok with smaller flash holes). Switched to medium grain white rice and problem solved where hardly any flash holes get a part of a grain of rice stuck in it and just a few more might get stuck in the primer pocket, but easily and quickly removed.

I'm a little surprised more people don't use rice, but maybe it's just not as available in a lot of places ???

This is the correct answer. Once you try medium grain rice, you won't go back to walnut, corn-cob, or wet tumbling. I use a mixture of 75% rice, 25% corn cob. My SDs are lower than they have ever been and I attribute that to the brass cleaning technique. Minimal to no dust with rice because it absorbs the dirt. it will stop cleaning when fully impregnated with debris...throw it out and start again. I am so thankful a friend clued me in to this awesome cleaning method.

 

[Sieg]

Years ago I started with walnut medium specifically sold for cleaning brass and it performed well. Recently I switched to corn media and felt the performance was relatively close to walnut. I just ran 3k plus .223 cases and the corn media was pretty dirty, so I bought a 25lb box of fine walnut blasting media from Harbor Freight. The HF walnut barely touched the finish on the same lot of brass after 4 hours in my vibratory tumbler. Went and bought more Hornady corn media and ran the same brass for 2 hours and it cleaned up great. The corn media definitely produces more dust in my experiences, but it's tolerable.

I'd never heard of using white rice, I'll definitely be trying that with corn media in the future. Thanks for the tip.

Unlike the 25lbs of HF walnut I have, if the rice doesn't work at least I can eat it.

 

[ToddKS]

I wear a GVS Eclipse P100 respirator any time I am dealing with tumbling media. I also do not tumble inside my home. I tumble in the garage where I can routinely blow out any dust (while also wearing my respirator). I have other respirators with higher ratings for vapors but the P100 is less bulky, more comfortable, and sufficient for dust exposure.

 

[Oso]

Another potential source of lead could be the result of the type of bullet. Other than the most obvious source being cast lead bullets, there are a fair number of copper coated/jacketed bullets that actually do not fully encase the entire bullet (not FMJ's). The average shooter wouldn't know from store bought ammo without pulling some bullets to determine it. I see this occuring most often with pistol ammo, but less often with rifle ammo (223/5.56 ammo). For pistol bullets the jackets aren't FMJ and either exposed lead in the case of a hollow points at the tip of the bullet (hollow center cavity) or round nose then the base is left uncovered. The same holds true for rifle, spitzer lead nose or the bottom of the bullet is exposed lead. If you're picking up range brass then there might be chance of this...

In both rifle and pistol the exposed lead base gets vaporized to some degree. I believe most of it ends up in the exhaust vapors exiting the barrel, but traces may get left in the barrel or even the case. By no means is the amount of lead vaporized the same as an uncoated cast bullet.

Side note: I shoot coated lead bullets for IDPA and frequently recover bullets at the range, and to my surprise the moly coating stays in tact with little or no bare lead exposed.

 

[Ackman]

I’ve been white rice tumbling for a while now. When it starts getting grey I change it out. Cheap at Costco and best is there’s virtually no dust at all and hardly even plugs a primer pocket or flash hole.

Never heard of using rice but sounds like a good idea if it works well.

 

[Uncle Ed]

Below is a good video on dry tumbling media and what works best.
That being said, I have a vibratory tumbler, a wet tumbler, and a sonic cleaner. And with a sonic cleaner, there is no dust or case mouth peening. So out of the three methods, I use the sonic cleaner the most.

Many brands of rice contain arsenic, so tumbling with rice just adds arsenic to the lead.
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf...kgEDMi44mAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab

 

[M-61]

I really like the results I get with white rice.

Yes me too. But I used it with great success in removing MOLY from bullets that I purchased at a very low price. I don't shoot moly.
One thing with the rice.....rodents are fond of it.....so after any use in the garbage it goes. Cheap enough so I don't care.

 

[divingin]

Thanks much. Any particular brand or kind of brass polish?

I use about a tablespoon of any automotive cutting wax (cleaner wax); regular liquid car wax will work as well.

The polishes meant for cases work fine, but will run you about 4x the cost for the same amount.

Drizzle the stuff into the tumbler (running or not), and run the thing for about 10 minutes until you lose visible clumps in the media. Add cases and let er rip.

To help keep dust down, throw in a half of a used Bounce dryer sheet. Does wonders picking up dust.

 

[Fotheringill]

One moe thing, if you deprime before tumbling- Poke around and find a small regular screwdriver (eyeglass size) or a few small paper clips. Use the end to push out whatever pieces of the walnut, corn cob or rice that may get stuck in the opening at the primer pocket.

 

[HTSmith]

Thanks much for the good info.

 

[Rick300]

One moe thing, if you deprime before tumbling- Poke around and find a small regular screwdriver (eyeglass size) or a few small paper clips. Use the end to push out whatever pieces of the walnut, corn cob or rice that may get stuck in the opening at the primer pocket.

A straightened large paper clip works well

 

[Link]

I bet Trump Don't wear no mask when he's tumbling lol.