ArizonaShooting.ORG

Like a lot of OFWG reloaders, I started many decades ago dry tumbling brass in a vibrating tumbler.

A few years ago, I decided to try wet tumbling. I loved it, and never looked back.

But using those little stainless pins as tumbling media was such a pain in the ass. It was a chore trying not to lose them, and even worse, to inspect every case to be sure no pins were stuck inside. This was especially bad with revolver cases.

Then last year, I decided to stop using media. Best idea ever.

I tumble using a few squirts of Dawn for a couple of hours.

Dump out the dirty water and refill with water and Lemi shine.

Tumble for an hour, drain the dirty water, refill, and tumble the rinse cycle for a few minutes. I like the results. The brass ends up as shiny as brand new, and I no cussing over those damned tiny pins.

What do you think?

I've never quite understood why people want to get brass that shiny but heck, it's their time and money.

I just tumble for 1 hour with a 50/50 mix of walnut and corncob for 1 hour and call it good. Feed and function are flawless and that's really all I care about.

I like my brass shiny and my guns clean and polished. For me it boils down to pride in my work, and I like pretty things. I build my own ammo and my own guns, and when I'm done I like to sit back and admire my work.

I don't have to respect anybody. I thought about this for a while (3-4 SECONDS) and decided I have a choice, weather or not I choose to respect someone or not.

Jeez, for a fairly light thread, this got heavy real fast.

I'll just take my shiny brass home now and mind my own business. People are too easily offended these days I guess.

People ask me why I stay away from social media. Where's my cute smiley..., of here it is>

Well, while there may be no "right" or "wrong" way of doing it,...I know that I have arrived at my process because it pleases ME for what I am looking for.

I wanna know two things:

1) More about that sweet 1911 (which barrel, internals, etc).

2) How clean and shiny the insides of the cases and the primer pockets are without the pins. The outside sure looks purty...

Yep, some people are always looking for something to be offended about.

Jack Dupp wrote: ↑August 29th, 2020, 11:09 am I wanna know two things:

1) More about that sweet 1911 (which barrel, internals, etc).

2) How clean and shiny the insides of the cases and the primer pockets are without the pins. The outside sure looks purty...

Thank you. I'll post one more time. Its hard not to comment when your ego gets stroked. That was an 80% 1911 kit I bought before the panic. This was an easy one with a Rock Island frame and slide. Minimal fitting, but not exactly "match grade". Can't remember where I got it. (Or a lot of other things these days)

Inside of the cases are very clean, but not shiny. I'm too lazy to deprime before I tumble. That goes for my personal life, as well as my reloading.

Yes, my primer is still in. Can't show the pic as this is a family friendly forum.

LOL. Thanks.

No pins for me. I used them twice and just not worth the extra work. I started with Dawn but now use car wash soap with wax. I add Lemishine in the first tumble, run about an hour then dump out dirty water and start flushing the barrel with a water hose. Shake a couple of times and when the water flushing out of the barrel is clean I dump the brass on a drying screen and let the Arizona sun do it's job.
Never knock out primers first, also not worth the effort. Brass comes out more than clean enough for any reloading job.

AZ1182 wrote: ↑August 29th, 2020, 10:26 am

Flash wrote: ↑August 29th, 2020, 8:49 am I've never quite understood why people want to get brass that shiny but heck, it's their time and money.

I just tumble for 1 hour with a 50/50 mix of walnut and corncob for 1 hour and call it good. Feed and function are flawless and that's really all I care about.

And I for one have never understood why people complain about how others tumble that's different from your way of doing.

I accept that you like doing it your way. You need to give that same respect for us that do it in what we see, feel, and know, is a better way for us to do it.

Yes, it is my time, but that time is not yours and it's just about the same doing it either or so that's a wash really. Money? I have actually been saving money so again, nope not true at all.

If that's supposed to be a complaint then hes doing it wrong.

Seems like a simple comment to me which is what happens on a discussion forum. A concept some seem to struggle with comprehending.

I suggest you start your own blog as it seems that's what you think this forum is. Then you can control and correct till your prostate is thoroughly tickled to your liking.

Just a friendly suggestion.

I have never wet tumbled. I tumble a ton of brass though. I always wanted to try wet tumbling but never have as I didn't want to bother with the pins. I think I will give it a try. Nice work!

I tried it without pins once....the brass comes out looking basically the same, but I did notice it was a little dirtier...plus I deprime before I tumble, so I get clean primer pockets without the extra work.

Doesn't take more than 10 minutes to deprime 50 rounds, and I tumble for 30 minutes. Less than 45 minutes to complete a batch of 50 rounds. Removing the pins is easy...just need a sorting tray to bounce them around in, never had pins stuck in cases.

i destroyed some 223 cases, thinking they had dried after a day in the sun, put'm in a bucket and walla a fewmonths later went to reload and tarnished beyond use.
i have used the ultra sonic for small batches of special reloads, but this time used a dehydrator to dry.

i tried the pins, and i don't pull primers, its ok, but with the corn cob and misc. polish i get'm clean enough to reload and shoot, while i'd love to have the brass super duper shiney, its for me serves no purpose, as long as it isn't too dirty to reload, well off we go.
good info for sure.
Rj