I switched to Steel pin tumbling

[okie man]

I just bought the 2 die set. I have about 400 once fired cases too go through before I need too think about a neck size die.

 

[Taj]

Guys, I've been using some stuff called Organ TU for years now. I used to run a commercial loading operation and had rotary tumblers that would handle 10,000 rounds at a time. This stuff cleans and polishes cases so well we had to handle processed cases with cotton gloves or they tarnished from fingerprints. 4oz's per gallon for about 20-30 minutes then throw them in some #11 corncob (untreated) for drying. Great stuff but will not work in vibratory tumblers.Cleans cases inside and out , plus primer pockets. Been used in machining industry for years. Won't hurt the brass either. Below is the link for where I get it.

http://deburring.manufacturersservi...l-purpose-metal-finishing-compounds/item-1035

 

[Old Rooster]

Here are the instructions for Bore Tech case cleaner
Bore Tech Case Clean Use Instructions

UNLOAD FIREARM

1) For Regular Cleaning – Dilute to a 40:1 ratio (3.2 fl oz of Case Clean to 1 gallon water)
For Heavy Cleaning – Dilute to a 20:1 ratio (6.4 fl oz of Case Clean to 1 gallon water)
Note: Tap water can be used, however distilled water will improve cleaning and drying results

2) Heat solution to 140-165˚F and use cycles of 15-20 mins in an ultrasonic cleaner.
Do NOT leave cases soak in solution for extended periods as they may tarnish and/or discolor.

3) Repeat Step 2 if necessary or until cases are clean.

4) Thoroughly rinse solution from the cases after cleaning.
Note: Tap water can be used, however distilled water will improve cleaning and drying results

5) Allow cases to dry before use. Tumble cases to achieve a brighter, longer lasting finish.
Old Rooster

 

[DanD-ID]

OK all, I don't know why I didn't do this eons ago but I switched to stainless media. Easy to use especially if you have a powerful magnet and all I did was what everyone else did, go figure. I did it on the cheap though. Split the 2 lb bag in half, one for each drum. 40pcs of 308 brass. About 9mm casing of lemishine. 2 squirts of dish soap. The below pictures were of it running only 1.5 hrs.
Harbor freight dual tumbler $43.99 %20 coupon
Stainless media 2 lb $20.00 cause I really didn't need the extra, media lasts forever
Lemishine $3.00 this stuff might last me the rest of my life lol
Dish soap $0.00 we always have this on hand, well I guess I pay for this from grocery bill
Water $0.00 , well I pay for the electric
Results and pictures of equipment, don't mind the craft project, the kid has been sick and home. She wanted to participate in the photo op.

 

[DanD-ID]

Based on the comments I'm reading in this thread, that you can pick up the pins with a magnet they are likely steel pins rather than stainless steel. My experience with each has led to my election to switching from the pins to stainless steel chips that are marketed in a few places on the internet. I made the switch because of having to remove an occasional steel pin lodged sideways in the primer pocket or across the case mouth after tumbling/cleaning of the cases in my small scale processing. Granted, most of my experience is based on .223/5.56 cases as a small commercial loader of ammunition and using automated loading equipment but the risk of having a lodged steel pin stuck in a case requires every case to be visually inspected before loading. I'll occasionally process other rifle and pistol caliber cases with this cleaning equipment since it serves my small personal volumes in cleaning other caliber cases. The issue with lodged steel pins has caused me to switch to the stainless steel chips entirely. The separation of cases from media is by a washing and rinse of the cases in water a few times to remove the dish washing soap and Lemi-Shine where the stainless steel chips wash out and into the bottom of a container as the heavy product (I use a 5 gallon plastic bucket to rinse in). The water can be easily drained off leaving the heavier chips in the bottom. They will be wet but easily recovered from the cases. Think of it as something like panning for gold where the heavy material stays in place in the bottom of the bucket. I dry my cases in a Franklin Armory brass dryer that is temperature controlled with several drying trays and it has worked well without water spotting given adequate drying time. These dryers looks very much like a food dryer and are reasonably priced.

 

[7magcreedmoor]

What advantage do you gain by cleaning brass to like new condition vs media tumbling

I found that I started having pressure problems after 5 or 6 reloadings when I was using dry media cleaning. After switching to the wet method, the problem has never re-occurred. I can only surmise that with dry media, there was an eventual buildup of residue on the inside of the case that altered case capacity enough to tweak my max loads. Anyone else ever see this?

 

[crowsnest2002]

I've been using the pins for about 4 years also and love the results. Only once had i misgivings. One forum, Ivory Liquid was suggested. I tumbled for two hours and my cases look like they were covered with black grease.
After wasting half a day I switched back to Dawn detergent and Lemishine, re-tumbled, twenty minutes, and they looked like new cases.
Drying is done with the whole batch in my RCBC Rotary Case/Media Separator with a fan blowing down 45° from above. This not only separates the pins, but yields dry, spotless brass.
Anyway, I always have clean primer pockets using warm water and tumble for two hours.
Have a great shooting season in 2019 and make sure you vote in April!

I used cold. I'll have to give warm a try. I'll tell you the old water was getting close to looking like sewage lol.

 

[Capt RB]

Hot water dawn and lemishine here. No more than 45 minutes. I brush the necks for firing 1st and second reload then do the steel pins method and anneal for the 3rd. Rinse and repeat every 3 if I can.

 

[Dosh]

Based on the comments I'm reading in this thread, that you can pick up the pins with a magnet they are likely steel pins rather than stainless steel. My experience with each has led to my election to switching from the pins to stainless steel chips that are marketed in a few places on the internet. I made the switch because of having to remove an occasional steel pin lodged sideways in the primer pocket or across the case mouth after tumbling/cleaning of the cases in my small scale processing. Granted, most of my experience is based on .223/5.56 cases as a small commercial loader of ammunition and using automated loading equipment but the risk of having a lodged steel pin stuck in a case requires every case to be visually inspected before loading. I'll occasionally process other rifle and pistol caliber cases with this cleaning equipment since it serves my small personal volumes in cleaning other caliber cases. The issue with lodged steel pins has caused me to switch to the stainless steel chips entirely. The separation of cases from media is by a washing and rinse of the cases in water a few times to remove the dish washing soap and Lemi-Shine where the stainless steel chips wash out and into the bottom of a container as the heavy product (I use a 5 gallon plastic bucket to rinse in). The water can be easily drained off leaving the heavier chips in the bottom. They will be wet but easily recovered from the cases. Think of it as something like panning for gold where the heavy material stays in place in the bottom of the bucket. I dry my cases in a Franklin Armory brass dryer that is temperature controlled with several drying trays and it has worked well without water spotting given adequate drying time. These dryers looks very much like a food dryer and are reasonably priced.

Dan, some grades of stainless is magnetic, like the pins that are sold for the wet brass tumblers. The pins in my wet tumbler never dry since I keep the lid on so the grandkids don't sneak in and dump them out. Must be stainless since I've never seen any rust on them.

 

[BountyHunter]

I used steel pin but went back to vibrating tumblers. IMO too clean in the necks which gave very erratic seating for match quality loads. I had to use powdered graphite in the necks to ease seating. Tested ss pin clean necks against graphite and slightly dirty with an arbor seating to with a liquid force guage to measure seating force.

 

[SealT5]

Gotcha. It's been embedded in my mind for years that a clean neck diminishes accuracy. Probably some benchrest or ppc theory

While I have "read" that a totally clean neck can affect accuracy, I have never noticed it.

 

[BountyHunter]

Not theory. Simple fact erratic seating force that was measurable.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Not theory. Simple fact erratic seating force that was measurable.

While I have never measured seating force, I rarely notice a difference in seating resistance from one case to another. Whether carbon fouled necks provide a more uniform resistance or not is just something I haven't noticed over the decades that I've been reloading.

I have also not noticed a distinct accuracy difference between totally clean cases and neck fouled cases. This may be because my shooting is limited to 400yds. While I am not in disagreement to what others have noted in their loading/shooting experience; I have just not noticed it myself.

 

[SealT5]

I use a K&m arbor press with a force pack. Seating pressure is very inconsistent with FL sized virgin brass vs fireformed FL sized brass. This is the only time I have clean necks. I'm not super anal about seating force but I will seperate the difficult rounds and use as sighters or for steel. I also agree that I never felt a difference using an O Press for bullet seating.

For arguments sake I'm going to debunk this for myself. I will stainless tumble 10 pieces of fireformed brass and 10 pieces tumbled in corn media. And see what a piece of paper says. Regardless I'm not investing in stainless as I'm perfectly happy with my current setup.