Need a good set up to clean my brass . Help please

[WildRose]

What order do you clean/size etc..

Decap, clean, resize, load.

The lee universal decapping die makes it a breeze to decap dirty brass.

 

[Buckskinner]

I shared your concern about flash holes but have not seen it yet with the steel pins. I did see a lot of it with both corncob and walnut media which was one of the reasons I changed.

The only downside I can find to the wet tumbling with steel pins is that separating the media from the brass can be a chore if you're doing it by hand instead of using a rotary media separator.

I considered one of those a while back. That process looks like it would beat the hell out of the mouths.

 

[WildRose]

I considered one of those a while back. That process looks like it would beat the hell out of the mouths.

Not seeing any damage to the case mouths on any of several hundred I've run through it at least to this point.

I've run .220 Swift, .260 Rem, 7mm STW, .300wm, .300 Rum, and .375 Ruger through it so far.

I fill it half full or more with brass, then add stainless pins and plain tap water for about ten minutes just to knock the dirt off, drain it and then add the liquid polish/cleaner and run it for a half hour.

Very pleased with the results so far.

 

[Ragnarnar]

https://www.primalrights.com/articles/clean-brass-with-rice

I've heard pins wreck the mouth. Some decent photos of the damage there.

I've tried Greg's rice method. I'm pleased thus far. I will add that you need to pull the brass out soon after otherwise the rice can stick to the insides of the cases if it's humid.

 

[WildRose]

https://www.primalrights.com/articles/clean-brass-with-rice

I've heard pins wreck the mouth. Some decent photos of the damage there.

I've tried Greg's rice method. I'm pleased thus far. I will add that you need to pull the brass out soon after otherwise the rice can stick to the insides of the cases if it's humid.

I thought the rice thing sounded interesting till I looked at the "finished product". Brass that is still dirty and pitted doesn't excite me.

I suspect that anyone suffering damage like shown pictured in your linked article is tumbling it too long and/or working with very soft brass.

I've been tumbling brass for over thirty years and I've never been as impressed by any of the methods and various media used as I have been with this rig.

If I have any advice for someone just starting with the pins and wet tumbling is don't use anything with ammonia in it. Use the commercial products made specifically for it or use some white vinegar mixed at 4oz to a gallon of water and a little dawn dishwashing liquid.

When it's done, use on of the spinner media separators and when you've gotten that all done rinse well with clean water and get it dried as quickly as you reasonably can.

 

[Dosh]

Received the February 9-22 flier, Cabelas has the Frankfort Arsenal wet stainless tumbler on sale at 20% off. They come with 5# of pins. The Thumbler and Harbor Freight don't. Last I checked 5# of pins were around $40. I use Lemi-Shine and Dawn detergent in mine, the water is black when done.

 

[Buckskinner]

Interesting article about rice. Might give that a try, just for the heck of it.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

I shared your concern about flash holes but have not seen it yet with the steel pins. I did see a lot of it with both corncob and walnut media which was one of the reasons I changed.

The only downside I can find to the wet tumbling with steel pins is that separating the media from the brass can be a chore if you're doing it by hand instead of using a rotary media separator.

A rotary separator is a must. I use the RCBS with the bottom cut out over a 5gal plastic bucket.

Decap, clean, resize, load.

Yup.

 

[Ragnarnar]

I thought the rice thing sounded interesting till I looked at the "finished product". Brass that is still dirty and pitted doesn't excite me.

I suspect that anyone suffering damage like shown pictured in your linked article is tumbling it too long and/or working with very soft brass.

I've been tumbling brass for over thirty years and I've never been as impressed by any of the methods and various media used as I have been with this rig.

I'm not sure where you saw pitted, dirty brass, do you mean the primer pockets?

What I noticed, and I think it was alluded to in Gregs article, was that rice cleans the brass, but doesn't over clean it.

The pressure when seating a bullet in the case was more consistent, which serves to reduce ES/SD and yields tighter groups. The thin layer of carbon on the inside of the case neck seems to help in this case as it prevents similar metals from sticking to each other.

Cases don't have to be perfectly clean to shoot well, I like wet pin cleaning but only for my plinking AR brass and range pick up pistol brass.

My opinion only. It's worth what you paid for it.

Also that damage was on nosler brand 17 rem brass, iirc. Greg says that was only 30 minutes worth of tumbling. Not cheap brass or excessive time by any means.

 

[WildRose]

Received the February 9-22 flier, Cabelas has the Frankfort Arsenal wet stainless tumbler on sale at 20% off. They come with 5# of pins. The Thumbler and Harbor Freight don't. Last I checked 5# of pins were around $40. I use Lemi-Shine and Dawn detergent in mine, the water is black when done.

Yep, that combo will leave it looking brand new.

 

[WildRose]

A rotary separator is a must. I use the RCBS with the bottom cut out over a 5gal plastic bucket.



Yup.

Yep. I only had to do it once by hand to decide the rotary media separator was a must.