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frankford arsenal wet tumbler?


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Any body have any experience with this wet tumbler? What do you think about it? Is it worth the money?

I have it, I have used it a fair bit (I'd approximate I have cleaned at least 30,000 pieces of brass in various pistol and rifle calibers) and it has been great. I think it is a tremendous value. My only complaint is that I would prefer if they supplied it with the larger pins (0.047") rather than the small pins (which work but have a greater propensity of getting stuck in the primer flash hole).

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I started out with small Harbor Freight model with 2 drums. I found it too tedious for my batches, and decided making a larger drum for it, I researched other tumblers and was torn between the FA and Rebel 17. The FA seems to be the best bang for the buck and gets many great reviews, but I saw a few reviews complaining about the seal on the drum. Because of this, I opted for the Rebel 17. Ran my first batch last night and it performed perfectly.

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I have had one for 4-5 months and have washed some impressive batches of 9mm cases. I'm not a clean freak, so I've skipped the pins too. Brass comes out looking great after an hr or so spinning with just hot water and dish detergent. Into the oven on a sheet pan at 200 degrees or so to dry. Been working great for me. I don't think the pins are worth the additional hassle for me.

Edited by wgj3
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Yes, it works great. A little louder than I expected, but better than the vibratory tumbler.

I'm using car wax and Frankford case cleaning solution.

Picked up the Frankford case dryer too, also works great. Just wish it had a timer like the tumbler.

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Yes, it works great. A little louder than I expected, but better than the vibratory tumbler.

I'm using car wax and Frankford case cleaning solution.

Picked up the Frankford case dryer too, also works great. Just wish it had a timer like the tumbler.

Get a timer like you use for Christmas lights. I have one on my coffee pot, fresh coffee no wait at 4 AM.

In Texas I just lay mine wet brass out on a towel.

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I like mine. Pistol brass I just use car wash/wax and a bit of lemishine. No pins. With rifle brass, I wind up going twice usually (since my rifle brass is often very cruddy...) - first time no pins, case prep happens, second time pins. Have used it for about a year, it seems to be running most weekends... need to get a timer to start it while I'm gone so it finishes up when I get home - that's a great idea.

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Frequently I'll start mine at night and let it run for 1 hour typically. I usually don't get back to it until 20 hours later and I see no difference in the brass typically after letting it sit for 20 hours versus dealing with it right after it shuts off (other than the hot water now being cold and the suds are greatly reduced).

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Frequently I'll start mine at night and let it run for 1 hour typically. I usually don't get back to it until 20 hours later and I see no difference in the brass typically after letting it sit for 20 hours versus dealing with it right after it shuts off (other than the hot water now being cold and the suds are greatly reduced).

When I leave mine to sit for awhile before I can get the brass out, I'll usually turn it back on for ten or fifteen minutes before dumping it out.

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Frequently I'll start mine at night and let it run for 1 hour typically. I usually don't get back to it until 20 hours later and I see no difference in the brass typically after letting it sit for 20 hours versus dealing with it right after it shuts off (other than the hot water now being cold and the suds are greatly reduced).

When I leave mine to sit for awhile before I can get the brass out, I'll usually turn it back on for ten or fifteen minutes before dumping it out.

I have done both ways (ran it for 15-30 minutes and did nothing) and have found no difference really.

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Update:

I tried wet tumbling, one squirt Dawn dish soap, 1/8 teaspoon Lemishine, hot water, one hour tumbling. NO pins.

Unless your brass is so caked with crap - I saw very little difference than two hours tumbling with pins.

For me, now - no pins and one hour tumbling.

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Update:

I tried wet tumbling, one squirt Dawn dish soap, 1/8 teaspoon Lemishine, hot water, one hour tumbling. NO pins.

Unless your brass is so caked with crap - I saw very little difference than two hours tumbling with pins.

For me, now - no pins and one hour tumbling.

Did you truly compare the inside of the cases and the primer pockets for both methods?

With or without pins, the outsides of the cases look perfect. Without pins, the insides of the cases and the primer pockets don't get as clean. I'd still consider them acceptable for most all loading purposes, but they are not as clean compared to using pins.

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My FA wet tumbler arrived yesterday, so I am reading up on this stuff. I am not going to deprime before tumbling. I don't really care about the inside, but should I?

I just want the outside to look like new.

I do have the pins, and will be fine using them, but do they get stuck inside?

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The small ones - that you now have - can get two stuck side by side in the primer pocket holes. If you don't deprime you probably will never have that happen. If it should, when you deprime that would solve the problem anyway.

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I've had 3 cases (not deprimed) with the 2x2 stuck pins in them in about 50,000 cases. Once with me pulling the handle and twice with the MkVII doing it. I bent the rod in the decapping die when I did it, and only just bent the pin when the machine did it. I am going to get the bigger pins one day, but I'm in no hurry. I do use the pins because, well, I like shiny things and shiny interiors of cases makes me happy. I lube my cases so this weird, carbon lubes, thing doesn't matter to me.

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I have the same tumbler...I don't deprime handgun rounds before tumbling but precision rifle cases I deprime first...As far as the tumbler goes, I really like it...

My FA wet tumbler arrived yesterday, so I am reading up on this stuff. I am not going to deprime before tumbling. I don't really care about the inside, but should I?

I just want the outside to look like new.

I do have the pins, and will be fine using them, but do they get stuck inside?

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Update:

I tried wet tumbling, one squirt Dawn dish soap, 1/8 teaspoon Lemishine, hot water, one hour tumbling. NO pins.

Unless your brass is so caked with crap - I saw very little difference than two hours tumbling with pins.

For me, now - no pins and one hour tumbling.

Did you truly compare the inside of the cases and the primer pockets for both methods?

With or without pins, the outsides of the cases look perfect. Without pins, the insides of the cases and the primer pockets don't get as clean. I'd still consider them acceptable for most all loading purposes, but they are not as clean compared to using pins.

Before I bought a vibratory tumbler using walnut shell media, I washed (let soak for several hours) my brass with hot water, dawn dish soap and a little white vinegar. The basic washing method did enough to clean so I could reload the brass with out damaging the dies.

The wet tumbler with pins get the brass as close to "new brass" clean as you can get (IMHO). IMHO with out scientific testing, research, or any higher math - using the FA tumbler with out pins turning for one hour will get the brass clean enough to reload. I do not de-cap or really care how clean the inside of the case is. I will say the one hour tumbling will get the inside not quite as clean as "new" brass or tumbling with pins for two hours.

You are all free to tumble or test any way you want to try. Whatever floats your boat. I am happy with hot water, soap, lemi-shine, and one hour tumbling. YMMV.

Happy brass cleaning.

Edited by Mush from PA.
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