syme71 Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 Newbie question... In reading through this forum and in the reloading manuals I have, it seems the recommended process is to: 1. Tumble with walnut 2. Decap/size 3. Tumble with corn cob 4. Reload Is it better to tumble twice? I noticed when I tumbled my first batch of brass and then decapped them, there were some discoloration and some residue in the primer pocket. Reason I ask is just decapping on an RL500 is a major pain. You have to manually index past the other stations so the casing doesn't get belled or tapered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD45 Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 If you are talking brass for IPSC, IDPA or any action pistol competition, I'll bet five bucks that not one person in a thousand ever cleans a primer pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 Skip #2, I wouldn't take JD45's bet, with odds Walnut cleans, corn cob polsihes, but some people do all corn cob.. follow the current 'RICE' thread http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19211 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syme71 Posted January 2, 2005 Author Share Posted January 2, 2005 If you are talking brass for IPSC, IDPA or any action pistol competition, I'll bet five bucks that not one person in a thousand ever cleans a primer pocket. Yep, getting ready for this year's IPSC season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistral404 Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 I am a "rice" guy. I tumble one time with rice before I start to reload. Go to Costco, 25 lbs for $5 is a bargain. It does clean and provides for a nice polish. It is not a bright polish but none the less it it shiny. I have tumbled afterwards to clean off the lube and I have used brake cleaner & towel also. It just depends on my mood at the time. Do it once! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 Tumble the stuff ONCE and be done with it. Cleaning twice is nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 For about the past ten years I've been tumbling my pistol brass in warm soapy water. I use about a teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent. Other types of detergent will foam like crazy. (Yes, Eric. I suppose one could add a dash of bourbon.) There is no dust, which contains lead, generated by water washing. The dirty water goes down the drain. Then I rinse them in hot water and place in a metal coffee can in the oven for about 30 minutes on 300 degree to dry. The brass is rather dull looking, but clean. Kinda like me after my Saturday bath. Some guys I shoot with tease me about my dingy looking brass. I tell them it's tactical. And that shiny brass will reveal your position and likely get you killed in the real world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
achard Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 I tumber everytime before I start to reload. I use small beans (green color) & add few drops of glo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 I use small beans (green color)... Small green beans, as in dried lentils or peas? There's a new one, but, hey, if it works (besides, unlike the rice, it won't change color!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
achard Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 yup! dried beans (beans sprout) and don't forget to add few drops of seasoning (glo metal polisher) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dajarrel Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 syme71, I'm with EricW, "cleaning twice is nuts". Now as to your cleaning media, well choose your poison. Walnut, whether for lizards or sold in gun shops. Corn cob from gun shops, pet stores (for your gerbels) or industrial sandblasting supply. You can mix walnut and corncob in any proportions you like. You can use Rice-long grain, wild or just plain white. And now I see we can mix our brass in split pea soup. Oh yeah, there are also the liquid cleaner advocates. But be sure to look for the small print on the brass to make sure it is dishwasher safe. As you can see, almost everyone cleans, but no one does it just the same. So take all the suggestions, and mix your split pea soup with your lizard bedding (but leave some for Iggy) and tumble away And if you want to use polish, well there is another whole discussion FWIW dj OBTW, I like corn cob with Franklin Arsenal brass polish. dj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.40AET Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 Tumble with Frankford Arsenol brass polish & 50/50 corncob/walnut. (EricW recipe) Separate One shot case lube in boxes and inspect the brass. Dump in casefeeder. If I could make it simpler, I would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonub Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 walnut for me. been using the same medium for 2 years. though i washed it with soap and water after a year. its just me too cheap! i also tumble only once for about an hour or 2. with a few drops of brass polish and 5-10 clean patches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syme71 Posted January 2, 2005 Author Share Posted January 2, 2005 Tumble with Frankford Arsenol brass polish & 50/50 corncob/walnut. (EricW recipe)Separate One shot case lube in boxes and inspect the brass. Dump in casefeeder. If I could make it simpler, I would. this sounds like the ticket. thanks for the info folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 Some guys I shoot with tease me about my dingy looking brass. I tell them it's tactical. And that shiny brass will reveal your position and likely get you killed in the real world. That's exactly why I paint all my brass in camo. Amazing how some people just can't get it. No really I clean it once with corncob and polish. I then load and go shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPatterson Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 It must be my military training that I am rebeling against but I have my way that is different from most eveyone elses. I tumble first with walnut and a couple ounces of mineral spirits for about an hour. Then I change over to corn cob and a couple ounces of Nu-Finish for another hour. The polish eliminates a lot of the drag in the resizing die which is a Lee in a RCBS single stage press. Repriming is done with a hand RCBS priming tool so I can feel how the primer seats. I can tell when I have primed a Star or something else though the Winchester is next easiest with Federal a chore. Since I am only averaging about 10000 45's a year it has not been a problem so far but I don't like the recoil impluse from white box 9MM's so they are going to be added to the mix this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 For brass that I've bought that is " 1x fired", I do the following: Tumble in walnut media (from the feed store) that has some polish added for about 2 hours. Then I inspect the brass to see just how much is crap ( Fed NT, mil, bent, etc. ) and sort the brass from the nickle, if any. Then it goes to the roll sizer and gets roll sized. Brass is also inspected as it gets roll sized. After roll sizing, back to walnut for 4 - 6 hours for final polish to remove roll marks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted January 2, 2005 Share Posted January 2, 2005 I think the moral of the story is to not allow benchrest shooting practices to infect one's procedures for the practical disciplines. Even with rifle it's difficult to see the payoff from all the anal retentiveness. There's too many folks getting 1/4 to 1/3 MOA groups out of their reloads who do do little more than cleaning thier brass and reloading it to believe that benchrest reloading procedures will produce any substantial results in a handgun. Yes, you need to be extra careful if you're headed to Bianchi Cup, but you're pretty much just killing time for everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalmas Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Very interesting reading, I just unpacked my small frankford arsenal tumbler that my girlfriend gave me for x-mas, and I've yet to tumble my first load, I guess everything can become a science of its own...or not. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD45 Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 I use Sam's method, but I'll admit that my brass is ugly. When ya'll can get together on which tumbler has a motor as reliable as a 289 Ford and won't burn the shop down, I'll buy one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Buy Blue. Dillion Rocks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Larry Cazes Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 When ya'll can get together on which tumbler has a motor as reliable as a 289 Ford and won't burn the shop down, I'll buy one. Not sure about reliability but the latest blue press says that the Dillon tumblers have a thermal protection circuit to prevent damage due to an overheated motor. Don't think any of the cheaper versions have one and it is definitely worth a little more money for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 When ya'll can get together on which tumbler has a motor as reliable as a 289 Ford and won't burn the shop down, I'll buy one. I think it's generally recognized that the *big* Dillon is the heat. I don't think I've ever heard of one of those going south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassn1 Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 I mainly tumble brass either in walnut media or fine corn cob media for 3 - 6 hrs. I have left it in there accidentally over night and longer up to 24 hrs. Usually, in 3 - 6 hrs it is usually super shiny and clean inside. I use a cleaner w/petroleum distillate mixture. On the "DILLON" I had the tumbler motor burnt out --- instead of paying $99.00 for a new tumbler. Dillon put in a new motor in it for under $30.00 + shipping. I have had the tumbler for about 8 years. Dillon is really good about repairing. I also, broke the handle on a Square Deal B and they sent me a new handle for it FREE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dream Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 Tumblers: Berry's has come out with a new one that i just got through testing and it cleaned, and polished in less than half the time of my other ones. All i use to clean and polish is corncobb, it works great for cleaning and polishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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