Marc Young
Well-Known Member
Thinking of going stainless pins and a rotary tumbler. Any ideas on best brand rotary tumbler?
Case cleaning
- Thread starter Marc Young
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Get stainless steel chips and brass juice as far as tumblers find one on sale
I've got a Franklin Armory tumbler and it works well for me. I don't use the pins and brass comes out clean.
Marc Young
Well-Known Member
Where do you get the chips?
Cabela's, Amazon, or any good reloading store.
I cleaned 7.62's in a large tumbler. I tried a few batches with the steel pins, but the pain of extracting all of pins compared to how clean the cases came out without using pins made me put the pins away and I haven't used them since. Others may feel strongly about using pins, but a good amount of cleaner and a few hours in the tumbler is good enough for me.
I've attached a photo of a load of 7.62 that I cleaned without pins using distilled water. I think I used the RCBS brass cleaner in this batch. I run the brass for two full cycles, rinse with tap water, then dry them for several hours in the Franklin Armory brass dryer. I've cleaned thousands of rounds this way without any issues.
I cleaned 7.62's in a large tumbler. I tried a few batches with the steel pins, but the pain of extracting all of pins compared to how clean the cases came out without using pins made me put the pins away and I haven't used them since. Others may feel strongly about using pins, but a good amount of cleaner and a few hours in the tumbler is good enough for me.
I've attached a photo of a load of 7.62 that I cleaned without pins using distilled water. I think I used the RCBS brass cleaner in this batch. I run the brass for two full cycles, rinse with tap water, then dry them for several hours in the Franklin Armory brass dryer. I've cleaned thousands of rounds this way without any issues.
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reloader#1
Member
Be sure with the chips or pins to make sure you get them all out of the case it wouldn't be pretty to load them up 
I wet tumble then dry then vibrant tumble with corn cob media with small magnets
I have 5 pounds of these chips for sale. $35 shipped. PM if interested.
www.ammobrass.com
AmmoBrass Stainless Steel Cleaning Media Chips for Wet Tumblers | ammobrass
This product is stainless steel media. This is the cleaning media that we use to clean all of our brass and is the only media that we recommend. We have pre-cleaned it for you so it's ready to go when you receive it. These chips measure approximately 1.43mm x 3.45mm. Stainless Steel Tumbling...
www.ammobrass.com
Fart
Frankford Arsenal rotary Tumbler
I use the pins it's not very hard to get them out. I visually inspect every case after I blow them out with compressed air. Zoom in on the primer pocket ,the little black dot you see is not dirt it is a reflection of the flash hole!
There are a few other tricks that I will tell you about I tumbled them with a squirt of dawn, (very little) and a dash of Lemi shine. Then they get spread out on a towel after I've shaken out the pins and they are dried with a heat gun, which only takes about three minutes with 100 cases. then they go into the vibratory Tumblr with walnut hull media and a little bit of white diamond metal polish.
Blackdirt Cowboy
Well-Known Member
Get a cheap rock tumbler from Harbor Freight. Works great and way less money than a reloading tumbler.
Rick Richard
Well-Known Member
They sure are pretty, but I am lazy and don't feel it is necessary to get them that clean and shiny. I just use the old vibratory bowl and walnut media. Maybe one day I will be convinced otherwise.
As an alternative get the Harbor Freight 6L ultrasonic cleaner and use simple green with a 1/4 teaspoon of Lemishine. 15 minutes and range pick up brass looks almost like new.
I have a FART tumbler but got tired of dealing with the pins getting stuck in the cases.
