Dry pin tumbling ?

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Forgalspop

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Here is another take on cleaning brass. I have used this method since I started reloading 12 years ago and it has worked well for me.

Before I started reloading I did a great deal of reading and research on how best to reload and how to do it the cheapest way possible. I had several goals in mind. I wanted to reload as a hobby, to do so as cheaply as possible and make quality reloads.

So when researching I came across an article about using white rice as a tumbling medium. So I purchase a bag of white rice and tried it and it worked. No dust like one gets with walnut or corncob medium or waiting for brass to dry using a wet method

So I purchased a 25 pound bag of cheap white rice and still have more than half left. One batch will clean thousands of cases before needing to be disposed of.

I mist the rice with Mequiare’s Quick Detailer which aids in removing stains and leaves a nice finish.

The only negative to this method is rice will sometimes get stuck in the flash hole which is no big deal. I simply pop it out with a tooth pick.

I’m sure this method is not for everyone, but it works for me! And it’s cheap! Don't knock it if ya ain't tried it!
 

trbii

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When I was reloading regularly for practice and pistol , rifle competition the Dillon vibratory case cleaner with walnut or corn cob media plus a capful of their brass cleaner fluid worked flawlessly for me. Shiny brass, no liquid residue noticeable. Only drawback ever noted was an occasional piece of media stuck in a primer pocket. Easily dug out after lining the cases up, rim facing me for quick scan. Took the opportunity to twist the flash hole chamfer tool a couple times from both ways.
 

hamiltoe

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I used to wet tumble with pins. The brass turned out really clean, but it created other problems.

Separating the pins from the brass.
Even if I used a big magnet there were always pins I had to remove one by one. I stopped pin tumbling rifle brass because I started finding pins that had been left behind after I thought I had them all out.

Brass was too clean.
I started having problems with the brass sticking to the case mouth expander/powder die on my Dillon 650. After reading a few articles and talking to Dillon, I found that the brass was too clean and removing the lubricity (sp?) of the brass was causing it to stick. I was told I had to take an extra step to lube the insides of the case necks.

Drying the brass.
After cleaning, I would boil some water and rinse the brass then pour it out to let it air dry. This seem to work.

Now I still wet tumble after Decapping the brass without pins. I use a Frankford Armory rotary tumbler with a couple of small squirts of Dawn dish soap and 1 9mm case full of lemishine. After tumbling I rinse with hot tap water, shake the brass to get the majority of the water out and then throw it all in a media tumbler.

It still comes out clean and dry and now loads without sticking.

I've been using car wash with wax instead of dish soap. The wax has enough lubricity to keep my cases from sticking. Also helps with tarnishing.
 

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