[leadchucker]

I just spent the afternoon individually inspecting over a couple of thousand empty cases that I tumbled in the past few days. The tumbler media was sticking in the primer holes.

I bought the media from a pet supply place. Got a good price.

Looks like finer media wouldn't cause this problem. Should I have spent the extra bucks and bought the real stuff from Lyman or others?

[ColtPythonElite]

No need to buy "the real stuff"....Just order up some ground corn cob.

http://www.drillspot.com/products/521055/econoline_526040g-40_40_lbs_blast_media

[capreppy]

No need to buy "the real stuff"....Just order up some ground corn cob.

http://www.drillspot.com/products/521055/econoline_526040g-40_40_lbs_blast_media
I have this stuff and it will still stick in the primer holes.

[snuffy]

No need to buy "the real stuff"....Just order up some ground corn cob.

http://www.drillspot.com/products/52...bs_blast_media

Make sure you order the 20/40 grit.

I have this stuff and it will still stick in the primer holes.

You got the wrong grit size.

[Hondo 60]

+ several hundred on the drillspot 20/40

I ordered it over a year ago, but it seems the price & free shipping is the same as when I ordered.
Very finely ground so it won't stick in the flash holes.

[capreppy]

Hmm. Looks like I did order the wrong one :(

Guess I'll need to order the 20/40 when some funds come available.

[rfwobbly]

Its a sequencing issue. If you'll simply tumble, then de-cap... the de-capping pin will drive out the media stuck in the primer hole.

[Epoxyoyo]

I guess I do it the long way. I deprime with a universal de-capping die then tumble then resize. Die pin on the resizing die takes care of any media in the flash hole. Just one more step but I'm not in any hurry anyway.

[Walkalong]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=6362785&postcount=4

[ambidextrous1]

I bought the 20/40 stuff locally from Grainger. They didn't have it in stock, but called me to say it had arrived, about 3 days later.

This stuff is great! I wish I hadn't spent the last 20 years or so buying pet store junk. Maybe it's my imagination, but the 20/40 with a bit of Nu Finish added, seems to polish faster and better than anything I've ever used.

Incidentally, I've found the folks at Grainger to be very polite and customer-oriented.

[noylj]

Not sure what your cleaning schedule is, but I deprime prior to cleaning and let the sizing die knock out the very rare speck of cob in a flash hole.
I use 20/40 grit corn.

[MtnCreek]

As for media in the flash hole causing a legitimate problem?
I can't prove it, but:
It has long been my view that a tiny spec of walnut or cob media in the flash hole would stand about the same chance of being noticed as a fart in a tornado when that primer pops.
Your are talking many thousand PSI of white hot gas in the primer pocket when the primer fires.
I just don't think you could devise a faster method of dislodging and burning up the speck of media then that.
Above is part of Mr. RCModel's responce to my question on media in flashhole. RCModel says it, I believe it.

[gamestalker]

I'm maticulous in that I do an initial tumble, resize, trim, ream, chamfer, clean primer pockets and then retumble until they look good as new. But since I enjoy the hobby, I don't mind the cumbersome process.

[Walkalong]

A also seriously doubt a single piece of media would hurt a thing, but, psychologically, we like to get rid of it. I don't lose sleep over it though. I bought the 14/20 media from Grainger and sometimes it gets stuck in the flash hole. I just knock it out. Next time I'll get the 20/40.

[CraigC]

This is why I clean before I deprime/resize. I'd rather clean the pockets with a primer pocket tool 20 at a time than run them through the press an extra time.

[HOWARD J]

I use Frankford Arsenal Ground Walnut Media from Midway.
I did 500 9MM this week & had some media in 2 primer pockets.
I have been using this for a long time--works great.
I buy it in 18 # packages & it lasts for years.
I also buy their brass case polish in 8 oz bottles

[jcwit]

20/40 is the way to go. Cleans just the same, polishes the same, and the ONLY way you can get it clogged anywhere is if your brass or media is wet for some reason.

[kingmt]

I never have that problem since I stopped using the "real stuff" & started using the "junk from the pet store" the Lizard Litter is about the size of play sand but much lighter. The only down fall I see with it is it is very dusty.

[Friendly, Don't Fire!]

I do that every time I tumble!
I have a real tiny screwdriver (one of those for glasses) that I poke each hole with.

[FROGO207]

I tumble for a short while to remove dirt from brass. 1/2 HR
Then I size with decapping pin removed and bell neck if wanted.
Then I tumble till happy with shine.
Then I decap with universal decapping die.
Ready to prime and load.:D

[trapper500]

I use the walnut for B&B SUpply & the Rooster Bright polish i do get a piece of media once in a while i just run them trough the sizer die & its pops it right out

[medalguy]

A suggestion for anyone using corn cob media, regardless of where you obtained it: Corn cob contains bits of what?--CORN! What likes corn? Weevils. Put a couple of bay leaves from mama's cooking spice bottle in the storage tub of corn cob and it'll stay free of weevils. I have having weevils stuck in the flash hole. :uhoh:

[snuffy]

Corn cob contains bits of what?--CORN! What likes corn? Weevils. Put a couple of bay leaves from mama's cooking spice bottle in the storage tub of corn cob and it'll stay free of weevils. I have having weevils stuck in the flash hole.

Corn COB media comes from the hard portion of the cob. It's ground to whatever size is required.

Dunno what a weevil is, but mine became infested with little beetles. I just left them in there, I'm sure they got real dizzy from the motion of the media!:eek::scrutiny::uhoh:

[slowr1der]

I have the Lyman media that came with my tumbler and it sticks in there too. I just use a small pick and push it out.

[evan price]

I was using the Kaytee branded stuff in the big paper sack, 25 pounds I think. That stuff worked but MAN was it dusty. Turned out I wasn't saving as much as I thought so I went back to Zilla brand lizard litter, it's as fine as sugar sand, not dusty, and priced right. One bag fills my bucket up to the bottom of the brass separator so it's about a perfect amount. I find that I get twice as many cleanings before it gets too dusty/dirty to use with the Zilla stuff over the Kaytee bulk stuff. I prefer walnut because it polishes faster than cob. I also use NuFinish every time I start a new batch in the tumbler.

Just let the deprime stem clean the flash hole. Easy-peasy.