HELP!!! Media stuck in 223 cases

How'bout emptying the tumbler and letting those cases run in there with no media. Might it possibly get shaken out?

I would use compressed air. Short blasts with air would possible clean them up. I have used it when cleaning brass that has corn cob stuck in primer flash hole.

You could use a drill bit smaller than the mouth. Just don't damage the web.

Tumble them some more with no media.

It will come out.

You best bet on tumbler media is Zila brand Lizzard litter from the pet store.

Is is fine ground walnut hull and works better then commercial tumbler media.

rc

The air will work great if you've deprimed first, then cleaned. Air through the primer hole should do it.

Kind of got a mess on your hands. Good luck.

Mark

Another vote for the Zilla Lizard litter. The stuff works great.

If your going to use corncob media get the finer 40/20, it will fall through the primer holes.

I get walnut hulls in mine all the time (never used corncobs). They get trapped in the primer recess. They come out with the decapping pin. Never gave me a bit of trouble in the 40 years I've been doing it.

I also use Zilla Lizard litter from the pet store. You might want to switch to that brand.

Zilla! Cheaper, works better and when a bag gets torn at the pet store my daughter works pt at I get the leftover for free.

Compressed air, or that canned air with the little spray tube thingie.

Run then through your decapper. It'll come right out.

SauceNM said:

Thinking about just throwing this mess in an ant pile. Hope they like corn cobb...

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So ... running them in the empty tumbler/vibrating case cleaner did not correct the problem?

Bend a paper clip and get after them that way. Tedious for sure, but you can do it indoors while watching some television. 1000 pcs is not an amount I'd consider tossing. I have a Lyman flash hole deburring tool that pokes that cob right out (poking into the pocket, not the mouth) I went to smaller cob and no more clogs. I have a 40 pound bag so I'm good, forever I think.

I use walnut shells that I buy from sand blasting supply venders. 12-20 screen size works best.

Corn cob media comes in small, medium & large sizes. The medium & large can't get stuck in the pocket....at least not in my cases.

He's not talking about primer pockets, he's got media compacted in the cases.

I suggest a cordless drill with a .185" drill bit. Run it around inside the case to loosen and break up the media till it will fall out.
BTDT ONCE.

Bought several broken bags of the lizard bedding at a PetSmart for near nothing. Been using it treated with NuFinish car wax with a bit of Mothers metal polish added. Every 6mos or so drizzle a little mineral spirits to rejuvenate.

I use the worn out media in .45 Colt cases for Carpenter Bee loads.

Good to the last granule!

SauceNM said:

Thinking about just throwing this mess in an ant pile. Hope they like corn cobb...

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Send them to me if you are going to throw them away, I will use them.

I use one of the dental picks in my cleaning kit. I just bent a tip almost straight, and swizzle it around in there; loosens it up well. I sit and clear them out while watching TV.

I do plan on trying Zilla when I do the next batch this winter......

I had that problem once, and just poked at it with an icepick (I have several for some reason) and it crumbled right out. Then, I blew out with compressed air just to be sure every granule was out.
Most any rigid implement, small enough to reach into the case, will work.
It's firmly settled in, but not concrete.

I actually did the same thing when I first started vibrating brass. Bought an 8 lb bag of lizard bedding from walmart and ended up with 500 cases packed up with corn cob. Like Goose suggested, I used a drill bit to grind it all out, cursing myself every case I emptied. Also don't try to put the media in your wife's blender to make it less coarse. You will only succeed in getting yourself in trouble.

You live, you learn, you get smarter along the way.

Orcon said:

I actually did the same thing when I first started vibrating brass. Bought an 8 lb bag of lizard bedding from walmart and ended up with 500 cases packed up with corn cob. Like Goose suggested, I used a drill bit to grind it all out, cursing myself every case I emptied. Also don't try to put the media in your wife's blender to make it less coarse. You will only succeed in getting yourself in trouble.

You live, you learn, you get smarter along the way.

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The food processor works better than a blender but you still get in trouble lol.