Doublehelix
Member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2016
- Messages
- 1,059
OK, I am not sure about the rest of you, but there never seems to be enough time in the week to get everything done that I need (or want) to accomplish. Between family and work, I have to eek out those extra minutes where I can to shoot, reload and compete.
So I am always looking for ways to increase my efficiency and throughput.
I realized last night that I was really low on clean 9mm brass, and I have 3 weekends in a row of matches coming up, so I needed to get some ammo made ASAP.
I tend to process in batches, so when I wet tumble, I usually do about 10 loads or so over the course of a couple of days, and then won't do any again for a while.
I processed my first 3 batches, and then thought: "I wonder what would happen if I washed without the SS pins?"
I have seen several posts around the 'Net where folks claim that they stopped using pins, and their brass was "just as clean". I have always been skeptical of this claim, and never even bothered to try it without pins. There is no way it would work as well, right???
What an idiot I am!!!
I decided to try my first batch today without pins, just a couple of squirts of Armorall Wash & Wax, and a .45 caseful of Lemishine, and NO PINS.
Wow.
The cases look amazing. Seriously. I think the brass-on-brass peening is good enough, and the extra SS pins don't add enough extra shine to be worth the effort.
When the run was done, I just rinsed and put in the dryer. Done. No separating out the pins in the a straining tumbler, no magnet to get the stray pins, and WAY LESS WORK OVERALL!!!
Are they as shiny as the ones I washed with the pins? Maybe not quite, but honestly, I really can't tell the difference. Now for those folks that decap and are trying to get pristine primer pockets, maybe the pins would make a difference, but I also gave up decapping about 2 years ago due to the extra workload.
Anyway, for those who are trying to speed up their workflow: TRY IT!!! SERIOUSLY!!! I can't believe I waited so long to do this. I really didn't expect the results to be this good. I figured "clean" but not "shiny". Boy, was I wrong. The brass looks amazing, and it takes me just a fraction of the time to rinse and stick the brass in the dryer.
If you have read these threads before and been skeptical like I was, at least try it once before you disregard it.
I am pleasantly surprised, and very happy!
So I am always looking for ways to increase my efficiency and throughput.
I realized last night that I was really low on clean 9mm brass, and I have 3 weekends in a row of matches coming up, so I needed to get some ammo made ASAP.
I tend to process in batches, so when I wet tumble, I usually do about 10 loads or so over the course of a couple of days, and then won't do any again for a while.
I processed my first 3 batches, and then thought: "I wonder what would happen if I washed without the SS pins?"
I have seen several posts around the 'Net where folks claim that they stopped using pins, and their brass was "just as clean". I have always been skeptical of this claim, and never even bothered to try it without pins. There is no way it would work as well, right???
What an idiot I am!!!
I decided to try my first batch today without pins, just a couple of squirts of Armorall Wash & Wax, and a .45 caseful of Lemishine, and NO PINS.
Wow.
The cases look amazing. Seriously. I think the brass-on-brass peening is good enough, and the extra SS pins don't add enough extra shine to be worth the effort.
When the run was done, I just rinsed and put in the dryer. Done. No separating out the pins in the a straining tumbler, no magnet to get the stray pins, and WAY LESS WORK OVERALL!!!
Are they as shiny as the ones I washed with the pins? Maybe not quite, but honestly, I really can't tell the difference. Now for those folks that decap and are trying to get pristine primer pockets, maybe the pins would make a difference, but I also gave up decapping about 2 years ago due to the extra workload.
Anyway, for those who are trying to speed up their workflow: TRY IT!!! SERIOUSLY!!! I can't believe I waited so long to do this. I really didn't expect the results to be this good. I figured "clean" but not "shiny". Boy, was I wrong. The brass looks amazing, and it takes me just a fraction of the time to rinse and stick the brass in the dryer.
If you have read these threads before and been skeptical like I was, at least try it once before you disregard it.
I am pleasantly surprised, and very happy!