Does Everyone Tumble Cases?

Many moons ago (early 80's) when I first started reloading I didn't tumble simply because I didn't have the equipment. I found an old rock tumbler at a garage sale and started using that with walnut. It took days to clean the cases but it was what I had on hand. In those days this equipment was uncommon to see in stores.

These days, cleaning cases has become ubiquitous and seems part of the craftsmanship involved. As technology has evolved we have many choices available. Dry tumble, ultrasonic, wet tumble, media separators and they are available in multiple sizes. With so many choices, it begs the question why not jump in with both feet.

From a technical standpoint the brass probably doesn't care if it's clean or not. However:

• Very dirty cases (like build up of sticky lubes and carbon) may cause cycling problems in your firearm.
• It's easier to inspect a clean case for potential problems.

.40

Made in USA is important to me too especially in light of recent events. Here is one to watch...out of stock right now but they will be available again.

.40

I started reloading in the late 1980s. I didn't tumble cases, usually just wiping them off and loading.

A few years later I started washing cases. I used hot tap water and various soaps or detergents. That worked well. Not shiny, but clean.

It wasn't until about 5 or 6 years ago that I came into possession of a tumbler; it came in a lot I purchased from a fellow getting out of loading.
I use it, but not all the time. Most of the time, particularly for rifles cases, I merely deprime, wash, and load.

For used, range pickup brass, I deprime, wash, let dry, then tumble clean. For my own brass, I tumble maybe every 4th or 5th loading.

No, you aren't the only person not tumble-cleaning brass.

p404445 said:

That looks like a nice piece of equipment.

Have you noticed any reduction in case life with tumbling? There must be a slight amount of metal removal, and I think it's possible that stainless pins may work harden the brass.

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no

I quit dealing with the SS pins entirely...too much of a PITA to separate. A tide pod, 1/4 tsp of Lemishine, and hot water is all you really need for wet tumbling.

.40

I think I was the next to last guy that did not tumble cases. Now I do. Buy a tumbler. You will enjoy it.

p404445 said:

I aquired a Frankford tumbler last year with a press l bought, and went back and forth trying to decide to use it or not. It seems like l never have enough time, and adding a new process would just make that worse.

I was ready to "jump in" last month, them l saw "Made in China" on the Frankford box and got rid of it.

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Chances are if you got rid of everything you own "Made in China" you would be naked, barefoot, walking, and
with out a house!

I sponsored the ladies and.........
My brass could win a beauty contest, but so far there is no cash reward or even a blue ribbon for good lookin' brass.
To tumble or not to tumble it's up to you.

Well, I started reloading almost 30 years ago and I’ve always tumbled (cleaned) my cases.

I started with crushed corn cob, but quickly switched to crushed walnut and have used that ever since. Wet tumbling seems to be the current rage, but I’ve never found a reason to switch to that method.

Perhaps if I was just starting out I would, but I’m sticking with dry media.

Depends, sometimes I vibratory clean them in dry media, sometimes I wet clean them with stainless pins in a rotary tumbler, sometimes clean them with a solution in an ultra sonic tumbler and sometimes clean them individually with a rag and brush.

What for and how many generally are the drivers for the decision to pick one method over another.

I started reloading 1971. No, I didn't tumble, but I did wipe off grit and stuff and kept brass as clean when shooting as possible.
Bought an "Olsen" tumbler in the 1980s and used crushed walnut hulls. Took a lot of grime and fine sand off without much effort on my part. Good.
At some point, started using walnut hulls for cleaning, then ground corncob for polishing. Took better care of cases and dies. Took longer as well, but I let it run and didn't watch and tap my foot.
Late last year I bought the Lyman set up for wet tumbling and pins. The best so far. I've de-capped brass (rifle brass at least) prior to cleaning; but only the wet process does a good job of getting the crud out of primer pockets (which probably doesn't matter all that much) and does a good job of cleaning the inside of the cases. The machine only runs fifteen minutes or so, but it takes a bit longer to collect the pins (with a dedicated magnet it's much easier) and the old tumbler with 'media' dries the cases well.

The process makes me feel better about it anyway.

Hi...
I have always tumbled my cases since I started reloading back in the early '80s.
Still run the tumbler I started with but have added a few over the years.
I typically separate my brass by caliber and then tumble it with walnut media, usually about three hours or so.

I have played around with washing my brass and see no real advantage except if I wash it after it is deprimed which does help clean the primer pockets, but I have never noticed a benefit of cleaning primer pockets. I will clean them in my RCBS case prep center every now and then but I may reload cases multiple times with out cleaning primer pockets.

I see no effect on brass life by cleaning them in walnut media after nearly 40 years of experience.

I tumble to clean them, use "lizard litter" from the pet store as it it low dust walnut shells. Little Nu Shine car wax to help polish a little. I bought a timer to plug it into so I don't have to worry about it running too long when I forget.

If one was a low volume reloading I don't think I would mess with it. Wash with soap and water as others have said so you don't get dirt in your dies and proceed.

I have the pins and a tumbler for them but just never did it yet. Seems like a PITA to me. Also, (and I know others won't believe it) but my Brother destroyed a load of brass by leaving it running with the pins for a stupid long period of time (stupid long is key here). If I forgot and let the walnut media go I would ruin the media and make a lot of dust but I don't think I would hurt the brass any.

Its your call how you do it but you don't need to spend money on it if you don't want to do so.

I always clean my brass in a tumbler. Mine is a small Lyman that works well. I keep it clean in the hope it will protect my dies from extra wear..

I suppose it is good to get a feel for what everyone else is doing though to me this is like asking the questions; do you tumble?, do you use a ?, ?, ?, press?, do you prime on or off the press?, do you crimp in one step or two?, What powder do you use? what bullets do you use?

My point of view is that it really doesn't matter to me what everyone else is doing or what they are using because that is not me. So far I have not run across a building code for reloaders so as long as what you are doing is working for you then keep at it. My needs are not the same as everyone else's. What I can find and use for supplies locally is most likely different also.

Now I will say that some of what I do has been influenced by different members on differing forums and I still take part in the questions as I still think it interesting but my point of view and procedures for doing things are no better or worse than anyone's, only different. Some people get up in the morning and pour a coffee, I get up in the morning and pour a Coke.

As to the question, I wash w/o pins and then tumble in cobb and they come out clean enough for me.

Case tumbling (probably the most talked about, but least important step) seems to be a "recent" process. Today most new reloaders think, and have been lead to think tumbling brass to a high glossy shine is essential. I have seen forum posts by new reloaders asking about their equipment choices and a tumbler is second only to their choice of presses. When I was thinking about getting into reloading (1970) you could tell a reloader by his brown ammo, and even up till the mid '80s or so, it was considered an "unnecessary, cosmetic process". I reloaded for 12+ years before I got a tumbler (around 1985?) and I only occasionally used the citric acid wash. I just wiped each case with a solvent dampened rag as I inspected it and I never had any ruined dies, no scratched chambers and I didn't care what the other guys at the range thought...

I used to, but not anymore.... Now I wash them in citric acid and dish washing liquid, then dry them in the sun. They don't have to be perfect and shinny, just clean.

Some of the most accurate shooters on the planet, bench rest shooters dont polish their brass. Is it a requirement no. Many like the functional side of having clean brass for processing reasons, to protect their expensive dies. I choose wet tumbling because it produces wonderful results and no dust is produced making it the safest method so far. I guess you decide which if any method fits your process.

Like many here, I suspect, I started out cleaning cases by agitating them in a bucket or jar filled with hot water with a spurt of dishwashing detergent.

After years of this I was tickled to discover Citric Acid. Adding a tiny bit of that to the wash water considerably improved the look of the cases. It helped most of them to pull back from being fugly.

When I got my first vibratory case cleaner (VCC), I found that it was a plus to continue pre-cleaning the cases. They came out looking much better but still dull and often stained.

6 years ago an excellent sale price (and things that I had read in these Forums and others) convinced me to order a Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler (a.k.a., F.A.R.T. ).

The LOOK of my first batch .... Beeeeeee-ooooo-tiful!

Since then, all of my handloads look as good as factory ammo.

It is more complicated. Developing a Process minimized the hassle & (to me) is only worth doing with a full tank, but I will never return to my VCCs as primary case cleaners.

I've probably tried every method known to mankind over the years... now it's a wet tumbler and I truly enjoy looking at the little jewel-like beauties that come out of it.