223 and Stainless Steel Media

[targetshooter22]

Hi, I have some questions about stainless steel media and tumbling brass. From looking at MidwayUSA's site, it looks like there is at least one review that says it gets stuck in the primer pocket or flash hole of 223/5.56 brass. I'm thinking of taking the uh plunge into wet tumbling some 223 brass, but the one review made me a little nervous.

Does anyone here use stainless media in a wet tumbler for 223/5.56? Any particular brands to go for or avoid? I saw http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/ advertised the small rifle stuff should be good, but that's marketing copy, so I take it with a salt lick sized grain of salt.

 

[oldpapps]

I wet tumble .223/5.56 and 308/7.62 brass with SS pins. That's both pocket sizes, not that that covers all flash hole sizes.

I have found it simpler to shake pins out in a pan of water. Otherwise the pins stick to the wet brass. As I do this, a quick glance in the primer pocket and toss the few that have caught 2 pins aside. Removal is a hard shake to pushing one out with a tooth pick. It is not a big thing.

 

[Canuck-IL]

I've done 2200 count of 223 with wet SS this winter, so far. A spinner, same as used for dry media, takes out all of the loose pins from 223 brass. I spin them in a large plastic storage container to capture those that fly around.

Using LC of various years, Win and Rem brass, there's at least 1 and usually 2 cases that will have a pair of pins wedged in the flash hole in every batch of 300. Since I inspect the brass before reloading, I don't find it a big deal to knock out the few pins. It happens in 45 brass as well, just a touch less frequent. Dislodging them is no problem.

/Bryan

 

[Hondo 60]

Seems like if its only one or two per tumbling, that isn't much.

Some day I may take that plunge too.
But right now I still have 1/2 a bag of corn cob from drillspot.

 

[oldandslow]

ts, 2/24/13

I just finished about 500 223 cases with SS media over the weekend. I had about a 2% rate of pins stuck in the flash hole. Pretty much the same results as 9mm. Is it a major problem? No, but it does slow down the cleaning process a bit. Good luck.

best wishes- oldandslow

 

[Canuck-IL]

I still have 1/2 a bag of corn cob from drillspot.

That's what you use to tumble loaded (non-JHP) cartridges in.

/B