Best stainless steel pin size for wet tumbling?

[Darth-Vang]

What’s the best pin size for wet tumbling? Who knows what size should be use for what casing? I have the frankford arsenal platinum series tumbler if that helps. How many pounds of brass can in the tumbler? How many pounds of pins?

 

[Bosn Ski]

I bought guntap pins on Amazon when I used the Harbor Freight tumbler. I used them for several thousand cases and didn’t have a single issue. The pins that were included with the FA Rotary Tumbler were thinner and shorter. I didn’t like that. I felt there was potential for a pin to get stuck inside 9mm. The Guntap pins are thicker and slightly longer.

I use 5 pounds of pins and about 800 9mm cases no problem. 800 cases? Because that’s about how many fit in Costco cashew containers.

 

[jmorris]

Smaller than the diameter of the flash hole, not 50% either or two will get stuck...

 

[Demi-human]

.250” long, and .047 inches wide.

This keeps size keeps them from bridging in most cases, as well as not jamming in the flash hole.

The rest depends upon how much brass and what size container.

 

[peels]

I have been using 0.041" pins. They are small enough where once in a while, 2 pins gets jammed in the flash hole. Recently, I also found a pin jammed sideways at the bottom of a 223 brass.

I was going to purchase the 0.047" size that is being recommended to replace my current pins, but decided to give 1/8" diagonal cut pins a try instead.

So far, after 5 batches, I am really liking the new 1/8" pins. There is no chance for them to get stuck in primer flash holes. They seem to do a better job at cleaning primer pockets. They are considerably heavier than the pins, and thus dont tend to want to escape and bounce all over the place.

Only down side is that these pins are 304 stainless steel. They are only mildly magnetic. So magnetic traps to prevent pins going down the drain may not be as effective. I use a small drain stainer to capture escapees, so not an issue for me. In the 5 batches, only 1 pin escaped when pouring the water out that was caught with the drain strainer. Where as I normally get several of the smaller pins escaping each batch.

If you want to give them a try, search for 1/8" diagonal pins by BC precision on eBay.

 

[JKP]

I use the Southern Shine chips. They work faster (I tumble for 2 hours) and work great on the primer pockets. I have the small Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler. I use 2 1/2 pounds of chips and 300 to 500 9mm cases.

 

[rfwobbly]

I think the main criteria might be that that are magnetic. I say this because the LemiShine does most of the cleaning, and then you spend the rest of the day walking around with a magnet to recover your pins.

 

[kalielkslayer]

I bought the Franklin Arsenal pins, not sure what size.

Initially I could only get 3 lbs, with another 3 lbs on back order. With only 3 lbs, it seemed I was tumbling longer. I added another 1.5 lbs when the back order was filled and it seemed to cut my time in 1/2. Don’t know what size mine is but it takes just over 300 .223 cases, and approximately 450 .40 cases.

I have had one pin get stuck sideways in a .223 neck, and 2 get stuck sideways in a 9mm primer pocket. One in the primer pocket was wedged pretty tight so I trashed the case.

The pins are way longer than the primer pocket width so I think the culprits were just manufactured short.

 

[jmorris]

I had to go back and find my build thread (that PB gutted) and it looks like it will be 10 years in Dec since I first rand my media. Unfortunately I don’t have any measurements on what it was back then but it’s .039x.254 now.

 

[peels]

I think the main criteria might be that that are magnetic. I say this because the LemiShine does most of the cleaning, and then you spend the rest of the day walking around with a magnet to recover your pins.

I did briefly looked at the southern shine chips....but then realized that they are actually smaller in size than the pins (shorter, but diameter is irregular) . It was going in a different direction than I wanted.

I find loose small pins once in a while on the floor around the area where I drain and separate the brass and pins. I use submerged strainer in a bucket method. I am hoping the heavier 1/8" pins won't get a chance to escape and bounce as badly.

 

[Hondo 60]

I bought guntap pins on Amazon

Yup, same here.
In my small dbl tumbler from Harbor Freight
I put a pound of pins, a pound of liquid & 50 cases.

If you have a bigger tumbler, I would extrapolate the numbers from there.

How big is your tumbler????

 

[Darth-Vang]

Yup, same here.
In my small dbl tumbler from Harbor Freight
I put a pound of pins, a pound of liquid & 50 cases.

If you have a bigger tumbler, I would extrapolate the numbers from there.

How big is your tumbler????

It’s the frankford platinum series. It could hold upwards to 1,000 .223 brass with 5 pounds of pins.

 

[Demi-human]

Ten pounds of pins, ten pounds of water and ten pounds of brass.
35 minutes cycle time.

 

[Archie]

I have the Frankfort Arsenal pins and tumbler. I've never used anything else, so I really don't know.

I clean all sorts of cases, from .32 ACP to 8mm Lebel. They all come out well.
I load the cases and the load of pins I have (never have weighed or counted them); a drop or three of lemi-shine (or something much like it) and enough water to cover everything. Don't want the drum really full or it won't 'shake' around.

I don't worry about anything sticking in the flash holes as I deprime with a universal decapper first, then do the full length resizing (with decapper) after the cleaning.

 

[peeplwtchr]

I use these for 9mm and .223. I've never had one stuck in a flash hole. Zoom in for the size.

 

[507Reloader]

I don't use pins, I get SS media from T&B Bullets. No clogged flash holes. His bullets are good as well.

Stainless Steel Tumbling Media – T&B Bullets