Tumbling media for small bore brass?

[Aqualung]

Tumbled my first batch of .223/5.56 brass and ran into a bit of an annoyance. Pretty much every case is packed with media and the primer pocket is clogged.

Of course, I didn't think of this when I dumped the brass in the tumbler. What I use for media is pet-store walnut, treated with Cabela's case polish. It's worked wonderfully for the most part, but I shoot stuff over .30 caliber (.300 Savage, .303 British, .44 mag, etc.). For the most part, a tap and a shake will drump out any clogged media.

I'm guessing that the pet-store media is small enough to get into the case and pockets, but big enough to stick.

My question is what you folks have good luck with.

I don't wash my brass, just tumble.

Thanks in advance.

Aqualung

 

[OldePhart]

Try tumbling before sizing/depriming especially for any cases that use small primers. I've found that the walnut media from reloading sources will stick in the primer pockets and flash holes of just about any brass that uses small primers...I'm assuming you're seeing the same thing in the pet store media, though it might be even worse because the media may be larger.

Also, make sure your media is absolutely dry...if it has any tendency to clump that is not desirable. I would spread it out on a large cookie sheet and heat it in the oven for a while if it is clumping.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I deprime before tumbling & sizing, using crushed walnut hulls I bought at a gun show, without any additives.

Occasionally, a single bit of the media will stick in the flash hole, but is knocked out by the depriming pin in the sizing die. I have not had the pockets get packed full of media, whether large or small pockets, nor have I had the media pack into the case.

I reload for stuff as small as 9mm.

JMHO

 

[fixitfred]

I'll give the same response on the other forum. Reptile bedding -- small enough to get in primer pockets and small enough not to get stuck in flash holes. Maybe it's my vigorous sifting that does it. I went to a mom and pop Asian food store where I work and got a fruit wash basin it has large holes in the "drainer" and it nests in an outer container. The holes are large enough for a 22 to fit through but it catches the rim. I paid around $8 for it and it's perfect. I should sell some on ebay as the ultimate brass sifter $20.

 

[OldePhart]

@fixitfred - I have been using a plastic colander inside of a large aluminum stock pot for decades. Works great. Cost me nothing: when I need the stock pot for bambi chili I scrub it out and use it and my wife didn't like that plastic colander anyway... LOL

 

[Ale-8(1)]

And I use a smallish "deep fryer" basket that measures about 10" in diameter and is about that deep . . . has like 1/8" mesh, and works great over small plastic bucket.

 

[Aqualung]

I'll give the same response on the other forum. Reptile bedding -- small enough to get in primer pockets and small enough not to get stuck in flash holes. Maybe it's my vigorous sifting that does it. I went to a mom and pop Asian food store where I work and got a fruit wash basin it has large holes in the "drainer" and it nests in an outer container. The holes are large enough for a 22 to fit through but it catches the rim. I paid around $8 for it and it's perfect. I should sell some on ebay as the ultimate brass sifter $20.

Its not just the pockets, the *cases* are full of media that's jammed inside the case.

I like your advice on the reptile bedding. I'll be hitting a PetCo probably tomorrow.

Considering I spent several hours today with 200 cases and a couple dental picks, digging out packed media. There were probably only about 7-8 that were not packed to the mouth. :x

Thanks again.

Aqualung

 

[Mobuck]

Those clogs can sometimes be dislodged by running the cases for a few minutes w/o any more media-just the cases with the media clogged inside. I tried the cheap skate approach ONCE and ended up as you are. I use only the fine ground media sold exclusively for cleaning cases. Life is far too short to deal with the problem you had.
Even though I handle thousands of .223(or did for several years)per year, the cost of tumbling media is inconsequential in the big picture.

 

[contender]

Mobuck has it right. Once you remove the brass from the tumbler, take any impacted cases and return them to an empty tumbler tub. That will dislodge the stuck media easily. If you put only 50 or so in there at a time, it's work faster.

 

[Johnnu2]

I've seldom used any kind of polish in my tumbler. However, whenever I did, I found that clogged cases would result. So, I just use my tumbler without polish (use either crushed walnut or corn cob.....). J

 

[mikld]

If media gets "impacted" in a case, I would guess it's too wet. Try tumbling some with nekkid media. I have tumbled (rotary and wobbler) a bunch of .223/5.56 brass without your problem. From 20 year of tumbling experience I settled on this about 13 years ago...http://www.drillspot.com/products/499763/econoline_526020g-40_40_lbs_blast_media

 

[K. Funk]

My tumbler media is water...never gets clogged up in cases of any calibers. I went wet years ago and have never looked back. Lortone QT-12 rock tumbler with water and simple green. I can clean 1000 .30-06 cases to looking like new in an evening. Only down side is having to dry them in wife's convection oven, which can strain relations. Still better than having media all over the floor and picking out flash holes.

krf