Tough lesson learned...

[novalty]

Well just getting started with loading .223 Remington for the Mini-14 I inherited from my Grandfather. My brother-in-law was kind enough to get me a couple hundred pieces of once fired brass. So I tossed them in my tumbler and got them shiny glowing clean. Here is where my lesson started....do NOT tumble .223 brass with Corn Cob media. Several hours later I have almost gotten all the pieces of corn cob that packed itself into the cases--out. Tried my air compressor to try and blow the media out--no luck, tried tossing the cases into the tumbler without any media to hopefully shake it out--no luck. Small flat head screw drivers have been the best answer so far. Lesson learned, used smaller media, next time crushed walnut shells.

Now to start learning how to trim cases on my newly acquired L.E. Wilson case trimmer & getting my RCBS X-dies set up. More lessons to learn I am sure.

[tops]

[QUOTE=novalty;136632995More lessons to learn I am sure.[/QUOTE]

Does it ever seem like that when you learn all the answers they change the questions? Larry

[rangemaster]

Maybe you should try a different brand of corn cob media? I never have that problem with mine, unless either the brass or the media was wet.

[colt22man]

Just when you thought loading .223 would be a breeze. Do you have a primer pocket swager? Wait until seating a bullet on cartridge number 17 & the bullet drops into the case as the bullet is being seated in the seating die. Do you have a case gauge? Do you have a very good powder scale? Calipers? Load data? Patience? I do enjoy reloading .223. However I have learned from experience Murphy lurks in all tasks associated with reloading, especially loading rifle cartridges. Chronograph, you'll need access to one or need one if you are loading alot of cartridges. Buying cartridges at the store is the easy way, loading your own and acheiving a nice tight group at 200 yards is well earned satisfaction. I use Maizorb corn cob media mixed with Lyman's red polish media and have never experienced a clogged case. I do rinse my cases in a pure solvent that rapidly drys, especially when I set the cases in the sun after a solvent soak. Once satisfied they are dry they go in my tumbler.

[Titegroups]

Not the only thing it can get stuck in. Tiny little cases.

[358156hp]

The only time I've ever stuck media in my cases, I added polish to the media and didn't let it run longe enought to break up the clumps before I added the brass. It only takes a couple of seconds with s small screwdriver to dig the media out.

[planojack]

Similar learning experience -- I prefer to anneal case necks by the dipping in 700F lead and quenching method. Works well except the time I tumble cleaned the brass first. It worked as if I had fluxed the metal. The lead was soldered to the cases. Thought I'd never get the lead off.

[MP22]

Just pay attention to what you are doing at all time. Eliminate all distractions while reloading. It will all fall into place with experience.

[11e40]

never had any problems with corncob media. had that happen with walnuts though. are sure your cases weren't wet ? hth.

[hittman77]

This reloading thingy seems like a bunch of work to me! Guess I'll just keep paying my friend across town to do mine.

Good luck on your learning curve ..... seems the old timers around here who've done it a while have it down to a smooth science now. You will too I bet.

[David Sinko]

I have loaded a lot of .223 (including steel cases) and never had a problem with corn cob media. Fine ground walnut is even more annoying the way it works its way into the fired primers and then pollutes the press when the primers are decapped. Other than that, .223 is one of the easiest cartridges I have ever loaded, as long as the cases are trimmed and full length resized.

Dave Sinko

[couleeflyfisher]

I guess I've been loading too long, started in the '60's. A couple of years ago I bought a new Hornady vibratory tumbler at a yard sale for $10.00, still haven't used it. Use carbide dies for handgun loads and thousands of rifle, lots of .223. The .223 is really only problem since a lot of military brass, primer goes in pretty hard but they work. Nice to have pretty shiney brass but they all go bang, carbide dies put a pretty nice sheen on my cases, one of these days I should dig out the tumbler and make some pretty ammo. Till then, I'll just keep shooting and reloading.

[papajohn428]

I had a similar problem years ago, the corncob media wasn't ground very fine, and it packed into the 223 brass pretty good. I got out an electric drill, put in a fairly small bit, and pointed it straight up in a vice. The flutes in the drill bits yanked the corn cob stuff right out, I got 400 cases empty in under an hour, and never made that mistake again...........I came up with new ones instead.

BTW, do NOT use clay-based cat litter as media, not even in an emergency. They say it clumps............and they're right!

[novalty]

The corn cob media I used was dry, I did add some polish to it, but I let them tumbler run for a few minutes without any brass in it, and broke up any clumps. The media I picked out of the cases was clumped, just packed in and trapped. Guess I could try a small batch of brass with plain media and see if it packs in as bad.

[Maximumbob54]

Originally Posted by novalty

The corn cob media I used was dry, I did add some polish to it, but I let them tumbler run for a few minutes without any brass in it, and broke up any clumps. The media I picked out of the cases was clumped, just packed in and trapped. Guess I could try a small batch of brass with plain media and see if it packs in as bad.

And that would be the problem. When I add the polish I let it soak in and break up for at least and hour sometimes two if I add a little much. A few minutes is NOT long enough as you have now learned. I too learned that one the hard way...

[novalty]

Originally Posted by Maximumbob54

And that would be the problem. When I add the polish I let it soak in and break up for at least and hour sometimes two if I add a little much. A few minutes is NOT long enough as you have now learned. I too learned that one the hard way...

Hmmmm, didn't think it would take nearly that long. Do you tumble the media for an hour just to soak in the polish? If so I will skip the polish all together for .223. It does work well for 45acp, 9mm, and 38 Special, the way I have been doing it, but then again they are all straight wall cases.

[Maximumbob54]

Originally Posted by novalty

Hmmmm, didn't think it would take nearly that long. Do you tumble the media for an hour just to soak in the polish? If so I will skip the polish all together for .223. It does work well for 45acp, 9mm, and 38 Special, the way I have been doing it, but then again they are all straight wall cases.

If the polish doesn't soak in then it will remain clumpy and get in where it shouldn't so yes. But I do it because it makes the media really clean the heck out of the brass, it seems to cut down dust some but I also use the used dryer sheets, and the first time I forgot to add polish I ran the first batch through and it didn't come out nearly as clean.

[125JHP]

I haven't had any issues with regular grind corn cob but that durn Lizard Litter I got at pet smart was too coarse and packed itself in my cases tight like you describe - never use that stuff again unless I find a way to grind it finer first.

[pmhayden]

I had the same problem with corncob - used it too soon after putting a liquid polish in it, and not tumbling it enough for it to dry out. If you use dry media you should not have that problem. People debate the benefits of crushed walnut vs. corncob, but both are ok. You will probably find some surprises if you use non-reloading specific media, but that is part of the fun.

[TheTinMan]

Originally Posted by 125JHP

I haven't had any issues with regular grind corn cob but that durn Lizard Litter I got at pet smart was too coarse and packed itself in my cases tight like you describe - never use that stuff again unless I find a way to grind it finer first.

Glad I'm not the only one who made that mistake!

Works fine on cases with larger mouths, but .223 was a PITA.

[125JHP]

Originally Posted by TheTinMan

Glad I'm not the only one who made that mistake!

Works fine on cases with larger mouths, but .223 was a PITA.

Yeah, that will be my dedicated 44 mag cleaning media - big kernels for big mouths... hmmm I don't think that came out the way I meant!

[lmcgust]

Novalty,
Try tumbling your cases before sizing them and removing the spent primer. No problems then with corn cob headaches, and it is better sizing clean cases than dirty ones.
Regards,
Guy-

[novalty]

Originally Posted by lmcgust

Novalty,
Try tumbling your cases before sizing them and removing the spent primer. No problems then with corn cob headaches, and it is better sizing clean cases than dirty ones.
Regards,
Guy-

I've tried both ways--same results.

[Neumann]

An half teaspoon of polish in a tumbler full of media is more then enough. It's not enough to soak the medium, and will last a dozen loads or more. After getting corn cob stuck in primer holes, I deprime after tumbling and polishing. The brass is clean for sizing that way. I finally bought a separator. What a time-saver that is.

[67tempest]

I tumble all my brass prior to resizing and decapping so I'm not running dirty cases thru my dies. After they are decapped and resized I tumble them again to remove any case lube and give them a final polish. I them check EVERY flash hole to make sure there is no media stuck in the flash hole, poke any thing I find out with a tooth pick.