I've been using a dry vibratory tumbler for almost a year. I'm using the standard lizard bedding with a capful of NuFinish. I was loading some cleaned .38 cases today. I have taken to looking inside the case before putting it in the turret press. Midway through the loading process my powder cop showed me way over. The case was almost full. I dumped the powder and found that the case was over half full of clumped tumbling material. I guess I got impatient waiting for the NuFinish to incorporate and a glob got stuck inside this case.

I'm still new to the look inside each case routine, so I forgot to look inside this one. I haven't been as worried about the .38s, as I decap after tumbling. I supposed that the decaping process would clear the flash hole.

I think I will start lining up my cases standing up and inspect them all at once. I don't see one getting through this way. I might consider switching to treated medium and forget the NuFinish.

Don't know what would have happened if I had crammed a bullet on this one and then tried to shoot it. Might have spiked pressure. Might have been a squib. Might have been just fine. Just glad I caught it. Chalk one up for the Powder Cop die.

Absolutely nutt'n wrong with inspection. FWIW; I inspect all the brass as I pick it up at the range, a quick look-see of mine or range finds. I inspect again after tumbling, looking for defects and sometimes sorting by headstamp, and tossing undesirable makes. After each step I check them out (but I use a turret and batch load, not a progressive) before I proceede to the next step, and I lok in every case after it's charged.

Perhaps some will think I'm over thinking the process, but the last time I had a bad handload was in '71 when I had a squib...

Been there, done that. Glad you caught it. I check my cases religiously after tumbling now, for just that reason.

I use loading trays (you can make your own) so I always scan them with a flashlight and make sure I can see the flash hole. 38s take a little more time because of their height but it's worth it. 45 ACP is probably the easiest.

Glad you caught it before it became a problem.

I have been using walnut media and Nu Finish car polish for years and I like the results. I do not add Nu Finish every time I tumble brass. A capful once in a while will do it.

I visually inspect the inside of each case as I place them on station # 1 of my RL550B. It adds a couple of more minutes load time per 100 rounds, but it is worth peace of mind.

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Train to win

I add a cap full of nu-finish once every 5-6 loads, let it mix well before putting brass in. I use walnut & cobb mixed 50-50.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

My written reloading procedures have three separate steps at which the case is visually inspected.

Also, I dry tumble after resizing to remove the resizing lubricant and impart a final shine to the brass. I use untreated walnut media and typically tumble cases between a minimum of two hours and overnight.

I reload using a single stage press and in quantities of 50, 100 or occasionally 200 rounds so what I do may not work for someone loading a thousand rounds during a weekend, but however you reload, I strongly recommend that you create a standard set of procedures and then write them down in checklist format and check off each step as you complete it.

Also, an Otoscope (that's the thing your doctor uses to look in your mouth, ears and up your nose) can be very beneficial in quickly inspecting brass; particularly bottleneck cases. You can get a decent one from Amazon or eBay for about $10-$15.

I load on a LCT and the only thing I do differently than the OP is to look inside the case before it goes onto the press. I'm checking for it to be clean & empty and not split at the mouth. I look in it again after the powder drop while its still on the press....

Actually, that is my current procedure. The only problem is that I have not been doing that long enough for it to become habit, and of course, the only one or two I failed to check had one full of media. The more I think of it, the more I think the mass inspection is the way to go. Line up 20 to 50 cases at a time and inspect them all with a flashlight.

Fortunately. the Powder Cop die will catch a decent amount of media. I would rather that was not the sole means of detecting something in the case. This one had so much in it, I am surprised the decapper managed to do it's job.

Getting the cob in the case is mostly a problem with bottle neck brass for me.
But I check all brass and stopped adding anything to the cob media.

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Only difference Fool/Mule-ears

Some used equipment I bought had one of those plastic cage in a box media separators (Cabela's? it's green). Must say it's aggressive enough nothing stays inside the case.
But yeah, cut back on the nu-finish.

.38's are very prone to media left inside if you are not careful. I always bang 2 together (which causes media to fall out) or spin the open case mouth down on tumbler lid screw. I use the lizard bedding, and some kind of car wax. Bob

When I was dry tumbling (no longer) I would ALWAYS rinse my cases and dry before even beginning the reloading process. Caught a few cases that still had media in them.

Never had a problem with media stuck in a case. I use some sort of polish whether it's NuFinish or something else but I add it to the media and let the tumbler run for a good 30 minutes before adding the brass. The cartridge I spend the most time on is 223 which each case gets a quick shot of compressed air to remove any media stuck in the flash hole. All my straight wall cartridges are run through the sizing/depriming die anyway since I load on a progressive which takes care of anything stuck in the flash hole.

Thanks for the heads up, Clovishound. Never had the problem, but I can see how it could happen to me, so I'll be more aware.

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I've still got it made.

Best thing I ever bought for my reloading room was a brass separator.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I dry tumble with corn cob media, then i let the cases soak in a mix of 2 quarts of warm water, 1/2 cup of white vinegar, 1/4 cup of lemon juice and a dash of Dawn detergent. Seems to get the cases very clean, and rinses out any media left behind.

I may have to get one of those one day. I am currently using a colander. Having said that, it wouldn't have helped in this instance as it was a glob of NuFinish and walnut media stuck to the walls of the case.

I do find it difficult to easily get the media out of even these straight wall cases. I'm sure I will individually dump and inspect each bottleneck case, which I have yet to tumble. As I will likely be reloading some 30-06 soon, that will likely be happening.

I have a checklist of procedures that I follow when reloading. It is a holdover from my days in the Air Force; a checklist for everything. I sort my brass when I get ready to cleaning it, its checked again when it is comes out of the tumbler. the neck is checked again because the carbon could have covered a crack. I check for medium inside the case. I have found medium stuck inside the case a few times, it worth the effort. I check all cases after the powder is dropped. Having sat steps to follow can save headaches later on.

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Carpriver.

I picked one of those up too - for $15. Good investment.

I did discover that a 9mm could still be stuck inside a 44 case - even after a thorough tumble in the media separator....

Had the same thing happen years ago with my tumbler, walnut media and Brasso (I think).

To clear the stuck media I placed the case open-end over the the threaded rod that the wing nut fastens to, that clamps the lid on (with the tumbler still running). There's plenty of vibration to knock all media out in 1-2 seconds.

This might not work well on small-mouthed cases, if they don't fit over the threaded rod (i.e. .223?). It works for all the calibers I reload though.

Didn't catch on, until later, that this was a good idea. (I'm kinda slow that way, with brilliance)

Now it's part of the routine, and I do it with every case I dig out of the tumbler. I leave the tumbler running anyway, because I just scoop the cleaned cases out as the rotate through the media.

Hope this helps someone out.


MWS

I polish by caliber and avoid that.

I've learned to run the tumbler for a while to insure that any polishing medium has disbursed, before adding brass.

As for kernels of lizard medium stuck in the flash hole, simply ignore it. A primer, alone, can drive a bullet out of the case and into the rifling. The tumbling medium does not offer any resistance to the priming charge nor does it affect pressure or accuracy.

My take on the issue is that you should not put a liquid into a tumbler and then immediately dump in the brass. As you stated, will end up with gummy balls of polishing media that can enter a casing and stick there. I always pour in my liquid polishing media after I am done using the tumbler. By the time I need to polish more brass, the media is dry and never sticks to or in the case.

Never got the popularity of non-abrasive car wax? Could someone point out the value? My media is Braso in my crushed walnut media and have never had one granule of material stick in the case. The Brasso contains a polishing media and is made to remove tarnish. Pour it on the top of the media and when dry throw in the brass. Shooting black powder will really test your media, but my combination puts the shine on even the dirtiest BP brass.

Some things are worth spending money on . . . just sayin'. Besides, I cannot find Lizard bedding on any of my reloading websites???

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Gary
SWCA 2515

This statement made me realize how, although difficult to get a habit established, once that is done, it's just as hard to break it. I have a couple of practices that I had to be very deliberate about but now I can't not do.

I've had two stuck media experiences - but they were both different and caught via different steps in the process.

In once instance I had clumped walnut media in a .223 case. When I inserted the unbent paperclip to check for possible case head separation there was no way the probe would go in.

In another instance I was looking to confirm I could see the primer when looking into the case before charging (as I always do) and saw nothing but darkness. Shining a light in showed there was a piece of corncob media still in there. What I found interesting about that one is that my paperclip check step wouldn't and didn't alert me to it - since the probe surely just pushed the media around in the case and I didn't feel it. Additionally, I also have the habit of looking to ensure I can see light through the flash hole before priming. But I didn't catch it in THAT step because I may have just held the case up to horizontal - and the media piece would still let light through the flash hole.

"Mass" inspection sounds good - if that's what works best for how your brain and processes work. That's the most important thing IMHO: Establishing processes that safely produce the results you want. What those particular methods actually are really doesn't matter - as long as they are effective for how we each work and think and approach the hobby.

I am not an expert, but have read that polishes with ammonia in them can make brass brittle. Brasso does. I avoid using any polishes that contain it. FWIW. Bob

I use corn cob media. I add a small amount of liquid car wax and let it run for a while. If it has clumps reach in an break them up. Takes about 20 seconds. End of problem. Now days I have to inspect the 45 cases one at a time because of primer sizes and three different size flash holes under the primer. and throw the A-MERC in the trash.

Most car waxes do contain an abrasive although they tend to be very mild.

I have my own private range in a wooded area of my property. I shoot for a while, then pick up brass and repeat the process. Before we begin a shooting session I blow the entire area clean of leaves and debris. Makes the brass much easier to find and keeps it cleaner. Because of this I really don't have "dirty" brass so it's much easier to clean than the public range brass other folks pick up. For me, all the car wax does is add a little protection to the brass and it tends to tarnish less over time. I use corn cob and typically run the brass overnight. Yes, I'm one of those guys that prefers my guns to spit out nice shiny brass!

Of course, I do too. But with multiple shooters shooting and picking up brass, every now and then one case of another caliber will accidentally get mixed in at the range.
I don't look inside every case before they go into the tumbler - and don't plan to start. Too much trouble.

You have to read he Nu-Finish label - no abrasives. Most waxes today do not contain any abrasives due to the clear-coats used in the automotive industry. No need to polish out the clear coats, only protect them.

Heard all the complaints and read all the commentary on the dangers of the stuff with no conclusive evidence to support the claims other than anecdotal comments. Ammonia evaporates VERY quickly and most, if not all, of the ammonia will evaporate during the mixing of the Brasso with the media. The content of Ammonium Hydroxide is 2% and basically zero by the time it dries in my tumbler. I have been tumbling brass for over 35 years in Brasso with not one problem with the brass. Have I had brass split over up to a dozen reloads or so, yes, but I think this has nothing to do with the polish I use. Do I soak the brass for days in the stuff - no. Do I place the brass in the tumbler immediately after adding any liquid polishing media - no. Issues are raised and overblown every day since the advent of the Internet, but until I see any negative effects of Brasso, I will continue to use it because when combined with tumbling media, there is nothing I have found that offers better results or is faster.

Wait a minute, Brasso was designed to polish brass and it damages the very material that is is named for??

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I never use the cheap lizard bedding, I only use the corn cob media mfg. for polishing brass. I use a little Rooster Brite, a product made specifically for brass cartridges, and "following instructions", trickle a cap-full into the running vibratory tumbler, and run for 3-5 minutes before putting brass in. This spreads the polish around within the media. My brass comes out very clean and polished bright.

I don't like short cuts when reloading.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Is it necessary to tumble the brass in an abrasive media? I thought about using an ultrasonic cleaner and just letting the casings air dry?

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Heck, it isn't necessary to clean them at all, unless they have sand, grit etc on them. After a while they start looking pretty sad, but they shoot just fine. Cleaning them does make it easier to spot cracks and other imperfections. Most of us just object to making loads with nasty looking brass.

I wet cleaned with just a bucket and some Dawn every 5 reloads or so for many years. Finally decided I wanted better looking brass. Hasn't affected the shootability of the loads, but they sure look nicer.

Lots of folks use ultrasonic. The major downside is that you have to dry them thoroughly before loading. For some that is an issue, for others it isn't.

I disagree that it is not necessary to tumble brass. How can you keep casings from hitting the ground? They will pick up grit and will affect the reloading process. Sure, you can power your way through the reloading process, but tumbling brass may lengthen the life of your dies and make definitely make reloading easier. If you are using carbide dies, there is a difference in resizing clean brass than dirty. Cleaning and polishing reduces the friction in the dies and you can normally tell the difference.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

I never add anything to my media, when it's due I simply replace it with new Lyman "green" media. However I did find that clumping will occur if I leave the cleaned brass in the tumbler a few days and just remove em without running it a bit. Seems the media "takes a set" if let sit.

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Stay safe people!

You might want to consider liquid tumbling with SS pins. I too was considering ultrasonic but read the results were hit and miss - liquid with SS pins is 100% everytime and FAST. As far as drying cases is concerned its a moot point as cases need to be rinsed regardless of the tumbling system used.

With revolvers it is not a problem at all. Just eject them from the cylinder and place in a bag. The majority of cases from the lever rifle land on the shooting table.

I shoot mostly at an indoor range, and even the ones that hit the floor don't seem to pick up much, if any, grit.

If you shoot outdoors, and the brass hits the ground, it will likely have enough grit on it to be a long term issue with your dies/guns.

Dry tumbled brass needs to be rinsed?
Really? This is the first time I've ever heard that.
Why?
FWIW, I use a little Nu-Finish because it seems to keep the dust down, and the brass doesn't tarnish as quickly in storage.

Agreed. I've been reloading 40 years; just bought a tumbler about 5 years ago.

With my nickel cases, .38 Super and .45 ACP, I just dump the empties from the range on an old bath towel, and kneed them for a few seconds. Get's off 80-90% of what tumbling would do.

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I've still got it made.

Sorry that you never 'heard' that, and I never 'heard' it either - it was a personal observation when I first started to dry tumble - and decided I wanted my brass to be completely free and clean of anything before reloaded it - especially dry tumbling dust and refuse on it - and I have caught stuck media in cases while rinsing it prior to reloading.

I've never rinsed tumbled brass. Prefer corncob over walnut. These days, I do use liquid & SS pins. Some calibers get a combination of SS pins & tumbling. Regardless all cases get at least a cleaning treatment. Can't stand dirty grubby brass. Not even semi-dirty.

OK, well, you initially stated it like it was something absolutely necessary - some kind of a rule - as opposed what it takes to make them clean enough meet your personal standards. Thanks for the clarification.

I'm not quite as particular about mine looking brand spanking new. So a couple of hours dry tumbling with walnut lizard bedding and Nu-Finish followed by a good spin through the media separator gets them plenty clean enough for my purposes.

Been tumbling for about 30 years. Its happened a few times to me when I noticed a charged case was over full.
Best check every case after tumbling?

Uhmmm..Yes...Don't ask how I know this!

Lizard bedding at your friendly, liberal neighborhood
pet store. And...Paperclips or dental tools you sweet talked your hygenist out of are a goodness for solving problems like this.

I just don't want ANY residue on my cases when reloading - I like them 'squeaky' clean! With liquid tumbling looking brand spanking new is UNAVOIDABLE so I have eliminated all of my 'issues' by switching to it.

Rarely but "once in a while" I too will get a wad of walnut shells/polishing goop in a casing. Once in a while, maybe a 22 LR case, or even a cherry pit from the local rodent population.

Almost always when that happens, my Dillon 650 Stage 1 sizer die/primer decap pin will inform me something is awry. And almost always by the time the direct vision inspection I have looking down into the case at Station 3 powder check die, I can confirm any number of potential issues, either via that visual or in the actual powder check alarm itself, as any volumetric anomalous increase beyond about .1g powder, sets the bugger off.

It is worth noting that the orange plastic bowel turbo 1200 vibratory cleaner I bought 38 years ago because I couldn't afford to get the one I really wanted, continues to perform beyond my wildest expectations.

Ultrasonic brass cleaning for me has been a waste of time, other than for some of the old black powder shells I didn't get clean enough the old fashioned way.

Someday I expect the SS pins & tumbler will move in, as I like that high sheen.

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

Seems backwards, you are just dirtying up your media. Most will wet clean then tumble for final polish, but if it works for you??

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

So it's a preference, not a must. The only dust I wanted to remove was when I used treated media. Then I would just roll them in a towel, they really don't need washing after tumbling.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

On SS pins, seems the new fad. I have tried it & actually find on pistol cases, they are too clean. I do NOT want squeaky clean. The amount of add'l friction can easily be felt. Not a problem with rifle cases, they get lubed anyway, but pistol, no thanks. The add'l force needed to size & bell not worth it to me. Throw in the drying time & extra step of depriming first, clean is just fine, factory new, not required, but I applaud those that have the patience.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO