Wet tumbling(Not me)

[Huskerguy]

I have used dry vibratory for as long as I can remember. I keep it in the garage and no matter what I try - dryer sheets, polish, etc, there is a lot of dust and it just raises cane with my already sensitive lungs. I also didn't enjoy getting the pieces unstuck from 223 and primer pockets.

Last February I used my birthday bonus from Midway and picked up Franklin wet tumbler. I have not looked back. I have gone back and pretty much cleaned up all my brass except for a rather large batch of 9mm. The results are stunningly clean brass. I did a bunch of 45colt for a buddy through my wet system, about 700 rounds and it looked really good, not spectacular. I had some extra time so I ran it back through again just to see if I could get that new look and I was amazed at how much dirty water I ended up with from some brass that I thought was really clean. It would not have hurt a thing and it looked great before but now it is extra nice. I know it doesn't make a bit of difference in how it shoots and frankly, with my system now in place, it doesn't take any longer and I am not fighting the dust. I like the fact that my brass is clean inside and out, just a personal thing. The downside is the water but it is easy to work around. I just lay them out and keep rolling them by hand over a large towel. If I want to put them up right away, I just bake them dry but for the most part, I rotate my brass so I don't need to reload it right away, plenty of time to dry.

I did initially try it without the pins and didn't get the results. The pins made the difference. Each to his own but I have tried both and probably will still use the vibratory for rifle on the initial cleaning before depriming and resizing. Then go wet.

 

[Ray1970]

Each to his own but I have tried both and probably will still use the vibratory for rifle on the initial cleaning before depriming and resizing. Then go wet.

This is where I like to wet tumble without the pins. Once clean I’ll then size and deprime and then run them wet with the pins for a good final cleaning before reloading. Washing them first makes the size/deprime process nice and washing them afterwards with the pins cleans the primer pockets and removes any case lube from the sizing process.

 

[Iframe32s]

I'm not embarrassed to admit that during my foray into the then-unknown (to me) world of wet tumbling I quickly learned never to completely prep rifle cases then just throw them (w/body & neck lube) into the wet tumbler hoping they would magically appear shiny as new.

What a nasty, greasy mess I made of the pins, interior of drum, and the entire batch of brass. It came out permanently discolored; looked like the color of Russian mil-surp steel cases. I also attribute too much Lemi-Shine to the equation. I won't even get into the plumbing issue...

I'm now very proficient in the use of a 25' drain auger

Lessons learned:
1. Wet tumbling is not always indicated (for me)
2. When indicated, do not be overly aggressive.
3. Less soap is better; less Lemi-Shine even better (not more than 1/2
.45 ACP case for a large batch.
4. Let me re-iterate: too much Lemi-shine is BAD (see above).
5. Do this outside with your hose; NOT a good idea for indoor plumbing.
6. Best for use with pistol cases sized with carbide dies. Hence; no lube,
not much mess.
7. Always remove exterior lube before wet tumbling. Interior neck lube
makes enough of a mess.
8. YMMV

 

[Ray1970]

Ha. I haven’t had that issue with case lube gunking things up. I typically use the Hornady One Shot and I don’t get carried away with it.

 

[mikld]

Like others, I went to wet tumbling and wish I had done it sooner then I did. Cases come out like new, for sure.

One issue with dry tumbling, is build up on the interior of bottleneck cases, reducing the internal capacity and potentially raising pressures. The wet tumbling knocks any of the build up off. That being said, I typically only tumble my pistol cartridges and not my bottleneck cases unless they get really, really grungy.

I understand the possibility of necks stuffed with media, but I have reloaded thousands of 30-06 brass for my Garand and a several hundreds of 308s for my bolt gun and never had to clean any gunk from any case. I use corn cob blast media with a scant cap full of auto cleaner/wax...

 

[rockquarry]

I understand the possibility of necks stuffed with media, but I have reloaded thousands of 30-06 brass for my Garand and a several hundreds of 308s for my bolt gun and never had to clean any gunk from any case. I use corn cob blast media with a scant cap full of auto cleaner/wax...

Run it long enough in the tumbler with dry media with or without any additives and any lube buildup will be gone.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Walnut media/nu-shine.........Clean-dump-load......No wet junk for me.

 

[Hasbeen1945]

When wet tumbling the Lyman seperator pans are your friend. I also use the Frankford arsenal magnet. I live in Texas so outside drying in the sun is no problem. Plus I decap before cleaning.

 

[rosewood]

That's probably because the seller wasn't willing to spend the time to be sure the pins were removed. I used dry tumblers for decades and regret not going to wet sooner.

I've not had the problem you encountered. I have found dry media stuck in cases.

The dry media won't break a decapping pin though.

 

[rosewood]

I have considered wet tumble, but don't want to fool with having to dry them. Corn cob gets them clean enough for me and if I want my loaded rounds to be shiny, throw them back in the tumbler with a little extra Nu-finish and tumble overnight. Nice and shiny loaded rounds when done.

Rosewood

 

[mikld]

FWIW; the only time I want a high shine is for my 45 ACP and 30-06 brass. I shoot in a "semi-improved" spot up in the hills and shiny brass is much easier to find in the dirt, rocks and shotgun shells after they are flung outta my 1911 and my Garand...

 

[rosewood]

FWIW; the only time I want a high shine is for my 45 ACP and 30-06 brass. I shoot in a "semi-improved" spot up in the hills and shiny brass is much easier to find in the dirt, rocks and shotgun shells after they are flung outta my 1911 and my Garand...

Yeah, but when those 45s land on the base and all you can see is that black hole, they are hard to find on the ground. You have to make passes from different angles to find them all. I bet 45 GAP is has this problem even more.

Rosewood

 

[arjay]

I’ve fooled around with wet tumbling without pins and it really gets them clean including the primer pockets,but I’ve found that the larger pistol cases take a lot more effort to resize unless I lube them,so I’ve gone back to a very fine medium (lizard litter) with a bit of nu shine

 

[Carrier]

The only issue I’ve had with wet tumbling and SS pins in the last 8 years is a smaller caliber case getting mixed in with larger ones and case inside another. I’ve never had pins stick in a case.

 

[rosewood]

The only issue I’ve had with wet tumbling and SS pins in the last 8 years is a smaller caliber case getting mixed in with larger ones and case inside another. I’ve never had pins stick in a case.

That happens with dry tumbling.

You can just about mix most bottle neck cases, but you better segregate the straight walls. The worst offender is 40S&W and 44 mag. Those are hard to separate. I tumble most all pistol cartridges separately that are a different caliber.

Rosewood

 

[PapaWheelie]

I have yet (knock on wood) to find any pins stuck in my cases so kinda sold on the whole wet tumbling process. I picked up a counter-top convection oven at Goodwill for $8.00 and use it exclusively for drying brass after wet tumbling and powder coating jig heads. It sure takes away the fuss and bother of drying brass. A load of brass is completely dried and sorted before the next load has finished tumbling.
The only issue has been from adding too much LemiShine which dulled the cases. Has anyone found a wax that could be added to the water to keep the brass as nice and shiny as when it comes out of the tumbler?

 

[mikld]

Yeah, but when those 45s land on the base and all you can see is that black hole, they are hard to find on the ground. You have to make passes from different angles to find them all. I bet 45 GAP is has this problem even more.

Rosewood

I've got most my 45 ACP brass trained to land on their side. Federal brass from my 1911 usually lands with the mouth facing west, towards the ocean. My Ruger P90 tosses brass 3.48 meters to the right, about 2:00 o'clock with all mouths facing me. My HP 45 ACP carbine won't behave and all brass lands in a 5' circle at about 3:00 o'clock, many mouth down.

Then there are the "Brass Gremlins" that stay hidden in the dirt. Whenever a case lands within 7' they will dart out, grab the case and scurry back to their den. I saw one do this about 9 years ago. A newer 45 ACP case landed and out of the corner of my eye I saw it disappear under a shotgun shell. Didn't get a good look at the Gremlin, just a shadowy figure dragging the case. They don't bother my 30-06 cases much, probably too big for the Oregon Brass Gremlins, but I'd probably run into a problem in Texas, as I've heard everything is bigger in Texas. Most of the Gremlins in my area ignore 9mm and 5.56/223 maybe as there are so many laying around they just wait until night to collect some.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...

 

[rosewood]

My HP 45 ACP carbine won't behave and all brass lands in a 5' circle at about 3:00 o'clock, many mouth down.

Yeah, but they are so covered in soot, it doesn't matter which way they are oriented...

Rosewood

 

[iouri]

I've been wet tumbling for years, 10s of 1000 of cases didn't break a decapping pin yet. Worst that happened to me is a pin stuck in firing hole (when I decap before tumbling) but I inspect my brass after tumbling anyway so it gets caught. The only handling of dirty brass I do is pick up at the range and sort by size (with brass sorter) for wet tumbling