Rookie brass cleaning move

[Rob]

Shaking my head and laughing at myself...

Tumbled about 600 pieces of 223, 20 pieces of 300 blackout, 100 45acp, 200 38 special, 40 357 rem mag, 80 9mm, and 25 380acp in a single batch with my wet tumbler and pins. 

I was in a hurry and did not really think my batch combo thru like I normally do...

Needless to say i had a huge mess.

9mm hiding in 45 acp brass, 38 special and 357 with 223 shells inserted in them and trapping pins and water, and the pure joy of separating 9mm from 380 acp, as well as 38 special from 357...  man I hate separating 380/9mm brass!

Oh well.  At least the ocd part of my personality likes creating order from chaos (even if the chaos was self inflicted!)

[fowl smacker]

Been there man, been there!

[Jonathan_S]

That sounds tedious! I have stainless pins that are the perfect length to get jammed sideways in 223 brass and sometimes in the neck of 300 WSM. I never realized it until I ejected a .223 shell and a sooty little pin was lying next to it. Now they all get a good look inside.

[Rob]

Appreciate the Commiseration!

I find the occasional pin in a neck or primer pocket.  I plan to move to the smaller flake style in the near future.  But the pins work for now!

[Magnum_Willys]

Oh man that sounds like one of my “time savers” hehe ...

[carpsniperg2]

That sounds tedious! I have stainless pins that are the perfect length to get jammed sideways in 223 brass and sometimes in the neck of 300 WSM. I never realized it until I ejected a .223 shell and a sooty little pin was lying next to it. Now they all get a good look inside.

Same here. They stick in my flash/hole primer pockets as well some time. I inspect all cases real good just for this reason.

[wadu1]

I still use walnut media, spent part of Sunday pulling 9mm out of 45's. Did about 100 each and 50% were together. 

[actionshooter]

That sounds tedious! I have stainless pins that are the perfect length to get jammed sideways in 223 brass and sometimes in the neck of 300 WSM. I never realized it until I ejected a .223 shell and a sooty little pin was lying next to it. Now they all get a good look inside.

Same here. They stick in my flash/hole primer pockets as well some time. I inspect all cases real good just for this reason.

Get rid of the pins.... they work great but I have seen wrecked dies and at least one ruined barrel...

[Magnum_Willys]

Yep, switched back to walnut media for more consistent neck tension and less hassle.
May try again with Amp annealer and liquid graphite neck dip.

[Jonathan_S]

That sounds tedious! I have stainless pins that are the perfect length to get jammed sideways in 223 brass and sometimes in the neck of 300 WSM. I never realized it until I ejected a .223 shell and a sooty little pin was lying next to it. Now they all get a good look inside.

Same here. They stick in my flash/hole primer pockets as well some time. I inspect all cases real good just for this reason.

Get rid of the pins.... they work great but I have seen wrecked dies and at least one ruined barrel...

Yeah I can see how that would happen. Now that I'm aware, it's easy to be on the look out for it. With how clean the brass gets, it is not hard to spot the occasional stuck pin.

[7mmfan]

What pins are you guys talking about?

[Rob]

A different tumbling process vs. vibratory tumbling with dry media like Walnut shells

the tumbler is like a rock polisher, and you fill a canister with your brass, water, dish soap and some lemishine.  Add 5 lbs of steel pins to clean it up.

Here is a kit:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012721373?pid=713881

[7mmfan]

And what is the benefit to that over dry media?

[Magnum_Willys]

They clean the inside and primer hole.  The inside neck gets too clean for some.

[Jonathan_S]

It also seems faster than dry media  like a lot faster in my humble setup.