Tumbling brass

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Do you tumble before or after you resize and deprime brass? I have always tumbled after resizing, and I always have to pic tumbling media out of the primer pocket.

 

[TiminTN]

That will go away if you use crushed walnut instead of corn cob.

Corn cobs have a much more useful purpose in life........

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

I use Lyman walnut media. Do you tumble after you resize?

 

[TiminTN]

Usually clean the necks before sizing with 0000 steel wool, resize, wipe off the excess case lube (Hornady Unique) and tumble if they are hunting cases, I do not tumble match brass. I may or may not tumble my own stuff, but always on hired jobs.

Tumbling with the treated Lyman (red) and then sizing can cause serious trouble.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I do it after also.

 

[Model70Man]

What kind of trouble???

I tumble before resizing. I use the Lyman walnut. Haven't had any problems yet.... but will stop and tumble after resizing from now on.

 

[TiminTN]

The red compound if it is even a trace on the cases after tumbling goes into the die will embed itself and cause the die to scratch the heyal out of the brass after a few go though the die.

 

[cdw338]

Go to a pet shop and buy the walnut media. It is a lot cheaper
and does not have any cleaners in it. That is where I got
what I am using now and it does a good job.

I resize then polish also.

 

[Whelen Man]

I've never used a tumbler. I've loaded for years for probably a dozen calibers but always took time to hand clean my cases. Like Tim said I use a lot of 0000 Steel wool and CLR, rags, and elbow grease. It takes time but I don't shoot enough volume to make it unattractive. It's a hobby and a labor of love and I make the time. I never liked them jumbling around on each other in a tumbler. If I were going to use one though I would use it with plain media before sizing to help prevent all the gunk from going though my sizing die.