Ammunition & Hand Loading > Cartridge and Shotshell reloading

Stainless steel wet tumbling

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unfy:
While the Thumbler thing is awesomely priced from many places, I almost want a something that sits more at an angel.  Guess I just have a fear of leakage.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/RCBS-Sidewinder-Rotary-Case-Tumbler/1172319.uts

Comes close, but it's stupid expensive.

It wouldn't be too hard to build something either.

SS_N_NE:
After reading about vibrating dry units and the issues with lead dust...I went with stainless pins in an old rock tumbler I had laying around.

The stainless pins are from Midway...and were a decent price compared to many sources.
The rock tumbler is not identified in any way. Similar to the Thumbler units many are using for case cleaning. About a 6" drum with a hexagon rubber lined chamber. Lid held on with six wingnuts.
Most people running wet systems will note that the Thumbler units are "high speed" and that action will let the pins impact more efficiently.

Running a couple Tsp. Dawn dish wash detergent, a couple .45 ACP cases (measure) of Lemi Shine and tap water (and certain this can vary by location making distilled a good choice).

Cases (mostly .45 acp and 9mm luger) come out very clean, inside and out. Primer pockets are about the only thing that are not spotless but more than reasonable for reloading. I decap before cleaning using a Lee Universal Decaping die. Usually the cases are satisfactory after 45 minutes to 1 hour. Have even reused the dirty water in the tumbler to do several loads of 9mm and .45 cases (400-500 cases in three loads) without any change in cleaning of the cases (last load looks as good as the first). Have left cases to tumble 6 hours and could not see any appreciable difference in cleaning appearance or wear/tear on the cases from the stainless pins. Cases are a satin appearance and not polished like a dry media tumbler with polish in the media.

Have picked up range brass that was VERY tarnished (dark brown) and it comes out looking like fresh once-fired brass with cleaned this way .

Would like to try ultrasonic....but with a (expensive) quality machine (and will not buy import units).  Have seen pics on the web of ultrasonic cases run in solution of citric acid (Health food store product that is cheaper than products sold for cleaning cases). The run time is short and same inside/outside clean.

I have experienced some stainless pins sticking in primer holes. Appears to be pins with poor cut ends that seem to pair up and get stuck, but never an issue seeing the problem and pulling out the pins. Cases HAVE to be sorted. Running different size cases can cause pins to get between cases and stick so hard that cases will not separate (reported experience...not mine).

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