Does SS media reduce case life?
- Thread starter justeric
- Start date
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fa18hooker
99-9X
From my experience, you'll crack necks or have loose primer pockets from shooting before you see any effects on brass life from stainless tumbling. I only use stainless now (lots of benefits, haven't found a down side yet...it's less hazardous, the brass comes out brand new, and it's a ton cheaper). I have put pistol brass through it on it's 14th reloading, and no ill effects. I toss "special" rifle brass (non military calibers) after 7 reloadings, and haven't seen any issues at that point. The only ill effect I could think that someone might even propose would be some sort of peening, but intuition tells me there's more violent peening in a vibratory tumbler...brass on brass, brass on the steel center rod, etc. Did your source cite anything specific? Personal experience?
ken792
Ultimate Member
I've heard of people reloading .38 Special or .45 ACP until the headstamp is worn off. At least for those low pressure cartridges, I think they can handle some SS tumbling.
obiii
Active Member
I can't see where using SS media would be any more taxing on brass than reloading hot and shooting often. I've never heard of it anyway in the last few years. Perhaps with questionable quality brass that is only good for a few reloads anyway.
OB
OB
How are you separating the pins from the brass when you are done tumbling?
I use an RCBS media separator.
R357
Active Member
I use a media separator with water immediately afterwards to get 90% of pins out.
The remainder will come loose after the brass is dry, with a final pass in through the media separator (without using any water).
The remainder will come loose after the brass is dry, with a final pass in through the media separator (without using any water).
fa18hooker
99-9X
The pins are magnetic (yes, and stainless as well), so cleanup is a breeze.
Nope, no work hardening.
http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/tips/
I use the small Dillon media separator while the brass is still wet. I rinse the brass a bit first. I wear hearing protection because it makes quite the racket. It gets 99.99% of the pins out.
http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/tips/
I use the small Dillon media separator while the brass is still wet. I rinse the brass a bit first. I wear hearing protection because it makes quite the racket. It gets 99.99% of the pins out.
I started with wet tumbling with a Harbor Freight dual Drum then added pins.
When I added Pins I did not have a media seperator so I had to pull them out one by one. Very tedious.
Friend gave me a vibrater tumbler and seperator.
I have tended to use the dry vibrator as it seemed much quicker and easier not to mess with water. If I have to seperate the media twice (before and after drying) then I think it would still be easier to dry tumble in the vibrator. Most of my reloading is 9mm and I can vibe 300+ 9mm in less than an hour. and I can work on them right away if needed.
If I'm vibe cleaning 20-30 rifle brass, I just pull them out one by one.
SS media does however get them really shiny and if I decap first, really cleans out the primer pockets.
When I added Pins I did not have a media seperator so I had to pull them out one by one. Very tedious.
Friend gave me a vibrater tumbler and seperator.
I have tended to use the dry vibrator as it seemed much quicker and easier not to mess with water. If I have to seperate the media twice (before and after drying) then I think it would still be easier to dry tumble in the vibrator. Most of my reloading is 9mm and I can vibe 300+ 9mm in less than an hour. and I can work on them right away if needed.
If I'm vibe cleaning 20-30 rifle brass, I just pull them out one by one.
SS media does however get them really shiny and if I decap first, really cleans out the primer pockets.
Mdphotographer
Active Member
+1 for the RCBS media seperator it is the ONLY way to seperate the media from brass whether dry or wet tumbled. Also a good tool for wet tumbling is a food dehydrator will dry the brass out much faster and it wont leave your fingers black after a reloading session like brass done in a vibrating tumbler.
So far I am LOVING my FA rotary tumbler if it could give BJ's I'd marry it lol
So far I am LOVING my FA rotary tumbler if it could give BJ's I'd marry it lol
kazan182
Active Member
- Aug 3, 2011
- 510
So you are using the SS pins in a regular dry vibrating tumbler?
No, the SS pins and water are in a Harbor Freight rotary tumbler.
http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html
I also have one of these which was given to me recently which I have mostly been using:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/21...er-kit-with-quick-n-ez-rotary-media-separator
anil
Active Member
Ah ok. I was confused too.
So, you are saying you prefer using a dry media tumbler over using a wet tumbler. I guess you're like me (I haven't gone wet) and just don't care if my brass is super-duper shiny. Though, the videos I've seen of how much extra cruft wet pulls out even to vibed cases is impressive.
I wonder what the SS media would do in a dry tumbler. Has anyone tried it vs corncob? I'm guessing it wouldn't hold the polishers like the dry media?
Mdphotographer
Active Member
Using stainless in a vibrating tumbler wont really work the pins would just settle to the bottom the brass isnt enough to get it agitated and flowing through the bowl top to bottom
