Wet tumbler vs dry vs ultrasonic

402 Views 12 Replies 9 Participants Last post by 22_Match, 2 mo ago

Chickenhater

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

I used a vibratory tumbler with treated media, as the majority of hand loaders do, but switched to a rotary wet tumbler a couple years back after comparing the rotary to the ultrasonic. The dry tumbler was re-purposed to moly coat bullets, so I can't switch back and forth. The wet tumbler is more work though, as a few extra steps are required. But a few steps are deleted as well, so maybe it's a wash, time wise. (Rinsing and drying the cases does add a lot of time, but not having to manually clean the primer pockets saves about as much as lost.)
The rotary tumbler cleans much better, with the inside of the case being as shiny as the outside, something the vibratory tumbler didn't do all that well. But of late I find I put off case prep, as I've become weary of the cleaning segment. Are there any easy options?

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JDWinCO

· #2 · 3 mo ago

So again I will say something that will set get a furor going, or at least a grumble. Dirty cases do not harm a thing, no accuracy, not precision, nor your dies, just your sense of prestige. Everyone (including moi) likes to show off their classy finished end product, which object is your a shooter/reloader is the target you made, not shiny brass.
Having said that, I vib my brass for about 30 mins and get one with the program.

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NF1E

· #3 · 3 mo ago

I use wet ss tumbling exclusively these days. 1 hour in the tumbler with dawn and lemishine and they are ready for rinsing and drying. I use a Frankford Arsenal media separator and find that most all pins come out when used in water. Then a couple hours in the case dryer and they are ready for sizing, then back to tumbler and another cycle with the separator and dryer and final trimming before charging and seating. Every other loading they get a trip through the annealer. Being totally retarded it gives the old dinosaur something to enjoy.

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flangster

· #4 · 3 mo ago

I like the rotary tumbler for the clean primer pockets. Also stainless pins last forever. Not strictly necessary, but nice to have.

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Stockcrafter

· #5 · 3 mo ago

I give my cases a final trip in the case/pin separator after time in the dryer. Invariably this results in 1 or 2 pins that were not dislodged when the wet cases were run through the first time. Hate to think what grief they may have caused if fired down the barrel!

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Chickenhater

Discussion Starter · #6 · 3 mo ago

That has always concerned me as well, so once capped and sitting in the loading tray, I shine a light into each case, ensuring no pins are inside. Every once in a while a pin will stick crossways in the mouth of a 308 case, but usually they all come out when I transfere them, upside down to a loading tray, to put them in the case dryer.

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NF1E

· #7 · 3 mo ago

Have to check for pins that might be stuck. I get an occasional pin stuck in the flash holes of berdan brass and once in a great while across the mouth of a 6.5 .

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Flintlock28

· #8 · 3 mo ago

JDWinCO said:
So again I will say something that will set get a furor going, or at least a grumble. Dirty cases do not harm a thing, no accuracy, not precision, nor your dies, just your sense of prestige. Everyone (including moi) likes to show off their classy finished end product, which object is your a shooter/reloader is the target you made, not shiny brass.
Having said that, I vib my brass for about 30 mins and get one with the program.

I too used to obsess over having really shiny Brass..... it really doesn't matter.

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mathews691

· #9 · 3 mo ago

JDWinCO said:
So again I will say something that will set get a furor going, or at least a grumble. Dirty cases do not harm a thing, no accuracy, not precision, nor your dies, just your sense of prestige. Everyone (including moi) likes to show off their classy finished end product, which object is your a shooter/reloader is the target you made, not shiny brass.
Having said that, I vib my brass for about 30 mins and get one with the program.

Same here, I just don't care. Cleaning the brass does nothing. Yes I think you do need to at a minimum inspect the primer pocket, but you don't need to clean every one your eye will know what "too dirty" is.

There is no need to tumble brass, so I don't. I don't think mine has seen the light of day in over 2 years.

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Chickenhater

Discussion Starter · #10 · 3 mo ago

Flintlock28 said:
I too used to obsess over having really shiny Brass..... it really doesn't matter.

True, shiny brass isn't necessary... but carbon build up inside the case raises pressure. A dirty flash hole can cause accuracy to degrade and you will still need to clean the primer pocket. I know a few guys who never clean their cases, but they are hunters who only shoot a few rounds per year. Shooting competition to the tune of 1500rds per year is a different animal.

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FritzFulton

· #11 · 3 mo ago

JDWinCO said:
So again I will say something that will set get a furor going, or at least a grumble. Dirty cases do not harm a thing, no accuracy, not precision, nor your dies, just your sense of prestige. Everyone (including moi) likes to show off their classy finished end product, which object is your a shooter/reloader is the target you made, not shiny brass.
Having said that, I vib my brass for about 30 mins and get one with the program.

Perhaps dirty cases hurts your pride or ego.
Fritz

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mathews691

· #12 · 3 mo ago

FritzFulton said:
Perhaps dirty cases hurts your pride or ego.
Fritz

Yup so very true. And we start clutching at straws to justify it.

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22_Match

· #13 · 2 mo ago

My preference is a vibratory tumbler with walnut shell grit. Add a little mineral spirits and all is good. It cleans well enough, and decapping after cleaning gets any grit out of the flash hole.

I almost changed to a rotary with the SS pins, but some research nixed that idea. It beats the heck out of the case mouths. Then needing to decap first or right after tumbling, plus the drying and everything that goes with it.

22_Match

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